A friend of mine was over a few weeks ago and while relaxing on the deck, the topic of EU Agriculture Regulation came up. I typically try to confine my weekend leisure discussions to things like how the NY Giants are doing, but alas, it was July. My friend is also a professor whose expertise lies in biotech regulation for EU member States, so I might have been out of my league. In a simultaneous attempt to confuse, amaze and distract, I brought up the US Chicken tax, one of the most obscure, draconian pieces of Trade Regulation I could come up with that somehow explains why we aren’t all driving German Pickup Trucks.
Topics: Export Consulting, Import Consulting, North America
Is the Trusted Trader Program (TTP) the beginning of a “new trade era” for the Down Under?
You might be asking “What is it and how is it relevant to me?” The idea is that it is a modernized system developed by both Australian Customs and Border Protection (ACBPS) to enhance the competitiveness of Australian traders by relieving unnecessary administrative and regulatory burdens, whilst still protecting the borders from associated risk. The process being designed is in accordance with the trade facilitation measures outlined in the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, also known as the SAFE Framework.
The TTP will provide some clearance privileges to recognized trusted traders. In simple terms, think of the TTP as a relationship with the ACBPS built on trust and shared responsibility. Sounds like a marriage, right?
Topics: South Pacific, Export Consulting, Import Consulting
I’m at the point in teaching my 16-year-old daughter to drive that we’re now out on highways, making the long drives to practice staying in lanes, merging onto expressways, and staying within the speed limit, so we have time to talk a little about things other than watching out for bicyclists and what to do if a squirrel jumps out in front of you (bye, bye squirrel). Lately, we’ve been chatting about TV shows she used to watch when she was little – Teletubbies, Zoboomafoo, and, a perennial favorite, Thomas the Tank Engine. Sir Topham Hatt, the director of the railway, reserves his highest praise for the trains in very unique situations, such as pulling a load of school children up a steep hill, or helping a larger engine push an extremely heavy load of coal. At the conclusion of the episode, he would intone, “You are a Really Useful Engine.”
Topics: Import Consulting, HS Classification
Customs Audits……Stop rolling your eyes like you did when your Father told you “good things come to those who wait” or “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Customs audits happen more regularly than your Father’s platitudes. I have worked with importers on some audits that have resulted in some minor changes. Yet there are others that take up lots of time, money, and resources. All of this trouble and drama can be avoided with a little preventative maintenance.
The usual issues for the CBSA are classification, valuation and preferential trade agreements. These are three things that as an importer you should have a good handle on. The CBSA is even kind enough to provide us with a list of the types of imported products they are targeting and what they are targeting them for. The link below takes you a list of items that the CBSA will be auditing this year.
http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/verification/menu-eng.html
It also tells you whether they are auditing for classification or valuation. You can click on a target to expand it and get a detailed description including the number of audits performed, value of reassessments and the fines that have been levied as a result of the audits. This is just like a dashboard light coming on telling you that you need gas. You don’t need that. You have that big gauge. Yet people still run out of gas.
Topics: Export Consulting, Import Consulting, North America, HS Classification
First I would like to say ‘Hello!’ to all of the TradeLane readers, this is my first post here but will certainly not be the last. I joined Tradewin as Principal in Asia just recently and am really excited to be here!
When I travel to the US or the EU I am often asked to provide some thoughts on managing trade compliance in Asia. This is a bit difficult thing to do because there are of course an awful lot of countries in Asia (anywhere between 25-75 depending on what you count as ‘Asia’). And of course each country has its own unique set of trade regulations and practices that may or may not be similar to what exist elsewhere in the region or in the world. Still, if we limit ‘Asia’ to the larger trading countries (say, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam), and exclude India, there are some general points that can be made that describe the environment as we experience it.
Topics: Asia, Export Consulting, Import Consulting
