At this moment, CBP cannot make any changes or upload the new tax rates to ACE that reflects the excise tax cuts for beer, wine, and distilled spirits that took effect January 1st; they are waiting for implementation guidance from Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). As such, importers, as well as brokers […]

New regulations that require the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) and revise hours of service (HOS) rules for motor carriers are now in effect and are being strictly enforced. As a result, shippers may experience reduced free time and a greater likelihood of missed appointments/deliveries. With ELDs in place, trucking companies will face fines […]

Due to inclement weather caused by Winter Storm Grayson, our Charleston office is currently closed. Charleston employees are working remotely to address all emails, but responses may be delayed. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Chris Carlton at [email protected]. Shapiro will continue to monitor the situation and will advise if our other offices are affected by Winter […]

Effective January 1st, the products that were once eligible for being duty-free under special program indicators “A”, “A+”, and “A*” are now subject to normal duty rates when imported. While CBP still requests that GSP eligible items are identified with an indicator, the goods are dutiable until further notice. To ensure importers receive duty refunds […]

As you may know, after several delays, it appears that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will finally be rolling out statement processing via their portal Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) on January 8, 2018. While we have every hope that this deployment proceeds without incident, it is very possible that Customs will experience glitches along the […]

The expiration of Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is right around the corner!  Assuming the program expires, the products once eligible for being duty-free under special program indicators “A”, “A+”, and “A*” will now be subject to normal duty rates when imported. While CBP still requests that GSP eligible items are identified with an indicator, […]

The new Electronic Log Data (ELD) mandate, which officially goes into effect on December 18th, is forcing truckers to pay much closer attention to their logs so as not to exceed their Hours of Service (HOS) requirements. Electronic logs, which cannot be manipulated with the same ease as their paper predecessors, have already caused rate […]

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) will be adjusted for inflation effective January 1, 2018. The MPF is assessed by U.S. Customs on most imports into the U.S.  The calculation rate, which is 0.3464 percent of declared cargo value, will remain unchanged. However, the minimum MPF will […]

Shapiro has received multiple reports that Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal has ceased operations for the remainder of the day today, Tuesday, November 7th due to crane operators walking off the job. There has been no further information released regarding the closure at this time, so full details cannot yet be provided. We will continue to […]

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, a gathering of China’s top delegates that occurs twice a decade, will commence in Beijing on Wednesday, October 18th and is expected to last one week. In preparation for the meeting, security measures have been tightened as of October 16th and the majority of cargo entering Shanghai […]

Midnight of December 31st, 2017 isn’t just the end of the year, it is also when the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is set to expire. The products once eligible for being duty free under special program indicators “A”, “A+”, and “A*” will now be paying normal duty rates when imported. While CBP still requests […]

Given the importance of your cargo deadlines, we want to provide you with the latest information post-Irma. Fortunately, none of the expected port openings outlined in yesterday’s Shap Flash have lagged to date. On top of this, a number of airports will be resuming operations today. As a reminder, here is the list of East […]

In light of Irma’s changing trajectory and weakened condition, there are a number of updates to the information released in last Friday’s Shap Flash.  Please note the following: Port of Charleston is open and operating normally. Port of Savannah is CLOSED.  As of now, it is expected to re-open on Wednesday, 9/13. We are not […]

The most recent forecasts for Hurricane Irma now predict the Category 5 storm will make landfall in Florida tomorrow morning, after which Irma is expected to continue her trajectory, diminishing in size and severity throughout her journey along the Southeast coast of the U.S. In anticipation of Irma’s disastrous path, numerous ports along the Southeastern […]

Despite the destructive wake of Hurricane Harvey, which was officially classified as a Category 4 hurricane, the majority of affected Gulf Coast ports are hoping to resume normal operations by Labor Day. Though the Coast Guard has already reinstated partial operations at a few smaller Gulf Coast ports, namely Corpus Christi, Lake Charles and Galveston, […]

Based almost exclusively on the historical levels of flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, all major components of Houston’s vast transportation gateway are closed and inoperable. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), The Port of Houston, and all major rail ramps remain closed with only IAH hoping to open as early as Thursday, August 31st. […]

The 9th annual BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit, which is touted as a major international relations event that brings in top officials from each member nation, is being hosted in Xiamen, China this year. The 2017 summit will officially take place between September 3rd and 5th. However, tightened security measures leading […]

Although no date has been set and no firm details are available, the International Longshoremen’s Association has begun to lay the groundwork for a one-day work stoppage at ILA ports from Houston to Maine.  The ILA hopes to draw attention to two issues affecting its members: the activities of the Waterfront Commission in the ports […]

PierPass, a non-profit company that seeks to create greater port efficiency and sustainability, and the West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (WCMTOA) have announced an increase to the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The modified TMF will go into effect on August 1, 2017 and will reflect […]

COSCO Shipping has paired with Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) in a consolidated effort to purchase Orient Overseas International Ltd. (OOIL), the holding company overseeing Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL). The proposed deal would pay OOIL $10.07 per share, which equates to roughly $6.3 billion. If OOIL accepts the offer then COSCO would assume a […]