With the Coronavirus upon us, global demand for supplies used to treat and help protect people, such as face masks and respirators, is currently exceeding supply. Fortunately, many manufacturers around the world have ramped up production to help get supplies where they are most needed. Importing these products is not simple! Here’s what you need […]

In 1919, people expected the year 2020 to be filled with high-speed trains, flying cars and seemingly utopic metropolitan areas. At the time, Prohibition advocates were fixated on banning the alcoholic content in beverages in an effort to improve what they viewed as a growing public health epidemic, while usage of fossil fuels perpetually increased […]

To succeed as a seller, sometimes you have to think like a buyer. When you decide to purchase an item online, you’re likely going to do a quick search before picking whichever seller has the best reviews and/or lowest price… unless you’ve previously had a memorable experience with a particular seller. Perhaps you were impressed […]

When submitting an entry to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there are a few essentials that comprise every transaction – valuation, country of origin, and product classification. However, it isn’t always possible to provide all elements at the time of entry. On occasion, the value, classification, 9802 or Free Trade Agreement (FTA) associated with […]

It’s time to open your Import Compliance Tools Instruction Manual! The first page brings you to one of Customs’ most common errors when importing: Valuation. The responsibility of reporting the correct value of the cargo to Customs falls on the importer because of ‘Reasonable Care,’ which states importers are aware of their obligations when importing. […]

“Knowledge is power.” – Sir Francis Bacon We couldn’t agree more! Freight is a variable game, but regulatory compliance requires a solid foundation of knowledge and experience. And Shapiro has over a century of that! Is your company being affected in some way by the imposition of additional Chinese tariffs under Section 301?  Will these […]

Does your company have a trade compliance program? In today’s fast-paced marketplace, lack of awareness about the benefits of a trade compliance program can be very costly.  Companies can save a substantial amount of money if they know how to apply and take advantage of free trade agreements, preference programs, drawback, first sale valuation, tariff […]

These days, the world of e-commerce is constantly moving and evolving. If you blink, you may just find yourself 10 steps behind! A lot of the change is driven by the agility of both e-commerce sellers and a growing community of logistics & customs solutions providers that support them. You may be thinking, how exactly […]

It’s time to pull the handy-dandy Free Trade Agreement from your tool box! What are Free Trade Agreements? What do they achieve? Do your imports qualify for any reduced-duty program? Do you have written policy and procedures for FTAs? Basically, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are designed to boost trade and social relationships between two or […]

The Trans-Pacific Maritime (TPM) Conference is an annual gathering of supply chain executives wherein industrywide successes and pain points are deliberated, with presentations and discussions typically leading to an overarching path of future resolve in an otherwise fickle trade. However, this year, aside from uniform predictions of relative ocean rate stability throughout 2018, the consensus […]