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Fun Facts You Did Not Know About Importing

After three decades providing Customs brokerage services, I’ve come across some strange shipments (at my first employer, we had regular shipments of sand to Saudi Arabia) and stranger people, but that’s for another day. In this blog, I’d like to share some of the more fascinating and odd facts of our import world. Did you […]

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5 Indisputable Reasons the Logistics Industry is Awesome!

“Once you get in, you can’t get out.”  That’s what you hear from folks that have been in the logistics industry for years.  Those same people can quickly spot the rookies who aren’t going to make it; the logistics vets are in the corner saying, “That poor kid, he just can’t handle it.”  The international […]

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5 Performance Indicators You Should Consider with Your Long-Term Logistics Provider

Let’s take a walk down memory lane.  Remember your search for “the one?” The courtship, the evaluation process, the long sleepless nights, the bidding wars…  Remember making that call to say, “I pick you!”  I’m talking about choosing a forwarder, of course!   Think back to that time. Now consider, what selection criteria did you use?  […]

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game: How 3 Types of Freight Providers Perform During ILWU Labor Negotiations

The sun is out, the air is warm, and whether you know it or not, you’re going to a baseball game. Historically, labor disputes have been almost as popular as America’s favorite pastime.  This particular game is between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).  They are only weeks […]

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The Anatomy of a Perfect Commercial Invoice: 11.5 Point Checklist

Importing can be tough.  There are so many rules and regulations for importers to keep track of that it can be easy to forget all of the information that’s required for a Customs entry.  One of the most important documents brokers need for writing entries is the commercial invoice.  Without an invoice, we would have […]

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Top 3 Reasons to Review Your Import/Export Trade Compliance Program NOW!

When was the last time you took a long, hard look at your trade compliance program? What compliance program? Perhaps you work for a company where you wear multiple hats – purchasing, logistics, and oh yes, take care of that Customs stuff, too. Your priorities may depend on your reporting structure. If you report to […]

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10 Ways Technology Can Improve Your Supply Chain (and Personal) Productivity

I’d be hard pressed to deny that technology consumes my life today. At this very moment, I am writing this blog while streaming music using Pandora and monitoring my email on the same device that houses all of my documents, pictures, and embarrassing videos. Cisco, one of the world’s largest technology firms, estimates that the […]

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Why Every Importer of Tile and Stone Cannot Afford to Miss the “Crystal Ball Look at Future Transportation Issues” Session at Coverings 2014

Every winter as you prepare your budgets for the upcoming year, I imagine each of you Logistics Managers standing in front of a mirror and saying, “mirror, mirror on the wall, what are my ocean freights going to be next Fall?” While the image may be slightly comical, the thought highlights a very real problem.  […]

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How the Chinese New Year Affects your Logistics, No Matter What your Zodiac Sign Is

It snuck up on you, didn’t it?  Much like the dreaded summer bathing suit season – the one you keep saying you’ll start that diet for next week – that time of the year has arrived.  Maybe it was the gestational holiday season when you gained 15 pounds from fruit cake alone, or the collective sigh […]

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Do Exporters Have to Keep Records, Too? A Guide to the Ins and Outs of Export Recordkeeping

Do Exporters Have to Keep Records? A Guide to Export Recordkeeping

I sincerely hope this does not shock anyone but recordkeeping is not only for importers!  Exporters must maintain records as proof of compliance with U.S. government regulations for a minimum of 5 years. If Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Census, or any other U.S. Government Agency that […]

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