The Importer Security Filing (ISF) began in January 2009 with a one-year introductory phase-in period. Full enforcement began in January 2010, but Customs and Border Protection (CBP) maintained a flexible and measured enforcement stance. Penalty guidelines were published in July 2009, but Customs held off doing anything until July 2013 when they announced they would […]

As a lover of all wines good and as a budding hobbyist and neophyte collector of Italian (Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria regions),  French (Rhone region), Spanish (Murcia and Rioja regions), and Washington State (Columbia Valley) varietals, I can’t seem to get enough of the culture, industry personalities, and business mechanics of my new found passion.  […]

“My competitors don’t pay duty.” Boy, if I had a dollar for every time I have heard this over my career, I would not need to worry about my kids’ college tuitions. How does an importer know for sure that the competition is not paying duty? Customs entry information is strictly confidential and not even […]

As the ETA of your freight approaches, your palms start to sweat, you begin to pace your office, hit the refresh button on the tracking website, and start calling your professional Customs broker every hour on the hour.  The underlying fears…will your freight be snagged for examination?! Cue dramatic music. Importers have come to know […]

What sets your company apart? If you are like us, you will say “service.” Great, consistent service builds trust, which is the foundation of any relationship. A nurtured relationship builds loyalty and that loyalty generates repeat and referral business. And, if we are not talking money, that feeling you get when you make your customer’s day is pretty darn good, too. (It’s kind of the thing we live for, actually.) So how can you build stronger, more meaningful relationships with your customers?