Industry Insights

In the annual State of Logistics Report, produced by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and presented by Penske Logistics, the freight and logistics industry experienced a banner year in 2014 with record levels reached in certain sectors. In fact, according to Rosalyn Wilson, a transportation consultant who researches and writes the report, […]

The International Trade Administration (ITA) under the U.S. Department of Commerce is charged with assisting businesses in competing in the global marketplace. Last year alone, U.S. exported goods and services were valued at a combined total of $2.34 trillion, and the federal agency continues to help boost exports with several key initiatives designed to foster […]

Announcement of ACE NCAP Test for RLF Entries On July 13, 2015, a Federal Register Notice (FRN) was published announcing CBP’s plan to proceed with a National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning ACE entries filed using remote location filing (RLF) procedures. The initial phase of this test began on August 12, 2015. ACE RLF Procedures […]

Roanoke’s CBP bond underwriters have heightened concerns on certain sugar importations from Mexico. Licensed customs brokers should beware of potential liquidated damage exposures relating to failure to provide export licenses. On September 4, 2014, the Department of Commerce (DOC) published a preliminary countervailing duty determination on case no. C-201-846 in the Federal Register (see admin […]

The world’s third-largest port in terms of total cargo volume in Tianjin, China was hit on Aug. 12 by explosions at a hazardous-chemicals warehouse that damaged a large industrial area and sent shock waves across several kilometers. So far reports indicate that 114 people were killed. Initial estimates from Chinese media reports also indicate that […]

New regulations covering the safe shipment of lithium batteries went into effect beginning August 7, 2015, after being pushed back by six months to allow the industry enough time to adjust to the new requirements. Ruling HM-224F, set by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), requires shippers moving lithium […]