Ascent Global Logistics Blog

If you have been in logistics for any period of time, you know that late shipments can be a very common occurrence. In fact, 10 percent of small business owners reported that more than 75 percent of their shipments arrived late. With delays that high, customer satisfaction could easily decline.

***See the latest update regarding Section 301 Tariffs by clicking here.

On July 31, 1789, shortly after the United States became a nation, Congress passed legislation that called for administering customs tariffs and collecting duty to fund the government. Since then, the government has continued to collect duty on imports into the United States. Here is what you need to know about duty:

With capacity shortages and increased demand, now is the time to rethink your supply chain. Even if you think you can manage everything by yourself, it still pays to have a trusted logistics partner. Here are three signs that it is time to rethink your supply chain and use a transportation solutions partner:

At Ascent Global Logistics, we are constantly looking for ways to help our customers become leading importers. With that being said, we understand that many importers still use traditional Excel files to manage and track all of their purchase orders. While Excel is still the most used method for managing import shipments, it lacks the ability to provide true supply chain insight. Companies are spending time, money and energy on a program where they don’t have to.

With the President signing into law H.R. 1625 on March 23, 2018, GSP has now been extended retroactively from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020.  The effective date of the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018” is April 22, 2018, when programming will be updated to reflect the GSP duty status of approximately 5000 tariff items. 

While the concept of Reasonable Care has been around for over twenty years, today’s circular is a reminder of the importance of exercising Reasonable Care in all interactions with U. S. Customs. On December 8, 1993, the Customs Modernization Act, or the “Mod” Act, was implemented, which amended many sections of the Tariff Act of 1930 and related laws. This Act changed the course of the relationship between Customs and Trade by further defining the legal obligations of each party in an international transaction while facilitating the cooperation between this government entity and its constituents. 

What is the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program? What is the current status of the program? What countries are involved? What are some examples of GSP eligible products? Read below for answers to these common importer questions and more. 

Our team is extremely proud to have celebrated our one year anniversary of Ascent Global Logistics on January 25, 2018. Just over one year ago we became a unified team with the common goal of being our clients’ most trusted and valued logistics provider by offering end-to-end solutions. 

This week Walmart held its annual Supplier Growth Forum in Bentonville, Arkansas. During the event, the big-box retailer announced changes to its OTIF (On Time In Full) program which stands to directly impact Walmart suppliers. During the summit, Walmart announced new thresholds for supplier delivery requirements, which will take effect in April 2018. 

It may be the start of a New Year but our team has been busy for months working behind the scenes to finalize and perfect a number of enhancements.