Each week, the trade community watches the giant chess match between China and the United States, seeing who will make the next move, who will potentially "win" the match or if the game will end in a draw. Currently, the "game" is still in play with both sides moving pieces to win.

If you are one of the many shoppers looking for deals this holiday season, prices may be higher than expected due to new tariffs on imported goods. These tariffs are likely to impact both import shipping volumes and prices of goods throughout this holiday season. 

The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA) is an authorization of CBP’s trade authority and was enforced to create an environment for fair, honest and competitive trade in the United States. Section 906 of TFTEA made a comprehensive set of changes to drawback claim filing. Even though TFTEA was only signed into law in 2016, it is necessary to know these recent changes since it greatly effects the drawback application process.

Duty drawback is a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program where companies are refunded up to 99% of customs duties, taxes and/or fees that were previously levied upon imported merchandise, and of internal revenue taxes paid on domestic alcohol as well as other excise taxes. Duty drawback, however, is one of the most complicated commercial programs managed by CBP. Thus, it is important to have a clear understanding of all facets of how the program works and develop a relationship with a reputable drawback broker, who can help you navigate the rules and international laws.

The team at Ascent Global Logistics is ready to help you work through these complexities by determining if your situation qualifies for the Drawback Program.

When is the last time you found a few random quarters lying around your house? Was it last week? Last month? Last year? One can only image how satisfying it was to find extra change lying around. Ultimately, that day was probably a very good day for you…

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. 

When importing products into the United States, some commodities are subject to Non-Tariff Barriers, which include quotas, licenses, subsidies and additional duties. These barriers are designed to discourage demand of an imported product, protecting domestic producers from foreign competition.

Please plan to join our International Freight Forwarding team from Marisol International, an Ascent Global Logistics Company, on Thursday, July 13 for the next Transportation & Trade Workshop in Memphis, TN.

Is your company importing goods into the United States or considering importing in the future? To import successfully, the importer must have a customs bond on file with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Customs bond compliance can be simple, but there is important information every importer should be familiar with.