Ascent Global Logistics Blog

The anticipated 25 percent tariff increase scheduled for January 1, 2019 is in current delay by the Trump administration, however, shippers have been actively moving billions of dollars of goods into US ports for several weeks to arrive before January 1, 2019.

Each product that is imported into the United States and cleared through Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is required to be classified based on The Harmonized Tariff System of the United States. Those classifications are the responsibility of the importer (19 U.S.C. 1484), since they have firsthand knowledge of what the article is, what it is made of, how it is manufactured and the end use.

With several proposed tariff lists that are slated to go into effect, now is the time to start thinking about gaining visibility and improving efficiency within your supply chain.

Let’s face it: getting money back is not always “common cents.” While Duty Drawback can be accessible, it is still a very long and complex process to receive Duty Drawback from your import activities. However, the right blend of technology and people can help!

While the trade world has been focusing on the S232 and S301 remedy tariffs, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill of 2018 has been quietly implemented. This has allowed for a temporary reduction or suspension of import tariffs paid on particular imported items into the United States. 

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…

In 2018, the S232 and S301 tariffs have increased duty payments to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by up to 25 percent. Ultimately, this affects the daily duty payments to CBP and the subsequent billing from Ascent Global Logistics. We predict that duty outlay could be up to six times more per month than in months previous to the S232 and S301 tariffs.

In recent years, the United States government and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have taken a closer look at goods imported into the United States that are potentially made from forced labor or child labor. The goal of this increased scrutiny is to ensure the United States is involved in a fair and competitive trade environment.

In May 2016, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act was enacted, which established a new process for “the submission and consideration of petitions for temporary duty suspension and reductions.”

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.