Hong Kong Issues Tropical Cyclone Warning

Client Alert The Hong Kong national weather service issued a severe weather warning this morning for incoming tropical cyclone Vincente. By law, this warning level requires all offices, schools, and nonessential government departments to shut down. Please be advised that shipment delays are expected due to the severe weather. International Business Times: Typhoon Vicente Sweeps…

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The MSC Flaminia Is on Fire and I Have Cargo Onboard!

When fire overtook the containership MSC Flaminia earlier this month, shippers with cargo onboard wanted to know: What’s the impact of my cargo? The answer is: It depends. First, is your cargo insured through an all risk policy? If so, you can relax. Regardless of the outcome of this fire, your underwriters have you covered. Fire is…

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New Benefit Coming This January for C-TPAT

Members of the C-TPAT program have a new benefit coming their way this January, thanks to an agreement signed by U.S. and EU customs authorities. On May 4, customs officials representing the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program and the EU Authorized Economic Operator program signed an agreement to mutually recognize program members as…

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Seminar Sneak Peek: Bonded Warehouse vs. FTZ

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the handouts from our upcoming seminar,Effective duty deferral, avoidance, and recovery strategies. Making use of a bonded warehouse or foreign trade zone are two strategies that we will be covering during this seminar. Let’s compare: Bonded Warehouse (BW) vs. Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Duty based on (BW) Value…

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LA/Long Beach Increase PierPass-Related Fee

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase the Traffic Mitigation Fee by $1.50 per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) beginning on August 1. The increase will bring current fee levels to $61.50 (20' containers) and $123 (40' containers). Last August, marine terminal operators announced that they would begin increasing the Traffic Mitigation Fee…

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What’s Riding on US-Mexico Cross-Border Trucking Pilot

The cross-border trucking pilot program that allows designated Mexican carriers to make deliveries across the U.S. border is suffering from low participation, according to senior officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation. As of May 13, only three Mexican carriers, each consisting of single truck and driver, have made an underwhelming 35 trips across the…

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US-Colombia FTA Starter Kit

May 15, 2012 was a good day for U.S. exporters. It was the day the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement went into effect, giving thousands of exporters new trade opportunities available at reduced tariff rates. The Agreement gives duty-free status to over 80% of U.S. consumer and industrial goods exported to Colombia, with remaining tariffs eliminated…

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