What Are the Benefits of Using a Foreign Trade Zone for Business?

One of the more unique and less understood options is the Foreign Trade Zone. A unique location or designation in the US, this zone offers interesting opportunities for businesses that can effectively leverage its special status. In this week’s blog, we dive into what an ‘FTZ’ is, how it can help with certain kinds of tariffs, and, of course, whether it’s a good option for your business. Read on to learn more!

Learn More

Your Broker Knows Blog

What Are the Benefits of Using a Foreign Trade Zone for Business?

Did you know that there are sections of the US where foreign goods are considered outside the US for the purposes of collecting duties and taxes? It’s true, and the role of Foreign Trade Zones in global supply chains is significant and a valuable addition to the international trade toolbox. These zones lend themselves to several creative uses that can provide options and cost savings for the businesses that put them to work. If you are intrigued by this idea and curious as to whether or not these foreign trade zones (FTZ) can be used effectively by your business, then you are invited to read on.

Tariff Relief and Trade Agreements - How To Prepare for Change

Whether in the US, Canada, or anywhere in the world, when an administration changes, change often comes with it. That change can often manifest in the form of shifted international trade relations as newly elected officials pursue different priorities and push forward new ideas on how their nation fits into the world marketplace. For this reason, new tariffs, regulations, agreements, and shifting trade negotiations can be high on the political agenda.

Forced Labor, CBP, and the Solar Panel Surprise

Let’s imagine a scenario. You are a company that imports garments from a manufacturer in India, and right now there is something of a boom for your particular kind of garment. Someone famous wore one at a televised event, and now whatever it is you are making is the talk of the town. So, you ramp up production and begin importing them on a large scale from a factory that makes them in India.

The Downside Of Using Multiple Customs Brokers

When it comes to importing in the global marketplace, diversification is almost always viewed as a net positive. You are encouraged to make use of multiple suppliers, multiple modes of transport,

What is a Denied Party Screening?

If there is a recurring theme in international trade, it is almost certainly complexity. There are countless moving parts, niche rules, special considerations, and even strange corner cases that are all necessary for staying compliant while trading internationally. This often-moving target of compliance is what makes an extra pair of eyes so important for keeping your import business on the straight and narrow.

How to Contend with Unexpected Delays when Importing into the US

Let’s imagine a situation: You have been working on a new product for months, researching the rules for importing goods into the US, common mistakes to avoid when importing into the US, and what must be declared at US Customs. You put in the work and the preparation in an effort to best prepare yourself for the day it arrives.

Importing and Travelling with Dogs Into the US After August 1st.

Beginning on August 1st, 2024, stricter rules are coming into play regarding dogs crossing the border into the US. While this may seem largely irrelevant to standard US importers, these additional rules surrounding dogs may have a significant knock-on effect for your trade in ways that may not seem immediately obvious.

Without A Customs Bond, Your Goods Will Be Denied Into The U.S.

Among the most easily confused or missed of the import bonds, the Temporary Import Bond (TIB) is the perfect tool for a particular kind of import, namely, brief stays in the US with the intention of being returned within a set timeframe. Most famously, this bond is used for exhibitions, trade shows, repairs, and assembly.