U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Archives - Page 61 of 102

CBP Now Issuing Penalties for Wood Packaging Material Violations

Due to the increase in penalties for wood packaging material (WPM) violations – we thought it important to remind the importing community that CBP is issuing WPM penalties and the background as to why.

On September 25, 2017, CBP issued Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) #17-000609 informing importers of CBP’s intent to issue penalties for wood packaging material violations. In the message, CBP states all wood packaging material (WPM) imported into the United States must have been treated at the place of origin, and contain the appropriate marking upon importation. CBP is trying to “prevent the introduction of exotic timber pests,” and is encouraging the importing community to look towards alternatives to WPM and to educate your supply chains about ISPM 15 requirements. […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T13:21:50-04:00March 7, 2019|Export, Import, International Law, International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

China Tariff Hike Postponed – USTR to Establish an Exclusion Process – Seminar on “China Tariffs/AD/CVD 101”

The on-going trade war continues as China and the US make progress to come to an agreement. For background information on past actions taken by the Trump Administration to protect American Intellectual Property, check out our previous blogs.

China Tariff Increase is Postponed

President Trump reported in a February 24th tweet that as a result of the “substantial progress” in trade negotiations with China on “important structural issues” he will be delaying the increase from 10 percent to 25 percent in the additional Section 301 tariffs on the List 3 goods (valued at about US$200 billion) that is scheduled to take place on March 2nd. To formalize the extension, the administration will have to publish a Federal Register notice stating the Section 301 additional tariff on the so-called List 3 products will remain at ten percent for now and the notice will likely provide the new date for the tariff increase. To date no formal notice has been published.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T13:21:09-04:00February 28, 2019|AD/CVD, Best Practices, China, China Trade War, Customs Broker, Expert, Export, HTSUS, Import, International Business, International Law, International Trade, Pre-compliance, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

Civil Forfeiture – Know Your Rights!

Routinely, individuals in the U.S. have property taken from them under “Asset Forfeiture” laws and are unaware of their rights. Civil judicial forfeiture does not require a criminal conviction, and is a powerful legal tool used by law enforcement and Federal Agencies to seize property that is involved in a crime. Fines and forfeitures have become a key source of revenue, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

The majority of federal forfeiture cases are uncontested when there is a related criminal case. Administrative forfeiture occurs when property is seized but no one files a claim to contest the seizure. Property that can be administratively forfeited includes merchandise prohibited from importation; a conveyance used to import, transport, or store a controlled substance; a monetary instrument; or other property that does not exceed $500,000 in value. Federal law imposes strict deadlines and notification requirements in the administrative forfeiture process. If the seizure is contested, then the U.S. government is required to use either criminal or civil judicial forfeiture proceedings to gain title to the property.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T13:20:18-04:00February 27, 2019|Best Practices, Currency Seizure, Customs Expert, Investigation, Seizure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

TOP 10 MISTAKES MADE BY TRADEMARK OWNERS

In most jurisdictions, the majority of trademark filings are made by small businesses and entrepreneurs or solopreneurs. When starting a business, it is easy to get caught up on getting your business off the ground. Below outlines the TOP 10 mistakes trademark owners can make (and we will teach you how to avoid them and MUCH more in our seminar, ABC’s of Protecting Your Brand, on February 20, 2019).

Not Realizing That Protecting Trademarks Could Create Value for Your Business.

Most new businesses should analyze the value of their business from the start. While most businesses operate out of rented/leased space or straight out of the owner’s home and rely on loans to promote their services or financing for product inventory, businesses fall short in adding value to their own brand name. When it’s time to sell or liquidate businesses are left with little or no assets apart from their client lists and intellectual property, if any. Not investing in protecting their trademarks will diminish the value of their business in the future.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-12T15:04:57-04:00January 31, 2019|Events, Expert, Import, Intellectual Property Rights, International Business, International Law, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments

PAYING CHINESE TARIFF’S & YOUR COMPETITORS AREN’T?

Now that the Section 301 tariffs are effective, importers are required pay additional duties – but not all are doing so. We found that while some importers know their product is subject to one of the 3 Chinese tariff lists, they are either using HTS’s not on the list (even though that is not the correct HTS for their product), or using an HTS subject to additional tariffs, but, not paying the additional tariffs. If you are an honest importer paying the correct amount of additional duties, this may leave you unable to compete in the current market.

If you’ve noticed that some of your competitor’s pricing has not been affected by the additional tariffs and you have been forced to increase your prices to stay in business, you have an option to help equal the playing field.

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By Jennifer Diaz|2022-07-07T13:19:16-04:00January 22, 2019|AD/CVD, Best Practices, China, China Trade War, Export, Import, International Law, International Trade, penalty, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|2 Comments

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