Tag: Importer of Record
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Tariff Consulting for Amazon Sellers: What Every FBA Importer Needs to Know About Customs Compliance
Introduction: You Are an Importer, Whether You Realize It or Not If you sell products on Amazon that are manufactured overseas, you are an importer. It does not matter whether you think of yourself as an importer, whether you have ever heard the term importer of record, or whether your freight forwarder handles everything from…
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The $800 Rule That Built an Industry CBP processes over a million de minimis shipments per day. This exponential growth has raised concerns about duty avoidance, trade remedy evasion, and product safety circumvention. How De Minimis Works Today Shipments valued at $800 or less can enter without formal entry or duty payment. The threshold applies…
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Security as a Trade Advantage C-TPAT is a voluntary public-private partnership that recognizes supply chain participants maintaining robust security. Certified partners receive tangible trade facilitation benefits including reduced inspections and expedited processing. Benefits of Certification Reduced inspections and examinations, expedited processing, front of the line during elevated threats, mutual recognition with foreign trusted trader programs,…
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The Hidden Tariff That Can Reach Triple Digits Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are calculated individually for each foreign producer and can range from single digits to several hundred percent. The retrospective nature means liability can change years after importation. How AD/CVD Duties Work The Department of Commerce determines dumping/subsidization and calculates rates. The ITC determines…
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Origin Matters More Than You Think Country of origin affects duty rates, eligibility for preferential treatment, applicability of trade remedy duties, admissibility under import restrictions, and marking requirements. Getting origin wrong can raise suspicions of transshipment or evasion. Two Origin Frameworks Non-preferential origin uses the substantial transformation test. Preferential origin uses agreement-specific rules. A single…
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Valuation Is the Foundation of Your Duty Calculation If classification determines the percentage rate, valuation determines the dollar amount to which that percentage is applied. Valuation errors affect every product at every duty rate and can be equally or more significant than classification errors. Understanding the Transaction Value Method The transaction value is the price…
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The Most Important Name on the Customs Entry Every customs entry must identify an importer of record (IOR): the entity legally responsible for ensuring accuracy, paying duties, and meeting all regulatory requirements. Being the IOR is the assumption of significant legal and financial obligations. What the IOR Is Responsible For Accuracy of entry data, paying…
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The Case for Auditing Your Own Import Program A voluntary compliance audit identifies errors before the government does, giving you the opportunity to correct them through voluntary disclosure, which dramatically reduces penalty exposure. It also identifies overpayments that can be recovered through refund claims. What a Compliance Audit Covers Classification accuracy, valuation practices, country of…
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Why Classification Is the Most Important Decision in Your Import Program Every imported product needs an HTS code. That code determines duty rate, eligibility for preferential treatment, whether it is subject to quotas or trade remedy duties, and whether specific agency requirements apply. Get it right, and compliance falls into place. Get it wrong, and…