Argents’ history is rooted in customs brokerage and at no time has there been greater importance placed upon the role of the agency in the facilitation of legitimate trade. Argents works with air, sea and land ports of entry as well as multiple Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE’s) to speed merchandise through Customs as well as any of the dozens of participating government agencies exercising jurisdiction over imported goods.
Liz Deaton, Argents’ Director of Import Operations has been with the company since 2003, but her experience in the industry predates that an additional decade. Her knowledge of air and ocean processes as well as the regulations means that Argents’ customers have some who understands both the practical and theoretical, marrying the two to successfully keep cargo moving through supply chains. Her best advice to new companies starting out is to proactively develop and implement a compliance plan – don’t wait for CBP to find it as a deficiency because the time and cost of remediating will eclipse the savings of putting it in place early.
The proper classification and valuation of merchandise is the first and most important step in ensuring an uninterrupted flow of goods from manufacturer to final consignee.
Whether requesting a binding ruling, researching and determining classification using the Explanatory Notes and General Rules of Interpretation or prevailing on a protest, Argents invests the time during client onboarding to ensure compliance and identify risk or exposure from previous transactions.
As an experienced customs broker, Argents is well-versed in the regulations governing valuation at the time of entry and can work with clients to determine transaction or computed value or whether or not there are parties between the buyer and seller adding value that can legitimately be removed to work backwards to a first sale price.
The classification of merchandise requires an engineer’s knowledge of product specifications, a salesperson’s awareness of its end use and a qualified customs broker’s knowledge of potential exposure for marking, antidumping, trade remedy or required PGA release.
Once a classification has been determined, there are limited options to avoid paying the proscribed duties that are due. Whether ad valorem based on value and classification or subject to flat trade remedy percentages, presenting the lowest permitted entered value is an importer’s best tool to keep their landed costs as low as possible.
Customs and Border Protection and dozens of federal agencies have jurisdiction over what can and cannot be entered into the commerce of the United States. Whether for reasons of protecting American agriculture, protecting American consumers or preventing criminal organizations from profiting on forced labor or counterfeit goods, trust Argents to secure the release of your imported goods.
The increasing focus placed on product safety for pandemic medical items and the prevention of imports of products made with forced labor mean that importers increasingly need to work more closely with their customs broker to safely navigate the increasing layers of scrutiny on foreign-made products.
Section 301 duties imposed on exports from China and trade remedy duties on products of European countries and elsewhere mean that typical commercial shipments bound for the United States for warehousing and fulfillment could be subject to significant double-digit duties upon arrival.
A legitimate exception is made for shipments bound for named consumers when shipped to the United States. The de minimis exception of up to $800 per person, per day, is how many online marketplaces and e-Commerce sellers keep their prices low, remain competitive and stave off having their goods copied and private branded by larger competitors.
Section 321 entries are most often utilized when there is a direct sale between a foreign seller and a US buyer. Argents can collect consolidated shipments at origin, present them to Customs upon arrival and then inject them into the final mile delivery provider of the client’s choosing.
A Type 86 entry is identical to a Section 321 entry, but with more data, including a third party seller if one exists. Shipments that require the release of a participating government agency like FDA must be filed as a Type 86, even if below the de minimus value threshold.
“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” ~ Robert Burns The aforementioned proverb is generally invoked to discuss a situation that goes off the rails despite good planning and intentions. We at Argents prefer to think of it as a way of explaining that all the planning, research, and intentions for success… Read more »
Try transloading instead. Earlier this year, the Union Pacific Railroad elected to impose an embargo on ocean containers for a week from Southern California to Chicago to regain fluidity and clear out their overcrowded ramp. Chicago’s Intermodal rail congestion has been a much written-about topic throughout the year. That embargo only further backed up ocean… Read more »
It’s not our fault that the pandemic accelerated a shift to e-commerce by five years in less than a year and a half. But those buyers are increasingly having their orders fulfilled directly from foreign countries or from facilities set up just outside of America’s borders. The de minimis rules which raised the ceiling to… Read more »
After a year of fitful recovery from the pandemic in most areas, one industry has seen astronomical growth and expansion – eCommerce. Global eCommerce statistics in 2021 show a meteoric rise that advanced the industry by a decade, speeding up the infiltration of online shopping faster than ever before. As we face a difficult peak… Read more »
Cargo Congestion brings Continual Crunch Ocean cargo congestion & disruption reached critical levels in 2020 and then got worse. Where we once had a plethora of containers waiting for transportation off ships anchored in San Pedro Bay, we’re now looking at a dumpster fire of delays and fees. It would be a comedy of errors… Read more »
The United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has testified before Congress several times in the past few months as he tries to make a case for his ten-year plan to reform the Postal Service. DeJoy, whose roots hail from the private sector and with a background in logistics, most recently at XPO in senior leadership,… Read more »
