Our Importing Service
Our importing service is the top
of the line when it comes to clearing your freight
through customs. We clear your freight within
48 hours of contacting us, and it is usually done
the same day.
We understand that time is money,
and having your freight waiting at customs is
not only annoying, but it causes you to lose money.
Ad Valorem Duty
A duty placed on imported merchandise
that is based on a percentage of the shipment
value.
Air Waybill
A non-negotiable document or
contract for international flights between shippers
and carriers. It serves as both a receipt for
the shipper and a transport agreement for the
carrier of the freight.
Automated Broker Interface (ABI)
A software interface to the Customs
Automated Commercial System allowing transmission
on entries into and through customs. Only qualified
parties may use this system, and included in them
are customs brokers, importers, carriers, port
authorities, and independent data processing companies.
Antidumping Duties
Duties placed on imported merchandise
that would otherwise be sold for less than fair
market value causing harm to the domestic industry.
Appraisement
An estimation of the value of
imported merchandise by a proper Customs official.
Arrival Notice
Also known as a freight bill,
this notice advises the client that cargo has
arrived.
Assists
The value or item that an importer
provides to its foreign supplier or manufacturer
at a reduced rate or free of charge for the express
purpose of producing imported merchandise. Examples
of this may include tools, dies, or molds used
to produce products.
The value of the imported merchandise must
reflect this added value.
ATA Carnet
A Carnet is a form issued by
the United States Council for International Business
specifically designed for freight or cargo that
will only be in a country for a temporary period
of time. It is similar to a passport in that it
simplifies the importing process. One example
use of an ATA Carnet would be for International
Show Horses that travel from country to country
on a regular basis.
This method prevents the client from paying
duties or posting bonds.
Bill of Lading
A document or contract between
a shipper and a transportation company that serves
to declare the transportation method of the merchandise,
the price point for services rendered, and the
acknowledgement by both parties that goods were
shipped to the proper destination.
Bureau of Export Administration
A government office responsible
for the control of exports for reasons of national
security, foreign policy and short supply items.
Bonded
Goods that are stored under the
supervision of customs until they are cleared
and all import duties are paid.
Bonded warehouse
A warehouse authorized by Customs
for storing merchandise on which payment of duties
is deferred until the importer pays the duties
or until Customs releases the merchandise.
Cartage
Movement of freight by use of
trucking, draying or carting.
Certificate of Origin
A signed statement as to the
origin of an export item.
Classification
The assignment of a category
for the imported goods according to the Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the US. Duty is determined
based on the classification and the valuation
of the goods.
Compound Duty
Tax imposed on imported merchandise
based on a percentage of value and also on the
net weight or number of pieces, etc.
Consignment
Delivery of merchandise from
an exporter (the consignor) to an agent (the consignee)
under agreement that the agent sell the merchandise
for the account of the exporter. The consignor
retains title to the goods until sold. The consignee
sells the goods for commission and remits the
net proceeds to the consignor.
Container
Single rigid, sealed, reusable
metal box in which merchandise is shipped by vessel,
truck or rail.
Countervailing Duties
Additional duties charged to
imported goods that could harm a domestic industry.
Country of Origin
The country that produced the
imported goods.
Customs
The United States Customs Service
which is the regulatory division of government
in charge of regulating and enforcing import laws.
Customs Broker
A US Customs Broker is a highly-trained
individual, licenced and entrusted by the US Department
of Treasury. Customs brokers not only have to
be constantly attentive to US Customs regulations
and laws, but are also responsible for accurate
classification of imported items within thousands
of categories. They are also required to collect
and pay the appropirate tariff or duty on shipped
items.
Customs Modernization Act
Federal legislation
that imposes extensive compliance and record-keeping
requirements on importers.
Distributor
A foreign company or person who
sells directly for a supplier and keeps an inventory
of the supplier’s products on hand.
Declaration
A formal document made by the
importer or his/her agent to Customs attesting
to the correctness of descriptions, valuation,
and classification of imported goods.
Devanning
Unloading of cargo from a container.
Dock Receipt
A document used to transfer accountability
of cargo from the domestic carrier to the international
carrier.
Drawback
A program that helps domestic
manufacturers compete in foreign markets allowing
importers to get a refund of all or part of the
duties they paid on imported merchandise.
Domestic Status
A material that is grown, produced,
or manufactured in the US on which all IRS taxes
have been paid or has been imported and duty and
tax has been paid.
Dumping
The import and sale of merchandise
by a foreign country or supplier at less than
fair value. Dumping is generally recognized as
an unfair practices because the practice can disrupt
markets and injure producers of competitive products
in an importing country.
Duty
A tax levied on imported merchandise
usually based on the value of the goods or some
other factors such as weight or quantity and classification.
Entry
The process of getting imported
merchandise released from the Customs Service.
Export License
A document prepared by a government
authority, granting the right to export a specified
quantity of a commodity to a specific country.
This document may be required in some countries
for most or all exports and in other countries
only under special circumstances. A document issued
by the U.S. government authorizing the export
of commodities for which written export authorization
is required by law.
Foreign Trade Zone
Importers may temporarily house
imported merchandise in a free trade zone before
it is processed through the Customs Service. The
importer does not pay duties while the merchandise
is in the foreign trade zone.
Freight Forwarder
A person who arranges the shipping
and export clearance of imported merchandise.
He/she generally assembles collects
and consolidates less-than-truckload freight and
also acts as an agent in the transshipping of
freight to or from foreign countries and the clearing
of freight through Customs for compensation.
Gross Weight
The full weight of a shipment,
including goods and packaging.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule
of the United States
the legal list issued by the
U.S. Government used to determine the classification
of imported merchandise.
House Air Waybill
Contains all the information
of an air waybill but is not a financial document.
This is a contract between the shipper and freight
forwarder. All the shipments covered by the individual
house air waybills are consolidated, and a single
air waybill is issued to cover the consolidated
shipment.
Immediate Delivery
Customs entry procedure that
provides for immediate release of a shipment prior
to the arrival of merchandise although the merchandise
must arrive within the port limits for the release
to take effect. The entry summary with duties
must be filed within 10 working days after
release.
Import License
A document required and issued
by some national governments authorizing the importation
of goods into their individual countries.
Importer of Record
The party in whose name the entry
is made
In bond
Procedure under which goods are
transported or warehoused under Customs supervision
until they are either formally entered into Customs
territory and duties paid or until they are exported.
Letter of Credit
A financial document issued by
a bank at the request of the consignee guaranteeing
payment to the shipper for cargo if certain terms
and conditions are fulfilled.
Normally, the letter of credit contains
a brief description of the goods, documents required,
a shipping date, and an expiration date after
which payment will not longer be made
Liquidation
The final review and assessment
of duty on imported merchandise by the Customs
Service.
Maquiladora
A program designed and promoted
by the Mexican government that allows foreign
manufacturers to ship components into Mexico duty-free
for assembly and subsequent re-export.
Marking (country of origin), Marks of Origin
The physical stamp, wording,
or marking on an article or merchandise that shows
in what country the article or merchandise was
produced. Customs laws require marks of origin
of most countries.
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade
Agreement agreed to by the U.S.A., Canada, and
Mexico. NAFTA eliminates certain tariffs, promotes
market access, and facilitates customs administration.
It exceeds 360 million consumers and a combined
output of $6
trillion--20 % larger than the European
Community.
Ocean Bill of Lading
A receipt for the cargo and a
contract for transportation between a shipper
and the ocean carrier. It may also be used as
an instrument of ownership which can be bought,
sold, or traded while the goods are in transit.
Packing List
A list of the contents of each
package you are shipping. This is generally a
free-format list, however it must contain detailed
and specific information of each item being shipped.
You must also include weight, dimensions, and
the value of each item.
Paperless
A paperless result indicates
that the merchandise is low risk from a compliant
importer. The
broker places a stamp on the CF3461 and signs
the document; thus, the merchandise is released
without a Customs official ever looking at the
documents.
Piggyback
The transportation of truck trailers
and containers on specially equipped railroad
flat-cars
Port of Entry
Where goods are entered and where
the Customs Service accepts entries of merchandise
and collects duties.
Power of Attorney
A legal document that importers
give to their customs broker that allows the customs
broker to conduct business with the Customs Service
on the importer's behalf.
Prior Disclosure
Sometimes an importer will find
it has violated a customs law before the Customs
Service has discovered the violation. A prior
disclosure is a voluntary report by an importer
of the violation to the Customs Service. The law
provides some benefits (but does not speak of
the risks) to an importer who does a prior disclosure.
Pro Forma Invoice
An invoice provided by a supplier
prior to the shipment of merchandise informing
the buyer of the kinds and quantities of goods
to be sent, their value, and important specifications
(weight, size, etc.).
Protest
The means to challenge through
administrative or agency channels decisions by
the Customs Service . The method primarily used
by importers to take issue with Customs decisions
with which they disagree. A protest is normally
utilized as an opportunity to provide evidence
that will result in the refund of duties and other
charges that were erroneously paid.
Quota
A decision rendered by the Customs
Service on an issue or issues surrounding a particular
importation of merchandise. Rulings are published
and can usually be appealed to a higher administrative
body or to a court of law.
Reasonable Care
That degree of care which a person
of ordinary prudence would exercise in the same
or similar circumstances. Due care under all circumstances. Failure to exercise such care
is ordinary negligence
Related Parties
Members of the same family, spouse,
and lineal descendants, officers or directors
if each individual is also an officer or director
of the other organization, partners, person owning,
controlling or holding with power to vote 5% or
more of outstanding stock, or a person who is
an officer or director in both organizations
Shipping Weight
Shipping weight represents the
gross weight in kilograms of shipments, including
the weight of moisture content, wrappings, crates,
boxes and containers (other than cargo vans and
similar substantial outer containers).
Ships Manifest
A list, signed by the captain
of a ship, of the individual shipments constituting
the ship's cargo.
SIC Standard Industrial Classification
A standard numerical code system
used by the U.S. Government to classify products
and services.
Surety Bond
A surety bond is a promise or
guarantee of payment to U.S. Customs in the event
of a default in any terms of the importation laws. If the importer does not comply, Customs will
look to the surety for payment and compliance.
It must be posted with the Customs Service to
cover potential penalties, duties, or taxes before
imported merchandise can be entered into the United
States.
Tare Weight
The weight of a container and/or
packing materials without the weight of the goods
it contains.
Tariff
List or schedule of merchandise
with applicable rates to be paid or charged for
each listed article.
A schedule of duties or taxes assessed
by a government on goods as they enter or leave
a country.
Tariff Rate Quota
Permits a specified quantity
of merchandise to be entered at a reduced rate
during a specified period.
Transaction Value
The price actually paid or payable
by the buyer to the seller for the merchandise
when sold for exportation to the United States.
Transaction value is the most common method for
valuing imported merchandise.
Transfer Pricing
Overpricing of imports and/or
under-pricing of exports between affiliated companies
in different countries for the purpose of transferring
profits, revenues or monies out of a country in
order to evade taxes.
Transship
Cargo which is transferred from
one vessel to another.
Value
The value of imported merchandise
as declared by the importer and as finally determined
by the Customs Service.
Value Added Fee
This method of pricing offers
a base entry fee with extra charges for additional
classifications, additional invoices, issuance
of delivery orders, freight tracking, phone and
fax charges and other miscellaneous services.
Visa
A license issued to an importer
by a foreign government pursuant to a quota. When
asking for advice from the Customs Service, are
you providing the most accurate, up-to-date, information
you have on the merchandise
Waybill
A document prepared by a transportation
line at the point of a shipment, showing the point
of origin, destination, route, consignor, consignee,
description of shipment and amount charged for
the transportation service, and forwarded with
the shipment, or direct by mail, to the agent
at the transfer point or waybill destination.
