International Trade Blog

We live in a scary world. We have to protect our country, particularly when it comes to exporting defense-related products including weaponry and military equipment (and components, parts, accessories, etc.) to other countries.

By regulating the export of these products, the U.S. State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) helps protect U.S. national security so this sensitive information and technology does not get into the wrong hands. Details are found primarily within the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

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One of the critical issues involved in the international trade in goods is the timely movement of cargo across international boundaries. This is an important aspect for any business, as time is money.

A slow delivery increases the price of the goods because it decreases stock turns. A slow delivery also means additional costs when running the overall business. For example, what happens if you buy products from a foreign source, and it takes 90 days for the supplies to reach you?

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U.S. export laws are complex, but there is one piece that is fairly straight-forward and easy to understand: the Schedule B. The Schedule B is the export classification system of the United States, and is administered by the Foreign Trade Division of the Census Bureau, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

A Schedule B code is 10 digits long, and there is a Schedule B code for every product. The codes are used by the Census Bureau to collect and publish U.S. export statistics.

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For those of you who have worked with letters of credit in your export business, you know how complicated these transactions can sometimes become. However, if done the right way, getting paid this way has numerous advantages.

You could easily get frustrated if your letter of credit is delayed or not paid for any number of reasons. To help you avoid future frustrations and ensure a smoother process, follow these eight tips for using a letter of credit:

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Shipping Solutions Professional includes a Data Exchange Manager (DXM) that allows you to import orders from your company’s accounting, order-entry or ERP system into Shipping Solutions Professional and produce your export documents, file your export information electronically through the Automated Export System (AES), and fulfill your export compliance requirements.

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Shipping Solutions export software is pleased to announce the release of Professional version 9.13 and Classic version 8.13.

If you are an active Annual Maintenance Program (AMP) subscriber, you can download the update from the AMP website.

The new versions include the following enhancements and fixes.

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Export compliance isn’t one big thing—it’s a million little things. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have a solid understanding of the the components; if you miss one, you could set off a chain reaction.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, by making sure you thoroughly understand these 10 terms, you can save yourself a lot of trouble (and potentially, a lot of money).

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Whenever you work on an export transaction, there are dozens of steps you must follow to successfully complete the process. One of these steps is issuing a commercial invoice. That is true whether your firm sells hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars worth of merchandise.

Occasionally, you may have a customer who requests that you ignore export compliance regulations and alter the invoice value to allow them to save money on import duties.

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Does my product require an export license? That's a question you should ask before every export.

In order to find the answer, you first need to answer two preliminary questions:

• What is the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) of the product?
• What is the destination country?

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You have shipped your product, payment is due, and the buyer claims they have made payment. As far as you can see, however, nothing has happened.

Does this sound familiar? I hope not, but if it does, let’s take a look at what might be causing the delay.

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