International Trade Blog

Many companies are transitioning to or have already adopted activity-based working (ABW) environments, which allow employees to choose from a variety of work settings depending on the nature of their roles or daily activities. ABW environments are often designed with an eye toward open and communal collaboration; this comes with export compliance risks related to U.S.-controlled technology and information.

ABW has been the norm for many years in the tech industry, but it's growing in popularity outside of Silicon Valley as more companies adopt this office structure and work mentality. Of course the recent work-from-home trend caused by COVID-19 has slowed or halted ABW progress, but when employees begin coming back to work later this year or next, the ABW environment (or some version thereof) may be the new normal for some.

Read More

If your idea of a red flag revolves around a conquistador and a bull, I hate to tell you this—the myth that bulls charge at red flags has been debunked. (In the popular series Mythbusters, it was proven that the bull is actually lured by the waving of the flag more than the color.)

So, if bullfighters don’t need to worry about red flags, who does?

You do.

Exporters, you must know what a red flag is, why it’s important and what U.S. export regulations say your responsibilities are regarding red flags. We can help.

Read More

Ever get in one of those moods where you’re ready to toss every single page from every single stack of paper sitting in a filing cabinet or bookshelf? Me too. But if you’re an exporter, you shouldn’t be too quick to throw away your export documentation.

Although it may seem like a headache to keep all your paperwork, there are quite a few rules regarding export document retention. If you do toss your export paperwork without paying attention to those rules, you could be in for an even bigger headache.

Read More

In my previous blog post, I described how to determine if you need an export license by identifying the reasons for control and checking the Commerce Country Chart. In this article I will describe how to determine if there are any export license exceptions available and how to use these exceptions.

Read More

In late December 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule removing Hong Kong as a separate destination under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

While once recognized as an independent export entity, changes to the way the Chinese central government treats Hong Kong have led the U.S. to reclassify Hong Kong for BIS purposes, and it now considers Hong Kong the same as the rest of China. Effective Dec. 23, 2020, this rule increases the likelihood that exports to Hong Kong require an Automated Export System (AES) filing.

Read More

The first and second parts of this series, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, illustrated how, for many years,  Section 301 was used to eliminate trade barriers and open markets to U.S. exports. However, the average business may not have become familiar with this law until President Trump began to invoke it and impose tariffs against China in 2018. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)—after a notice in the Federal Register and a period for public comment—determined that China violated Section 301 by denying market access to United States companies and infringing on their intellectual property rights. Based on this finding, President Trump imposed the first round of 15% tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese goods covered in what is referred to as List 1.

Read More

World Trade Month is scheduled for May 2021, and WorldTradeMonth.com is publishing a calendar of international-trade-related events scheduled to be held throughout the United States that month.

If your company or organization is hosting events during May 2021, simply complete the form located on the World Trade Month website to add it to the directory of events.

Read More

What's the point of exporting if you don't get paid for your goods? Providing the correct export documents will help ensure you get paid in a timely manner.

The export quotation is often the first document you'll need to prepare.

Read More

To be a successful exporter, you need a solid understanding of each phase of the export journey—what it requires in terms of infrastructure, compliance and documentation (just to name a few), as well as the key players who are involved.

In this article, I’ll share four important considerations related to international shipping and logistics that new exporters must consider as they begin their journey in international trade.

Read More

You've probably heard of a chamber of commerce—these private organizations have an easy-to-remember name. But what do you really know about the role chambers play in exporting?

Read More