International Trade Compliance News Articles

News Articles

Evaluating the Efficacy of Sanctions on Russia

Michelle Schulz August 22, 2022

Since the Kremlin’s February 24th invasion of Ukraine, western countries have put in place extensive global financial ramifications. To gauge the extent of effectiveness, one must decipher the numbers behind Russia’s deceiving published economic statistics. One staggering implication of the trade war with the west lies within the entire collapse of the GDP growth acquired in the post-Soviet era.

ImpactDAOs: Shaping the Future of Regenerative Organizations

James Holbein August 22, 2022

As Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) have exploded into public consciousness, new types of DAOs are proliferating. A novel use case for DAOs, termed “ImpactDAOs”, are defined as “any DAO that creates net positive externalities to the ecosystem around it.” An ImpactDAO seeks to use web3 and crypto-economic principles to regenerate a system, increasing resources and sustainability over time.

European Countries Beware, Winter Is Coming, with Ice King Putin Leading the Charge

Victoria Schneider August 22, 2022

If you haven’t heard the words Ukraine or Russia within the last 5 months, one would assume that you must live under a rock, or that you’ve just decided to tune them out. Just as it seemed that we were on our way to being in the clear from the COVID pandemic and getting back to a little bit of normalcy within the global supply chain, the ever-so-sweet Putin decided to invade the Ukraine.

U.S. Initiates Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in the South Pacific

Adrienne Braumiller June 21, 2022

On May 23 in Tokyo, Japan, the U.S., and other countries in the Pacific region launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (“IPEF”). The countries included are Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

CBP Releases Guidance related to Complying with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Adrienne Braumiller June 21, 2022

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) released its first set of guidance relating to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”), which is set to take effect on June 21, 2022. CBP’s guidance takes the form of a website that is a homepage for UFLPA-related guidance, FAQs, webinars, graphics, and CBP contact information. This essential UFLPA homepage can be accessed at: www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA.

Incursion and World Trade, Part 3: Over 120+ Days into the Global Effect of Inevitable Food Insecurity

Bob Brewer June 21, 2022

Here we are, at the time of this writing over four months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with no end in sight. I will personally submit that I am, appalled that this, the murder of innocent civilians and devastation of another country’s infrastructure, can be permitted to continue, as we watch from the sidelines as if it was just another simple documentary on another war.

Understanding the Statutory Four-Year Review Period of the Tariffs

Jennifer Horvath June 20, 2022

Many importers are eagerly awaiting the United States Trade Representative’s (“USTR”) required four-year review of the Section 301 Chinese tariffs. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 grants the Office of the USTR a range of responsibilities and authorities to investigate and take action to enforce U.S. rights under trade agreements and respond to certain foreign trade practices.

Indo-Pacific Trade Initiative to Enhance U.S. Economic Influence

James Holbein June 20, 2022

On May 23, 2022, President Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) with a dozen initial partners: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Implications of a United States Central Bank Digital Currency

James Holbein June 15, 2022

This article provides an overview of the issues surrounding CBDCs in a Q&A format to provide a lens for the analysis of the many government reports due in September, October and through the end of this year.

Primer on Deemed Export Compliance

Harold Jackson June 13, 2022

A “deemed” export occurs when certain types of information are released to a foreign person. This primer seeks to describe the introductory concepts of deemed export enforcement in the United States.

The Importance of Compliance Strength During Rapid Growth

Linnea Deeds June 12, 2022

Rapid growth, which usually indicates a positive stage for companies, comes with potential downsides, as seen in the cautionary tale of Toll Holdings.

Russian Sanction Updates and Reporting Requirements: What are your Responsibilities under OFAC?

Adrienne Braumiller April 12, 2022

In response to the Russian Federations’ (“Russia”) invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Government has recently announced expansive economic sanctions against Russia and its economy. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) imposed sanctions against multiple parties in Russia to deplete Russian resources for purposes of ending the war.

Critical Updates from the U.S. Trade Representative – The U.S.-China Trade Relationship

Adrienne Braumiller April 10, 2022

Since taking office as the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”), Katherine Tai has prioritized trade policies focused on protecting American workers’ rights and promoting sustainable environmental practices through trade agreements.

Incursion and World Trade, Part 2: How to Commit Economic Suicide for Your Country in the Year 2022

Bob Brewer April 10, 2022

From my perspective, as well as what seems to be many others in the west and around the globe, the incredibly long table that Vladimir Putin sits behind separating himself from his minions, as well as other country’s visiting diplomats, whom he is ignoring, has gotten a lot longer, and it’s not a covid related stretch

Antiboycott Compliance for U.S. Companies

Mike Smiszek April 10, 2022

A boycott is the organized and intentional refusal to engage in activity, whether directly or indirectly, with an identifiable specific group of persons in order to achieve a discriminatory policy objective based upon national origin, religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or other group characteristic.

BIS and OEE Set New Guidelines on Export Enforcement – There’s a New Sheriff in Town

Linnea Deeds April 10, 2022

In a recent fireside chat hosted by the Silverado Policy Accelerator, Mr. Axelrod, shared many insights into the direction of Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) priorities and what the trade may expect from the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) in the coming year.

IMMEX – More of What You Need to Know

Brenda Cordova April 10, 2022

IMMEX is an acronym that in Spanish stands for Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicios de Exportacion (Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry). It is a program from the Mexican federal government focused on promoting foreign investment, exports, creation of jobs, development of technology, etc.

Cautions When Marking and Labeling Goods for Export from the United States

Paul Fudacz April 10, 2022

Many importers are familiar with marking and labeling requirements for products imported into, and sold in the U.S. These include mandatory requirements such as U.S. Customs country of origin marking and labeling requirements, Federal Communications Commission labeling for certain electronic equipment, specific labeling for certain consumer products under the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer products Safety Commission, as well as a host of other mandatory marking and labeling requirements of other regulatory agencies for specified products.

Executive Order on Digital Assets a Welcome Start to Responsible Regulation

James Holbein April 10, 2022

By James Holbein, Braumiller Law Group PLLC The President issued an Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets on March 9, 2022. The value

Evolving Legal Issues for NFTs

James Holbein April 10, 2022

By Justin Holbein and James Holbein, Of Counsel, Braumiller Law Group* Introduction to NFTs Throughout 2021 and 2022, Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have increasingly grown into public

Free Trade Agreements

BCG January 16, 2024

The U.S. currently has 21 Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) in place with 21 countries and you may not know which ones apply to your business. It could be Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Japan. We can assist you to qualify. Global Trade Compliance is what we do at BLG.

Light Years from China

BCG January 15, 2024

A light year is 5.88 trillion miles and using the latest man-made vehicle, NASA’s Juno spacecraft traveling at 165,000 mph it would take 2,958 years to travel a light year. A cargo container traveling by ship from the Port of Shanghai, China to the Port of Los Angeles is 19,270 nautical miles and traveling at 10 knot, it takes 12-21 days. It just seems like 2,958 years if it’s your product onboard. Ever think of manufacturing in Mexico as an alternative? BLG has IMMEX experts onboard our ship. We love the science behind Global Trade Compliance.

To Err is Human

BCG January 13, 2024

So you made a mistake and use the wrong classification code on your imports for the last year. To err is human and besides, we are not the most intelligent beings in the universe. Unfortunately customs does not take that into consideration. If you need a Prior Disclosure BLG can assist.

20 Foot Box

BCG January 13, 2024

The price to move a 20 foot shipping container from China to the U.S. depends on several factors such as the container type and condition, location of the port, supply and demand, market situation, and the shipping route. The price does not include any section 301 tariffs, and potential forced labor issues. This makes one wonder if manufacturing in Mexico would make more sense with an IMMEX. We have Mexico Legal Counsel who say it would.

Our World View

BCG January 13, 2024

Check out the new Braumiller Law Group space suits we bought. Our view of the world is still pretty positive. It’s amazing how interconnected all of the economies of the world are regardless of conflict. Imagine the potential of world trade without conflict. What a beautiful world it would be. Global Trade Compliance is what BLG does.

Forced Labor Enforcement

BCG January 13, 2024

Approximately 5000 shipments were detained by customs during FY 2023 due to Forced Labor enforcement. Anything manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, or produced by certain entities, is prohibited by section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 from entering the U.S. If you are importing from Asia it pays to know your first, second and third tier and any other suppliers. Detentions can be disruptive and expensive. We take a proactive approach.

Matrix Relax

BCG January 8, 2024

There are over 17,000 unique harmonized tariff classification codes and to the human eye it’s only ten digits. But to the human brain it can seem like a matrix when determining which one is actually the correct one to apply. The Harmonized System is organized into 21 sections, which are subdivided into 96 chapters and the the 96 chapters are further subdivided into 1,228 headings and 5,612 subheadings. The correct one means a great deal concerning compliance with customs and quite often a company’s bottom line if you get caught using the incorrect one. We live in the matrix, let us help.

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