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Mr. Pumpkin,
Mr. Pumpkin
Round and Fat…
Harvest time is coming
YUM YUM, THAT IS THAT!
Did you know that most pumpkins seeds can be saved from this year and can be used to grow new pumpkins next year? Pumpkins are grown and sold domestically and take approximately 90-120 days to grow! Do you have your harvest pumpkin yet? Happy Fall and Happy Halloween!
It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year’s supply of footballs! The footballs are also made domestically. Since 1955, the officially NFL footballs are made at the Wilson factory in Ada, Ohio. Happy football season!! Good luck to your favorite team!!
Did you know ……Watermelons are not a fruit but a vegetable? They belong to the cucumber family of vegetables and is one of the summer’s best treats!
The United States is the 3rd largest exporter of watermelon by dollar value. For exporting purposes, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for watermelon is found in chapter 08 of the HTS.
One of the most exciting things to do for the 4th of July holiday is to see fireworks with family and friends! Did you know that 88% of fireworks in the United States are imported? It is considered a very specialized product with tons of regulations. CBP seizes tons of firework shipments annually that never make it past the US port of entry. So before getting into the business of importing fireworks consulting with a customs broker like JAS is very important! Happy Independence Day!!
Insect Repellent is regulated by EPA and FDA for importations and classified in chapter 3808 of the HTS book. It can be imported as a cream, spray and other methods such as bracelets. Some repellents can be applied directly to the skin and other methods can be applied directly to the clothing.
Here are a few ways to reduce your exposure to mosquitoes this summer:
Did the London Bridge Really Fall Down??? Not really… but its U.S. Customs Declaration was the World’s Largest Antique to Ever be Sold!
London Bridge wasn't exactly falling in the 1960s; however, it was sinking under the weight of modern traffic. When the capital city in England decided to build another to replace it, the 1831 bridge was put up for sale. The winning bid came from Robert P. McCulloch, American entrepreneur and chairman of McCulloch Oil Company.
McCulloch paid $2,460,000—plus shipping costs of around $240,000—to bring the bridge to the United States piece by piece. CBP declared the 137-year-old bridge to be an “antique” and therefore duty free. It took three years to complete the bridge and remains one of Arizona’s most visited tourist attractions!
It’s Spring Break! Leaving the country with your furry friends? Do they need a passport? KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
All resident pets leaving the United States must send relevant paperwork required for the destination country to the State USDA office for endorsement prior to leaving the country. Additionally, transiting pets whose permits or health certificates have expired will be required to obtain these documents in the United States and have them endorsed prior to leaving the country.
Pets returning to the United States are subject to the same passport requirements as those entering for the first time. This means that pet owners returning to the United States should have a new health certificate completed by a vet in the country you are visiting if you stay for more than 30 days.
Traveling internationally anytime soon? Think twice before coming back with a switchblade in your pocket!
Before you return to the United States with a switchblade knife you should know that your local police jurisdiction might have regulations. Also, switchblade knives are prohibited and may be subject to seizure upon entry into the United States EXCEPT for those imported by a one-armed person. CFR19 12.98.
In the month of February, love is celebrated on Valentine’s Day! Have you ever used the term “love you to the moon and back?” Did you know that if you actually go to the moon and back you would have to declare your goods??
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 made history with the first human operated expedition to the moon. Upon return, Astronaut Neil Armstrong and his colleagues had to declare the moon rock and moon dust samples to customs officials upon their return!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
It’s a new year!! Are your compliance processes and procedures in place? Did you know that JAS Corporate Compliance offers internal auditing and other value add services? We offer the following services for clients that include but not limited to:
For more information on any of these services, please contact your local JAS Representative today
It’s the Holidays! Welcome Home! Have you ever travelled to a foreign country with your laptop or an electronic device? Did you know that U.S. Customs has the right to search (and detain if necessary) your electronic device upon entry into the United States? U.S. Customs and Border Protection encourages travelers to “Know Before You Go” when traveling to a foreign country and returning home to the United States during the holiday season.
A few quick tips: Take appropriate travel documents, declare goods, foods, and gifts honestly! Safe travels and Happy Holidays!
Do you prefer wine or beer?
You may know your drink of choice, but do you know which one was exported the most from the United States in 2017? Wine or Beer?? USA Trade Online has all the details!
Did you know that over 10% of pet owners dress up their pets in Halloween costumes? For importation purposes, pet costumes are considered saddlery and harnesses for animals and are classified in heading 4201 of the tariff book while other festive and entertainment articles are classified in chapter 95 of the tariff book. Happy Halloween!
September is the only month with the same number of letters in its name as the number of the month: it is the NINTH month and has NINE letters!
Additionally, the first day of fall is in September. As the weather cools down, it is the perfect time to indulge in some of the most popular fall flavored coffee, tea, and spices! Coffee, tea, and spices are classified in chapter NINE of the Schedule B and HTS Tariff book!!!!
It's time for back to school shopping! Some of the top school supplies are backpacks, pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, paper, and so many more!!! Did you know that among several of these school supplies, the HTS number can be used for both import and export? Read this article from the U.S. Census Bureau as to why some HTS codes can be used for export in many cases!
Question of the Day: If a shipment is made in Japan and exported to the United States then later exported to China, what is the country of origin of the cargo?
Did you know that the country of origin will still be Japan regardless of the length of time the cargo remains in the United States? According to CFR 19 Part 102 Rules of Origin says that the origin of a product is the country of manufacture, production or growth of the article. If the cargo was not manipulated, the country or origin remains the same.
Importers, have you signed up for periodic monthly statements?
Did you know that Periodic Monthly Statements (PMS) allows users to consolidate the payment of duties and taxes to Customs on a monthly basis? With this capability, operations for many filers have changed from a day to day payment process to a consolidated account based payment process. JAS Forwarding can help you with this!
Please contact your JAS representative today for more information!
Did you know that U.S. Manufactures ship billions of dollars in products for Valentine’s Day?
Last year these were the top three product categories and value of products shipped:
What is the top exported product from the United States?
In December 2017, the census bureau recorded that the US shipped $1.454 USD worth of goods around the globe in 2016. That is a 37.6% increase since 2009 during the time of the Time of Shedding and Cold Rocks. The top 10 products exported from the United States are as follows:
This festive season, or simply the holidays, is a time for gathering and celebrating with family, friends, gift-giving, reflections, and giving thanks! Did you know that for the Fiscal Year 2016 the value of U.S. imports of Christmas ornaments from China was $1.5 billion dollars! China led the way by 92.0 percent of U.S. Imports of Christmas ornaments into the United States.
Happy Holidays to you and your families!
Did you know that the value of live turkeys in 2016 was $25.8 million? 99.9 percent of them were imported from Canada. When it comes to sweet potatoes, the Dominican Republic is the main source of 49.6 percent ($6.4 million) of total imports ($12.9 million). The United States ran a $13.7 million trade deficit in live turkeys during the period but had a surplus of $159.4 million in sweet potatoes.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code 010512, 071420 https://usatrade.census.gov/
Happy Fall Season!
Halloween is Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Halloween is an ancient tradition that today has evolved into a celebration characterized by child-friendly activities like trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns and dressing in costumes.
The U.S. Census Bureau has a few statistics to share about Halloween!
Did you know??
DRESSED TO THRILL!
Turkey Day is approaching!
How much do you know about the Turkey?
Did you know?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
What fruit is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration that has its seeds on the outside?
The only fruit that has its seeds on the outside is the strawberry. FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. It’s also time for food facilities to re-register! Under section 102 of the Food Safety Modernization Act, all domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or store food, food ingredients, pet foods, or dietary supplements are required to renew their registration with the FDA every even-numbered year. Re-registration must be done between October 1 and December 31!
In November, JAS USA Corporate Compliance team members teamed up with JAS Atlanta Branch team members to facilitate client compliance training. From left to right, Calvin Oh (Corporate Compliance), Scott Cassell (Corporate Compliance), Carlo Rebuffi (Manager of Live Animals Division-ATL), Laurie Arnold (VP Corporate Compliance), and Rishma Patel (CHB Manager-ATL). The team was able to facilitate learning on the topic of import compliance.
OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control), part of the Department of Treasury, has imposed a $1.1 Million penalty on a US individual. The panlty was issued for 75 violations of OFAC Iran sanctions.
To read the full details check out the link below:
BIS has published its newest edition of "Don't Let This Happen to You!" The newest version includes new enforcement cases. New topics include the first Disruptive Technology Strike Force case, criminal cases, an assassination plot and much more.
Check out the full document at the link below:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has added 29 new entities to the UFLPA Entity list. There are now more than 100 PRC-Based companies on the list. The companies on the list face significant challenge to enter goods into the United States because of alleged forced labor practices.
To read more details, check out the link to the Federal Register.
The President-elect has indicated that tariffs are coming to Canadian and Mexican goods in January. In a recent post on Truth Social, he has indicated that an executive order on January 20 will impose 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico with an additional 10% on goods from China. This action is to combat illegal immigration and illicit drugs.
This November, we are honored to feature Tracey Suggs, Import Specialist at JAS Forwarding USA Inc., for his tireless advocacy for individuals with Down Syndrome. While October marks Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Tracey and his family advocate every day for the empowerment and inclusion of individuals who face intellectual and developmental challenges. Inspired by his daughter, Treana, who has Down Syndrome, Tracey is driven to ensure that every individual can live their fullest life. Treana's zest for life and inspiring spirit is a testament to the impact of love, perseverance, and understanding that Tracey strives to bring to his work and community. Tracey’s unwavering commitment to making a difference embodies our values at JAS, reminding us all of the importance of inclusivity and advocacy in both our professional and personal lives.
Tracey has been with JAS for 3 years and has been in the industry for over 20 years. Tracey has a passion for sports, fitness, art, community advocacy (special needs/disadvantaged youth), and spending time with family.
JAS Forwarding VP Compliance, Laurie Arnold joined forces with JAS Forwarding Global Development Director Jennifer Koon, and Regional Sales Director Lindsay Gambee to attend the International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA) Fall Conference (Western Cowboy Theme) in Grapevine, Texas from October 20-23.
They were able to meet with numerous members of the trade community and discuss current events and network.
On November 1, 2024, BIS imposed a civil penalty of $500,000 against a semiconductor wafer manufacturing company. The U.S. subsidiary shipped approximately $17.1 million of semiconductor wafers company listed on the BIS Entity List, without the required licese/authorization.
The company voluntarily disclosed the conduct and cooperated which resulted in significant reduction in the penalty.
To read more, check out the final order below.
The U.S. Trade Representative has announced the opening of a process to request Section 301 exclusions. The requests will be limited to certain machinery within chapters 84 and 85 of the HTSUS.
The docket opened on October 15, 2025, and the deadline for submitting requests is March 31, 2025.
To read more details, check out the link below to the press release.
On October 30, 2024, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined "...that a U.S. Industry is not materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of aluminum extrusions from China, Columbia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Itay, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value, and subsidized by the Governments of China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey."
The overall result is that "...Commerce will not issue antidumping duty orders on imports of this product from..." the countries listed.
It is important to note that older AD/CVD orders on aluminum extrusions remain in effect (2011).
To read the full press release, click the button below.
U.S. Customs has posted in the Federal Register the long-awaited information on the continuing education requirement credit hours for the current triennial period. The notice published in the Federal Register on November 1, 2024, CBP has announced that "...customs brokers license holders may begin completing qualified continuing broker education courses on January 1, 2025 (compliance date) and, accordingly, 20 credits as the prorated number of required credit hours for the triennial period beginning on February 1, 2024, and ending on January 31, 2027."
Additionally, the notice "...announces the criteria that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) used to select qualified accreditors, the list of CBP-selected qualified accreditors, and the period of award for these accreditors."
September was a busy month for JAS Forwarding (USA) Inc. Compliance team members.
Laurie Arnold and Leah Ellis attended the NCBFAA (National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America) GAC (Government Affairs Conference). During the conference, Laurie and Leah "walked the hill" and met with numerous congress members to discuss industry issues.
Scott Cassell spent time with clients in Newark, NJ along with J. Nathan May, Regional Sales Director to facilitate training on the HTS GRI (Harmonized Tariff Schedule General Rules of Interpretation) and Incoterms 2020.
Our October spotlight of the month is Rishma Patel from our Atlanta branch, where Rishma has been with JAS since 1997. Rishma has been in the industry for 32 years. She is the CHB Manager and Licensed Customs Broker responsible for the JAS Atlanta/College Park location.
Rishma's favorite sports are cricket, volleyball, tennis and badminton. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, drawing and food carving.
Rishma's dedication is yet another example that People Make the Difference!
The USTR (US Trade Representative) announced that they are proposing to increase Section 301 tariff rates on five subheadings of the HTSUS covering certain products of tungsten, wafers, and polysilicon.
The public docket was opened to allow for comments. All comments should be submitted by October 22, 2024.
To read more, check out the link below:
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is working to modernize the options for filing certificate data. "CPSC is actively developing the eFiling program and finalizing rulemaking." This creates a new opportunity to streamline the filing of General Certificates of Conformity (GCC).
Read more by checking out the link below:
A new Federal Register notice has been issued on September 26, 2024, proposing a ban on Chinese and/or Russian "Vehicle Connectivity Systems (VCS)." According to the notice, BIS/Commerce "...is soliciting comment on this proposed rule, which builds on the advance notice proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) issued by BIS on March 1, 2024." Comments to the proposed rule must be received on or before October 28, 2024.
To read more details check out the Federal Register Notice
Our September spotlight of the month is Mr. Joseph Schmidt from our New York branch, where he has been with JAS since 1998. Joe has been in the business for 46 years and has been a Licensed Customs Broker since 1983. He is the Broker Manager and Licensed Customs Broker responsible for the JAS New York location.
Joe loves sports, and is a huge fan of the NY Mets, Giants and Knicks. He also loves Elvis Presley. His ringtone on his phone is the song "Follow That Dream" from the 1962 Elvis movie of the same name.
His long tenure shows not only his dedication to JAS, but also shows JAS' commitment to retain dedicated professionals because People Make the Difference!
The JAS Forwarding (USA) Inc. Corporate Compliance Team met in August at our Corporate Headquarters.
The JAS Corporate Compliance Team gets together regularly to discuss current trade compliance topics such as AD/CVD (recent aluminum case), and section 301 matters. Additionally, the Compliance Team is always strategizing on how to better serve our client's compliance needs.
The team was able to have an evening of team building throwing axes!
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) has recently gone into effect. The MoCRA is the most significant expansion of FDA's authority to regulate cosmetics since the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act was passed in 1938.
Manufacturers and processors must register their facilities with FDA and renew every two years. Examples of items subject to MoCRA include but are not limited to baby products, bath preparations, various makeups, hair products, and even oral products such as mouthwash.
There are free tools available to determine whether FDA's new MoCRA regulations apply. Check out the link below to utilize this free tool!
An importer of uniforms and footwear has been penalized $1.3 Million for a fraudulent scheme involving fake invoices that deliberately and materially understated the value of their imports. These goods were being imported from China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The defendants, including the CEO were also accused of providing invoices misrepresenting the fabric content which resulted in reduced duty amounts.
To read more details, check out the full US District court order.
Indira Coomar from our JAS Forwarding (USA) Inc. Norfolk branch has been with JAS for 14 years in September. She likes to run each morning. During her runs, she takes some very beautiful photos of the sunrise over the beach and shares them with an inspirational quote to start many days. One of her recent quotes was “the secret to getting ahead is getting started!” We appreciate Indira’s motivation, and this attitude perfectly reflects that People Make the Difference.
July 2024, JAS Forwarding (USA) Inc.’s Laurie Arnold (VP Compliance) and Scott Cassell (Corporate Compliance Project Manager) facilitated a client seminar covering Foreign Trade Zone, Forced Labor and Duty Drawback. The event was hosted by our JAS Forwarding (USA)Inc. Charlotte Branch!
CBP publishes monthly trade statistics that provide a snapshot of the volume of shipments being processed. In May2024, CBP processed more than 2.9 million entry summaries. This includes numerous modes of transport from all over the world.
CBP’s monthly trade stats show duties paid, seizures, WRO data and much more.
To read the full article, check out the link below.
CBP has announced an increase of the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) within the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). The fee increase will be effective on October 1, 2024.
The new minimum will increase from $31.67 to $32.71. The new maximum will increase from $614.35 to 634.62. The ad valorem rate of 0.3464% remains unchanged.
For more details check out the link below.
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