July 2005

M.E.Dey Customers Profit with Remote Location Filing

Enhancing our ability to provide ‘one-stop’ international service to our customers, remote location filing (RLF) extends our reach to every port in the nation. We are able to directly file for Customs release for your cargo arriving at any ocean or air port in the United States.

You can take advantage of this technology and our own shipment tracing to move your data through a single portal at M.E. Dey to transact Customs business across the nation. The idea of RLF was incorporated into the 1993 Customs Modernization Act. Customs, through years of refinement, unleashed an efficient program that magnifies effectiveness and process control. It is no longer necessary to actually be in the cargo's port of arrival to handle its Customs clearance. If you have the data, our offices in Milwaukee and Chicago can arrange for clearance – usually same day clearance for cargo arriving – at any port in the United States. Customs has unfortunately designed some limitations into the RLF product – such as disallowing RLF treatment for articles subject to special duty or quota. But RLF is a dynamic product and will continue to evolve along with the trade community.

CBP Completes First Regional Installation of Nationwide Trade
Processing System

With the successful deployment of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) trade processing system at Oroville, Washington, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the completion of ACE installations at ports in western Washington. A pilot of the ACE Secure Data Portal and the first ever electronic manifest (e-Manifest) capability for trucks was completed in Blaine, Washington, on April 14, 2005, clearing the way for ACE to be rolled out to additional ports. The ports at Sumas, Lynden, and Point Roberts in western Washington were launched in late April. more...

CBP FAST Information Update

U.S. Customs & Border Protections has added the following information to their website:

FAST Reference Guide: Enhancing the Security and Safety of Trans-border Shipments

Outlines the FAST program, which promotes free and secure trade through risk-management principles, supply chain security, industry partnership, and advanced technology.

Free and Secure Trade Video

A comprehensive narration of FAST procedures for carriers, drivers, importers, Mexican manufacturers, locations of enrollment centers, and requirements for use of dedicated lanes.

FAST Information Sheet

Provides importers, carriers and commercial drivers the criteria and eligibility requirements to utilize FAST lane processing.

Contact us for more information to get into the FAST lanes and avoid border delays please contact us at: info@customshelp.com

U.S. Customs & Border Protection

"Eagle" Mobile Sea Container X-Ray System

The “Eagle” Mobile Sea Container X-ray System is a self-propelled non-intrusive inspection (NII) technology system designed for examining sea containers and other cargo conveyances.

A prototype Eagle was purchased and deployed to Miami in February 2001. Substantial system modifications were incorporated into two production models purchased by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and deployed to the ports of Savannah in October 2004 and Baltimore in December 2004.

The Eagle is our largest and most powerful inspection system. It weighs 180,000 pounds and can penetrate more than a foot of steel.

Although mobile in principle, due to size, it cannot move from one terminal or port to another and must be dedicated to a specific location. It requires a large footprint that includes a radiation safety zone and a concrete pad to support its weight.

The Eagle is another tool in the CBP inventory of large-scale NII technology systems designed to examine the steady flow of commercial traffic while facilitating legitimate trade and cargo.

Bureau of Industry and Security Publishes

"Don't Let This Happen to You!,"
PDF

An Introduction to U.S. Export Control Law, with Real Life Investigations of Export Control and Anti-boycott Violations.

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n

Fuel Surcharge Adjustment Effective on 12 July 2005
Please be informed that fuel surcharge will be levied as follows

Area 1 North & South America                    USD0.47/kg
Area 2 Europe, Middle East, Africa             USD0.47/kg
Area 3 Asia( except S. W. Pacific )             USD0.24/kg
South and South West Pacific                    USD0.47/kg

The above-mentioned new surcharge will take effect from 12 July 2005.

Truck Capacity Crunch Looming

PASADENA, Calif. -- Shippers over the past five years enjoyed a trucking market in which rates barely budged. Now they are paying for the good times with a spike in rates, and possibly more devastating, a shortage of capacity.

Long Beach cuts 'free time' by one day to avoid congestion

THE Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has voted to decrease by one day the time that container cargo can be temporarily stored on the docks free of charge in a bid to avoid backups of freight at the port's shipping terminals.

TRANS-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE AGREEMENT

The TACA Parties wish to advise the trade of a further phase of TACA’s 2005 Tariff Westbound business plan, to take effect from July 1st 2005, in the amount of:

$240 per 20ft container $300 per 40/45ft container

These TACA 2005 Business Plan measures are necessary to address rising operating costs, which show no signs of abating, relating to high charter rates, container acquisition, repair and maintenance, stores, spares and supplies, insurance, manning and administration. Such rising costs cannot be absorbed and have to be passed on in order to sustain current and future investment in the provision of regular liner services meeting the needs of the trade.

Website: www.tacaconf.com

W o r l d T r a d e

Chinese Cargo to Rise 50%

China Announces Textile Export Interim Control Measures

US Official Seeks More Trade with India ST&R

A Commerce Department official indicated this week that one way to lower the massive US trade deficit with China, without resorting to any of the punitive measures floating around Capitol Hill, would be to boost trade with other countries such as India, AFP reports. Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Sampson told the US-India High Technology Cooperation Group that the US “is eager to collaborate with India to increase the level of trade…closer to the volume of trade we currently have with China.” That is not likely to happen anytime soon, the article noted, as US-India trade is currently valued at less than 10% of commerce between the US and China. Sampson said there are a number of issues India must address to improve this figure, including making its rules and regulations more streamlined and transparent and improving intellectual property rights (IPR) protections.

Switzerland to Seek FTA with US

The Swiss Federal Council announced on June 10 that it has instructed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs to start exploratory talks on bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with the US. A press release from the council noted that the US is Switzerland’s second-most important export market (after Germany) and the most important destination for Swiss investments, and that US companies are the most important foreign investors in Switzerland.

S e m i n a r s & W o r k s h o p s

Eyefortransport Events www.eyefortransport.com

AAEI Events

C-TPAT and OSC: What You Need to Know Now June 23, 2005 Warrenville, IL

85th Annual Conference & Exhibition June 11-13, 2006 New York, NY

“INCOTERMS 2000”

Instruction on the Newly Revised Incoterms…direct from the ICC Revision Committee

WEDNESDAY JULY 27, 2005 Country Springs Hotel, Pewaukee, WI

A MUST SESSION FOR EXPORTERS

SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CREDIT EXECUTIVES GROUP OF WI

Please call Dianna Rowinski, 262-827-2880 X225 diannar@nacmwi.org

Poland and the Czech Republic
November 8th - 16th 2005

Please join Governor Jim Doyle as he leads a trade delegation of Wisconsin businesses

Business Mission to China
September 14-22, 2005

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), with the Wisconsin Department of Commerce International, will be taking a business mission to China.

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