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April
2007
Action:
Know the Rules and Regulations with respect to
International Shipments
Rules for documentation, packaging, terms of sale,
marking of packages, export or import duties,
customs regulations, including duty drawback,
letters of credit, are only a small part of the
complexities of international business trade. To
complicate matters even more, the rules and
regulations are unique by country and in some
instances result in some rather severe penalties for
failure to comply with what would appear to be nit
picking, such as the precise size and location of
the markings on each package. Custom regulations are
also complicated and cumbersome, but essential to
assure the proper delivery of exported or imported
goods. Failure to show the country of origin as part
of the markings is an egregious violation and could
subject the goods to impoundment, stiff penalties
and perhaps total loss of the goods in question. I
have seen all of these options exercised by the
customs agents. Curiously, you might get different
interpretations from the customs agent in charge at
different ports in the U.S. and especially in all
foreign ports. All of this requires in-house
expertise or alternately you can rely on third party
service providers who are expert in this field and
can guide you (for a fee) so as to avoid the land
mines associated with the non‑compliance of EVEN
innocent errors. Assistance in abiding by these
sometimes onerous rules and regulations are
available and are discussed in other ACTION items
located elsewhere in this presentation. It is the
duty of “Team Group C” to identify these
requirements, seek appropriate input from other
affected members of the organization from Team
Groups A & B”. Once this is done, appropriate
implementation policies and procedures need to be
drawn and disseminated to all individuals affected
by them. THEN you can efficiently participate in
the lucrative global market.
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