Below are many helpful links for importers and
exporters.
International Trade Commission
The ITC is an independent federal agency
determining import injury to U.S. industries in antidumping,
countervailing duty, and global and China safeguard
investigations; directing actions against unfair trade practices
involving patent, trademark, and copyright infringement;
supporting policymakers through economic analysis and research
on the global competitiveness of U.S. industries; and
maintaining the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
Department of Commerce
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Bureau of
Industry & Security
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) plays
an important role in export controls. The Bureau's mission is to
protect the security of the United States, which includes its
national security, economic security, cyber security, and
homeland security. BIS oversees the development, licensing and
enforcement of export control laws. The BIS website includes
access the the Export Administration Regulations, Links to all
Excluded Parties Lists that exporter's must check, information
on Export Control Basic's, Guidance on Reexports, FAQ's on
Export Licensing under the Commerce Department, along with
helpful information and links for many other initiatives under
BIS.
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International Trade Administration
As the DOC's international trade assistance program, the ITA is
dedicated to helping U.S. businesses compete in the global
marketplace. The site has a number of assistance related
workspaces and information resources, and includes the
NAFTA Home Page, the
Trade Information Center, and the very helpful
Export Assistance Center. U.S. Customs also has a
NAFTA Information Page.
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Import Administration
The primary role of Import Administration is to enforce
effectively the U.S. unfair trade laws (i.e., the anti-dumping
and countervailing duty laws) and to develop and implement other
policies and programs aimed at countering foreign unfair trade
practices. Import Administration also administers the
Foreign Trade Zones
program, the
Statutory Import Program and certain sector-specific
agreements and programs, such as the
Textiles and Apparel Program and the
Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis licensing system.
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U.S. Census Bureau - International
Trade
International trade related statistics, Export Declaration form, AES
information and Schedule B, C, D, & K information. Items of special
interest include
On-line Version of the Schedule B Export Codes and
Correct Way to Fill out a Shipper's Export Declaration, and
Country by Commodity Trade Data.
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Foreign Trade Zones Board
Foreign-trade zones are designated sites licensed by the
Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board (the Secretary of Commerce is
Chairman) at which special Customs procedures may be used. FTZ
procedures allow domestic activity involving foreign items to take
place as if it were outside U.S. Customs territory, thus offsetting
Customs advantages available to overseas producers who export in
competition with products made here. Subzones are special-purpose
zones, usually at manufacturing plants.
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STAT-USA
Daily economic news and statistics sponsored by the Dept. of
Commerce. This subscription service also includes trade leads,
research reports, country specific economic studies and more.
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Patent and Trademark Office,
Licensing and Review
Oversees patent filing data sent abroad.
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Office of Textiles and Apparel
OTEXA develops
and recommends policy positions affecting trade in textiles and
apparel and participates in multilateral and bilateral trade
agreement negotiations and consultations. Information on Import
Quota’s, NAFTA, CAFTA, agreements and Trade DATA can be found
here.
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Department of the Treasury
In the international arena, the Department of the Treasury works
with other federal agencies, the governments of other nations,
and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to encourage
economic growth, raise standards of living, and predict and
prevent, to the extent possible, economic and financial crises.
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Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
The BATF has information concerning the movement of these goods into
and throughout the U.S. They have a section on their
regulations and
publications.
Department of Homeland Security
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Customs & Border Protection
(CBP)
The mission of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is to
ensure that all goods entering and exiting the United States do
so in accordance with all United States laws and regulations and
to keep terrorists and their weapons from entering the U.S.
Their
Import and
Export sections include extensive resources regarding the
Entry and Export process. Check out the
Customs Valuation Encyclopedia
(note: slow loading).
Department of State
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America Desk
The State Department's repository for commercial information. It
includes Country Commercial Guides, business contact information,
and security guidelines for Americans overseas.
§ Office of
Defense Trade Controls (DTC)
This office controls the export and temporary import of defense
articles and services by taking final action on license
applications and other requests for approval for defense trade
exports and retransfers, and handling matters related to defense
trade compliance, enforcement and reporting. This is where you
go for the ITAR Regulations, Registration information for
Exporters and Manufacturers of defense articles, export license
information on firearms, and general questions for the
DDTC Response Team.
Department of Agriculture
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Foreign Agricultural Service
The FAS represents the diverse interests of U.S. farmers and the
U.S. food and agricultural sector abroad. It also collects,
analyzes, and disseminates information about global supply and
demand, trade trends, and emerging market opportunities.
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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
APHIS ensures the health and care of animals and plants in the U.S.
They also monitor agricultural products and animals entering the
U.S.
Department of Transportation
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Bureau of Transportation Statistics - BTS
All types of transportation statistics and information are offered
here. The BTS is an excellent jumping off point for packaging,
HAZMAT and shipping information.
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Transportation Security Administration
The TSA site has information and press releases related to
airfreight and HAZMAT regulation.
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United States Coast Guard - USCG
The USCG patrols the U.S. waterways. Their web site also has
considerable documentation on vessel containers, hazardous materials
and other maritime information.
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St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation - SLSDC
The St. Lawrence Seaway is a model of cooperation between the United
States and Canada and is jointly managed by the U.S. Saint Lawrence
Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the Canadian St. Lawrence
Seaway Authority. The current toll schedule and management reports
are available on their site.
Department of Health and Human Services
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Food and Drug Administration Import
Awareness Program
The FDA Import Awareness Program informs import brokers,
wholesalers, retailers and consumers about products that have been
detained or would be detained without physical examination when
presented for entry into the US via
ORA / FDA Import Alerts. The FDA is in charge of monitoring food
and drugs in the U.S, and their Office of Regulatory Affairs deals
with imports. The
FDA Product Code Builder is also helpful.
Department of Energy
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Office of Fossil Energy
This office licenses natural gas and electric power for export.
Department of Defense
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Defense Treaty Reduction
This is the official web site of the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency. Our mission is to safeguard America and its allies from
Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Department of the Interior
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Chief Office of Management Authority
Controls the export of endangered fish and wildlife species.
Department of Justice
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Drug Enforcement Administration: International Drug Unit /
International Chemical Control Unit
Oversees the export of controlled substances and controlled
chemicals with the Office of Diversion Control under the Controlled
Substances Act.
U.S. Trade Representative
The Cabinet Office responsible for developing and coordinating U.S.
trade, commodity, and direct investment policy. The site includes
official press releases, reports, agreements, summary information,
and more.
Federal Maritime Commission
The independent agency responsible for the regulation of
shipping in the foreign trade of the U.S. Their site includes CFR,
tariff filing, freight forwarding, NVOCC and investigation
information.
The Export Import Bank of the United States
The Export - Import Bank is an independent U.S. Government agency
that helps finance the overseas sales of U.S. goods and services.
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency assists in the creation of
jobs for Americans by helping U.S. companies pursue overseas
business opportunities. TDA trade briefs, press releases,
feasibility studies, conference announcements are available here.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of International Programs
NRC participates in a broad program of international cooperation
related to nuclear safety and safeguards. Its role within the U.S.
Government includes the licensing of exports and imports of nuclear
facilities, equipment, material and related commodities. Summary
status reports of applications received, cases completed, and cases
pending, may be accessed on this site.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response
The International and Special Projects Branch regulates toxic waste
exports.
ATA Carnet Information
The ATA Carnet is an international customs document used
worldwide to facilitate temporary importations into member
countries
Office of Foreign Assets Control
The Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the US
Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and
trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security
goals.
Bureau of Dangerous Goods
The Bureau of Dangerous Goods provides solutions for the safe
transportation of Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Material.
Hazardous Chemical Database
This database will allow the user to retrieve information for
any of 25,009 hazardous chemicals or 'generic' entries based on
a keyword search.
U.S. Consumer Project Safety Commission
Consumer information on recalls and product safety.
Federal Trade Commission
Information on clothes labeling, truthful advertising, price
fixing and many more items to maintain a competitive marketplace
for both consumers and businesses.
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global
international organization dealing with the rules of trade
between nations. The goal is to help producers of goods and
services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
World Customs Organization
The WCO is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission
is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs
administrations. With 169 Member Governments, it is the only
intergovernmental worldwide organization competent in Customs
matters.
Worldwide Customs Websites
This site links you to other countries Customs websites.
