We are all bracing to see if the Federal Government will shut down as scheduled on midnight on Saturday, December 22nd. In the event it does, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has measures in place to ensure appropriate work flow and staffing.  Here’s what we know: CBP Management and Leadership will be available to […]

CBP announced an amendment to current tax rates per the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2017 (CBMA). Importers can now take advantage of the adjustment on shipments containing wines with more than 14%, but less than 16% alcohol by volume (ABV). This amendment reduces the excise tax from $1.57 per gallon, to […]

Section 301 list 3 tariffs on Chinese imports, which were set to increase from 10% to 25% effective January 1, 2019, will now remain at 10% for an additional 90 days as a result of fruitful talks between Chinese President Xi Jingping and President Trump at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires this past Saturday, […]

Effective December 17, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin full enforcement of the ISF-5 filing requirement for Foreign Retained on Board (FROB) cargo. This will affect any foreign cargo that calls a U.S. port during transit.    As you are aware, Importer Security Filing (“10+2”, “ISF”) rules took effect in 2009. At that […]

Typhoon Usagi, which is arriving on the heels of devastating Tropical Storm Toraji, brought record breaking rain and flooding to southern Vietnamese cities this weekend and powerfully struck the port cities of Ho Chi Minh and Vung Tau. Transportation services and port operations in the region remain halted as a result of continued high winds […]

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the Department of Commerce issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on criteria for identifying emerging technologies that are essential to U.S. national security. BIS welcomes comments on: How to define emerging technology to assist identification of such technology in the future; Criteria […]

We have learned that, in the very near future, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin carefully auditing imports of goods subject to Section 301 duties.  As a result, importers may see an increase in the number of Requests for Information (CF 28s); these requests will be based on inconsistencies related to reclassification, changed countries […]

Our Charleston office is currently experiencing issues with its phone system and is unable to receive incoming calls. All employees can still be reached via e-mail, or by calling the main line at 843-971-0441 and leaving a voicemail. Charleston employees are working to address all messages, but responses may be delayed. If you need immediate […]

On October 30, 2018, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation which both changes some product classifications for fruit juices and removes Generalized Systems of Preferences (GSP) privileges for many products. For complete details of the products affected, please click here. These changes will go into effect on Thursday, November 1, 2018. Please reach out to our […]

Customs and Border Protection released instructions for receiving reduced tax rates per the Craft Beverage Modernization Act and Tax Reform of 2017 (CBMA). For an importer to be eligible to receive a reduced tax rate or a tax credit, importers must substantiate that the foreign producer/assigning entity has designated an allotment of its reduced tax […]

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is around the corner! As previously advised by the Craft Beverage Modernization Act (CBMA), reduced tax rates and/or tax credits are applicable to importations of certain limited quantities of distilled spirits, beer or wine imported from each foreign producer/assigning entity (as described in the CBMA).  Further, the allocations […]

Just prior to the midnight deadline on September 30th, Canada agreed to the terms of a new trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. The new deal, which has been aptly named the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), will replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The significant components of the agreement involve dairy, […]

As many of you may be aware, on September 21, 2018, the USTR published a Notice of Modification of Action providing for the imposition of additional import duties on a third list of Chinese products. On September 28, 2018, the USTR published a Notice of Amendment of Action announcing changes to the tariff classifications covered […]

It has been brought to our attention that some of our customers are receiving spam stating that Shapiro’s bank and payment details have changed. These e-mails are quite convincing as they give the appearance of being sent from a Shapiro.com e-mail, but there is nothing authentic about these e-mails. Please note that we have NOT […]

It’s been a few months since the announcement in the Federal Register, but please remember that several user fees will increase effective October 1st, 2018. One of the most significant changes will involve merchandise processing fees (MPF).  While the ad valorem rate of .3464% will remain the same, the minimum and maximums have been modified.  […]

The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) officially published the List 2 exclusion process on Tuesday, September 18th. The official notice and exclusion process can be found HERE. Please take note of the following key points as they relate to the exclusion filing process: The final list of Section 301 tariffs affected by […]

We are sorry to report that the (dreaded) day has finally arrived…    In the Administration’s continued attempt to bolster U.S. manufacturing, Section 301 List 3 tariffs have been finalized—and are set to take effect next Monday, September 24th. Affected importers should expect to pay an additional 10% in tariffs through the remainder of the […]

Typhoon Mangkhut, which just finished ravaging southern China and continues to move inland, and Hurricane Florence, which continues to be a catalyst for major flooding along the southeastern coast of the U.S., have caused major havoc on ground, sea and air transport schedules. Believe it or not, Hurricane Florence appears to be the lesser of […]

The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) became law on September 13th, 2018 and will go into effect on October 13th, 2018, following a 30-day grace period. The bill provides tariff reductions on roughly 1,700 items through 2020 and was originally proposed by the International Trade Commission (ITC) as a means of maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness […]

Hurricane Florence is approaching!   Out of concern for our team and in compliance with local instructions, the Shapiro’s Charleston office closed at 10 AM today, Tuesday, September 11th. Our Charleston employees are working remotely to address all emails, but responses may be delayed. If you need immediate assistance, please contact our Charleston Branch Manager, Chris Carlton, […]