The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and Canadian International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have reached a tentative agreement to end yesterday’s planned labor lockout at the Vancouver and Prince Rupert ports, and will resume normal port operations effective this afternoon, Thursday, May 30th at 4:30 pm. Mediated negotiation efforts to end the lockout […]

Per our Shap Flash posted on May 8, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released a statement indicating that the exclusion process for List 3 tariffs would be outlined shortly. Though no official announcement has been released yet, the USTR has released a separate notice on May 20th seeking the approval of forms […]

As importers subjected to Section 301 Lists 1, 2 and 3 can attest, additional tariffs have a major impact on your bond. With List 4 on the horizon (which covers nearly all products imported from China), it is more important than ever to gauge the sufficiency of your Customs bond. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) […]

Effective May 17th, the White House officially announced the end of Turkey’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status, since it “no longer meets the criteria to be considered a developing country.” Although, in March, the USTR had announced that both Turkey and India would be terminated from GSP, India is still in the GSP program. […]

The grace period is nearly up for Air Cargo Advanced Screening (ACAS). Air cargo carriers should already have their method in place prior to June 12th 2019 to technologically meet the advanced security filing requirements for air cargo imports to the U.S. This data collection and submission program is a joint effort between Customs and […]

On May 3rd, the Panama Canal Authority released its 6th draft restriction of 2019, a result of the country’s ongoing and severe drought conditions. Effective May 28th, vessels traveling through the famous canal will be restricted to a maximum draft of 13.1 meters (43 feet). Authorities lowered the current restrictions on the waterway by an […]

Per our Shap Flash on May 6, President Trump announced an increase in Section 301 List 3 tariffs from 10% to 25% that would commence this week. According to a new bulletin posted by the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the additional 15% increase on products falling under List 3 will go into effect at […]

On Sunday, May 5th, just days before Chinese officials are set to arrive in the US to continue trade negotiations, President Trump elicited a tweet proclaiming a planned increase in Section 301 List 3 tariffs from 10% to 25%. The additional 15% increase on products falling under List 3 could occur as early as the end of […]

Per our Shap Flash on March 5th, President Trump announced that India and Turkey’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status would be revoked. Trump’s announcement followed a 2018 USTR investigation into the trade and fairness practices of several GSP eligible governments, after various complaints from the U.S. dairy and medical sectors claimed that the program […]

A third round of product exclusions on Section 301 List 1 Chinese goods was released by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on April 15, 2019. The announcement highlights an additional 21 specially prepared product descriptions, covering 348 separate exclusion requests, subject to partial exclusion from Section 301 tariffs. The newest batch of […]

On March 20, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released an additional list of partially or fully excluded Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings in regard to Section 301 List 1 tariffs. The 33 newly excluded HTS subheadings supplement the original list of 22 HTS subheadings previously excluded by the USTR on December 21, […]

Shapiro is excited to unveil our new website design! When accessing www.shapiro.com, visitors might notice the website layout looks slightly different than in the past. We decided it was time for a transformation to the site, and it was crucial to make sure our “quirkiness” wasn’t lost. Adjustments to change can be tough at times, […]