Importing and Exporting Done Right: Part 2
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A couple of months ago we outlined some helpful tips on how to import and export the right way. Today we are going to continue that conversation by giving you three more tips. Let us get started!
Having the right logistics strategy and even making changes can yield savings on tariffs. For example, Donald Hoffman who is the president of Harmony Logistics Group in Oakdale, New York, and chairman of the Long Island Import Export Association (LIIEA) once helped a company that used to move product from Morocco to France for repackaging, and then shipped it to the U.S. This logistics move helped save the company a lot of money because they took advantage of the Morocco Free Trade Agreement. This agreement allowed the company to direct-ship their product from Morocco and come in duty-free. This logistics strategy seemed like a big move at the time but ended up helping the company save a good amount of money.
In addition to this, creating a formal operation run by an expert is crucial to having success whether you are an importer or exporter. You must develop a formal program to manage functions, with written policies and processes. Ideally, a company that imports or exports significant volumes will put a staff member in charge of meeting all applicable tax and regulatory obligations, even when the company also uses a customs broker or other provider. The last thing you want is to lose money because a product was misclassified, someone failed to file a declaration, or because a product was exported to a person on the U.S. government’s denied parties list. Put someone in charge of the operation to avoid such problems.
The third thing you can do to put yourself in the best position in this industry is to understand requirements on both sides of the border. There are different regulations in terms of time frames, hours of service, and ways that you can load freight into certain types of equipment. For example, if you are exporting to Mexico, you will need a government-authorized trading partner south of the border. Not every company in Mexico can legally import cargo. Similarly, if you are exporting to Mexico from the U.S. you must be carful about where in Mexico you plan to ship. This is because big cities might have the industrial parks with sufficient infrastructure to receive all kinds of shipments. However, some less-developed areas, tractor-trailers sometimes require special permits. If you understand rules on both sides of the border you will be fine. It is just a matter of doing your homework.
Use these tips to help you nail importing and exporting. It can be a hard and daunting task to get everything in place but if you do it right you can have great success. For more information on importing and exporting stay updated here on our monthly blog.
