12 Customs Compliance Best Practices to Avoid Penalties in 2026
Global trade regulations are getting more restrictive, and customs authorities are tightening up. In 2026, your company can’t afford to let compliance become an afterthought.
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Letter from the CEO: 2026 Trade & Supply Chain Strategy
2026 is shaping up to be a year where supply chain strategy and trade planning are more interconnected than ever.
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In-House Duty Drawback vs Outsourcing to Specialists
If your business is involved in international trade, duty drawback can be a game-changer. Duty drawback is a government program that refunds certain duties, taxes, and fees paid on imported goods that are subsequently exported or destroyed. Your business can recover significant amounts that go right back to the bottom line. Before you can do that, though, you have to decide whether to manage duty drawback internally or outsource it to seasoned specialists.
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ATA Carnet: The Ultimate Passport for Goods
Paying import duties and taxes can add unnecessary burdens on you or your company. Importing items can also hold up your merchandise in port. However, if you’re a company that sends certain goods internationally, you could reduce the costs of import duties if the item will be in a foreign country for less than a year.
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Letter from the CEO: Tariff Increases on Imports from South Korea
Trade relationships can shift quickly, and recent updates around potential tariff increases on imports from South Korea are a good reminder of that reality.
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TSCA Compliance for Importers: A Practical Guide to the Toxic Substances Control Act
U.S. import regulations are notoriously complex, particularly when they involve chemical substances. If your business imports chemicals (or products that contain them), one of the most daunting regulations is the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Noncompliance with TSCA can lead to significant financial penalties, costly shipment delays — and irreparable damage to your company’s reputation.
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Checklist: What to Ask Your Freight Forwarder and Customs Broker
Navigating customs and logistics is complex and costly, but a partner with the right expertise changes everything. An experienced partner lowers risks, maximizes refunds, and keeps your cargo moving seamlessly. Don’t leave compliance or cash flow to chance.
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HTS Classification Guidelines: Get Your Tariff Codes Right
HST classification guidelines are becoming increasingly important. With stricter customer enforcement, frequent trade and regulatory updates, evolving global trade policies, and the rise of AI-powered auditing systems, accurate classification is essential.
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Incoterms 2020 Explained: 11 Shipping Terms Every Importer Must Know
If global trade were a jigsaw puzzle with pieces including contract negotiating, navigating customs, and shipping logistics, Incoterms 2020 would be the instructions on the puzzle box.
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JMR Trade Alert: Court Allows Liquidation of IEEPA Tariff Entries While Preserving Potential Refund Rights
The U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) has issued an important ruling regarding the treatment of entries subject to tariffs imposed under the International…
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Customs Broker vs Freight Forwarder: Key Differences & When You Need Both
If you ship goods internationally, chances are you’ve heard the terms customs broker and freight forwarder.
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Duty Drawback: Even More Important in the New Tariff Era
A new era has dawned for US businesses as the nation’s tariffs on imported foreign goods now stand near the 20% mark, their…
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U.S. and European Union Announce Framework Trade Deal
On July 27, 2025, the United States and the European Union announced a new trade agreement aimed at redefining tariff structures and deepening…
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Major U.S. Trade Policy Developments with Japan and Indonesia Signal Opportunities for Exporters
Two significant developments in U.S. trade policy emerged on July 22, 2025, with the announcement of a finalized trade deal with Japan and…
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News Alert: White House Signals Imminent Tariff Actions Without New Trade Deals
With the pause on sweeping U.S. global tariffs set to expire in less than two weeks, President Trump announced this past weekend that…
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Time Is Running out for Savings
This week, U.S. Customs released data detailing how much they’ve collected overall on new duties. Since its implementation in March of 2018, just…
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Customs Compliance and Successfully Navigating Change
The imposition of several different tariffs across lists of products spanning nearly every category of product over the last several years has meant that a keen eye towards Customs compliance remains a critical part of any supply chain. A Customs broker that understands and can adapt to the rapid pace of change and can apply that to any business is crucial now more than ever for achieving success.
