Insights

Sales Tax Voluntary Disclosure Agreements

December 10, 2013.
Tax Publications

Oops! You’ve just started at a business and determined that they have had nexus in a jurisdiction for years but never registered or collected sales tax there. What do you do? Fortunately, most states allow for a voluntary disclosure agreement (VDA) to entice companies to...

COGSA and the Himalaya Clause… Reconsidering Ocean Door-to-Door Shipments

December 06, 2013.
Logistics Publications

When organizing ocean transports, some people may prefer to tender a shipment as ‘door-to-door’ (from the door where cargo is shipping to the door of the final consignee) to a steamship line (SSL) or a forwarder because this would make things easier. After all, dealing with one...

Why Choose a 4PL?

November 05, 2013.
Logistics Publications

As organizations continue transcending international frontiers, the need for building synergies and maximizing results in Supply Chain Management continues to make the case for 4th Party Logistics Providers (4PLs). Officially invented by Anderson Consulting (now Accenture) in 1996, a 4PL is defined as a supply chain integrator that assembles and manages...

New mega container Triple E ships and what that could mean for you!

October 30, 2013.
Logistics Publications

Maersk has begun receiving the first of 20 ordered new Mega ships (Triple E) capable of carrying 19,000 TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit). Maersk has just completed the maiden voyage of one of these vessels on July 28th, calling the port of Tanjung Pelepas. There has been a lot of debate about...

The Importance of Internal Controls

September 21, 2013.
Trade Publications

Nobody looks forward to being audited, especially by the U.S. Government, and this certainly holds true in regards to a customs audit. One way a company can mitigate the chances of an unsuccessful audit is to fully understand the audit process. Understanding the government requirements and...

Responsibilities in an Export Transaction

September 16, 2013.
Trade Publications

Regulation: 15 CFR 30: Foreign Trade Regulations http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2012-title15-vol1/CFR-2012-title15-vol1-part30/contentdetail.html When an export is being arranged from the United States it is important that all applicable export regulations are followed. Certain exports require that an Automated Exports System ...

A Global HTS Solution

September 13, 2013.
Trade Publications

The World Customs Organization is represented by 179 customs administrations across the world and these locations represent 98% of the world’s trade. When goods are shipped internationally they must be classified for customs purposes using a Harmonized Tariff Schedule Number (HTS). Each separate product is assigned a particular...

Port Challenges in West Africa

September 10, 2013.
Logistics Publications

At first glance, the many ocean ports dotting the Western and Central African coastline may suggest a robust economy and well developed transportation network. As many shippers to this region know, quantity does not mean quality in this case. Selecting the best gateway to import your goods into...

The Importance of Logistics Data

September 02, 2013.
Logistics Publications

Logistics data is a very important source of information used for evaluating all major Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It may also play significant role in assessing the commercial aspects of the logistics. A significant competitive advantage can be gained by maintaining a consistent data set as it will show, over...

New Taxes in Hungary & France Impact Transportation Costs

July 02, 2013.
Logistics Publications

On 01 July 2013, Hungary implemented a road tax, a mandatory toll payment for all vehicles with a maximum total permissible weight over 3.5 tons. The payment is determined by the type of road (highway, motorway, etc.), category of motor vehicle (determined by number of axles) and the vehicle’s environmental classification...

Hours of Service: Comply or Else….

July 02, 2013.
Logistics Publications

July 1st 2013 is the date when truck drivers and carriers must comply with new hours-of-service rules. The final rule requires that if more than 8 consecutive hours on-duty have passed since the last off-duty or sleeper-berth period (of at least 30 minutes), a driver must take another off-duty or...

What Are Logistics KPIs Good For?

June 18, 2013.
Logistics Publications

Are there tangible benefits of having Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for logistics? Definitely! The primary purpose of a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is to provide a metric of how well a process is working. Using KPIs, you should be able to get a picture of your current situation; i...