Export_Import Procedures and Documentation

Description

The world of international trade changes daily and staying current with those
changes is complex. Unrest in the Ukraine and the Middle East results in
sanctions by the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union.
Tensions ease in countries formerly sanctioned by the United States and new
general licenses are issued. Defense articles previously controlled by the
Department of State are transferred to the Department of Commerce with new
licensing requirements or in some cases no licenses required at all. New free
trade agreements between countries allow for raw materials to transfer from one
country to another duty free, making the cost of the manufacturing less
expensive, but the record-keeping to support the duty-free claim is vital.
Keeping all the balls in the air for trade compliance, supply chain efficiency, and
financial competitiveness is challenging. For the experienced international trade
professional, it is all about staying abreast of the changes and implementing
them into their supply chain as quickly and efficiently as possible. For the
startup or domestic company that is first venturing abroad, complying with the
rules and regulations for the numerous government agencies in the United States
and in other countries can be daunting.
This book provides guidance for the novice to the basic import and export
requirements, both from the perspective of the United States, but it also
discusses the universality of many compliance requirements established by the
World Customs Organization of the World Trade Organization. It is also a handy
resource for experienced international traders to review an area that may be
unfamiliar to them or to just review the exact language on a specific Customs
document.
My career path in international trade was all about making lemonade out of
lemons. Having no job in a recession led me to a career first as a customs broker
and then as an international trade attorney, and I never looked back. It is
precisely the fact that my world is in constant change that keeps me intrigued. It
is the variety of commodities and services that my clients offer; the problems
they encounter in the countries they import from and export to; the constant
evolution of international agreements; the revised focus of each new
administration; and the broad spectrum of agencies that regulate the movement
of goods in and out of countries that make this business an ongoing challenge.
I am a member of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., co-chair of the firm’s
Import and Export Practice Group, and manage the firm’s Chicago office. I feel
like one of the elder statesmen these days when I realize that I have been
working in this field for more than 40 years. I have lectured extensively on
import and export trade regulations at meetings, seminars, and webinars. I have
actively participated in many organizations dedicated to this industry and even
spent a few years as an adjunct professor teaching lawyers the basics of
importing and exporting in the LLM program in International Trade at The John
Marshall Law School.
I am very fortunate to have worked with many extremely knowledgeable
professionals in this field and have learned from their experience, intelligence,
and humor over the years, and in some cases all you can do is laugh. My
gratitude goes out to many of them, including Thomas Johnson, the former
author and co-author of this book on whose shoulders I stand, Lee Sandler, Len
Rosenberg, Tom Travis, Jack Cline, Al D’Amico, Chet Wilson, and many others
too numerous to name.
I wish to acknowledge and express my appreciation for the assistance,
patience, and moral support provided by Nicole Kehoskie, Mark Segrist,
Michelle Mejia, Aman Ansari, and Joey Martinez of the Chicago STR office
while I put this edition together. I also wish to thank my editor, James Bessent,
for turning what I originally put in writing into something that is both readable
and understandable. Finally, my deepest appreciation goes to my family,
Thomas, Lindsey, and Tom, for their ongoing love and support.
The information contained herein is accurate as far as I am aware and is based
on sources available to me. Nevertheless, it is not legal advice, and specific legal
advice based upon the facts and circumstances of the reader’s own situation
should be sought in making export or import decisions.
Any comments or suggestions for the improvement of this book will be
gratefully accepted.
Donna L.
Bade
Sandler,
Travis