Importing a new item
Where should I start when wanting to import something new?
When thinking about importing a new item you are not familiar with, one of the first things you should know is if product is subject to Anti-dumping and/or Countervailing duty and if it is subject to Quota or not. These are only 2 of the many details that should be considered when importing for the first time. Below you will find a link for ADD/CVD and a second one for Quota.
http://web.ita.doc.gov/ia/CaseM.nsf/136bb350f9b3efba852570d9004ce782?OpenView
A Customs ruling is the best way to find out what other governmental divisions your product might be subject to. The best thing about a ruling is that you would have a Customs written document confirming the classification number and duties your goods are subject to.
Click here to apply for a Customs Ruling:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/legal/rulings/eRulingRequirements.xml
Attend a Customs 10+2 outreach seminar near you:
We will be posting information on Importer/Broker responsibilities in future posts.
President Amends Tariff Schedule on NAFTA Rules of Origin, Israeli Farm Goods
President Obama has issued a proclamation amending the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. to reflect numerous changes to the rules of origin under NAFTA as well as the duty-free treatment afforded to certain agricultural products from Israel.
Presidential proclamation 8097 of Dec. 29, 2006, modified the HTSUS to reflect amendments to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and to ensure the continuation of the staged duty rate reductions under NAFTA for originating goods of Mexico in tariff categories that were affected by those amendments. The U.S., Canada and Mexico have now agreed to modify certain NAFTA rules of origin to ensure that the tariff and certain other treatment accorded to originating goods will continue to be provided under the tariff categories that were modified in proclamation 8097. This proclamation will implement these changes, which are detailed in annexes I and II in the attached report from the International Trade Commission, with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after Oct. 2.
In addition, this proclamation makes certain technical amendments to the HTSUS, detailed in annex III of the attached ITC report, that are necessary to conform it to the Harmonized System.
Finally, this proclamation modifies the HTSUS, as detailed in annex IV of the attached ITC report, to reflect the duty-free treatment provided to specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel through Dec. 31, 2009, pursuant to the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement and a 2004 bilateral agreement on trade in agricultural products.
Source Document 1…http://www.strtrade.com/wti/2009/september/03/nafta_proclamation.pdf
Source Document 2…http://www.strtrade.com/wti/2009/september/03/pub4095.pdf