Phone: 630-335-0024 | Email: arthur@aomeara.com
Navigating the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) can feel like trying to decode a foreign language – but it’s an essential skill for anyone involved in international trade. As the official system for classifying imported goods and determining duty rates, the HTSUS plays a critical role in ensuring compliance, calculating tariffs, and […]
Most Commonly Asked Questions About the HTSUS Read More »
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced plans to increase tariffs on tungsten and silicon products, with the intent of applying more pressure on Chinese imports. These changes target three subheadings related to tungsten, where tariffs will rise to 25%, and two subheadings for wafers and polysilicon, where tariffs will jump to 50%. These
Higher Tariffs on Tungsten and Silicon Products: What You Need to Know Read More »
The “de minimis” rule, part of Section 321 of the Tariff Act, allows duty-free importation of goods valued under $800 per day, per individual shipment. While this rule was designed to streamline low-value imports, there is evidence suggesting it’s now being exploited by overseas retailers, like Temu and Shein, to flood the US market with
How Overseas Retailers Are Exploiting American Trade Laws Read More »
Today we are going to talk about the USMCA and how we can rebrand it—we want to make it fancier, prettier, shinier, more marketable. What can we do to change the name? The name is ugly, it’s horrible: the “us—MUK—uh.” It sounds like dirt you drag your enemies through; it should like a bad form of journalism.
A New Name for the USMCA Read More »
Persecuting a person for the way they were born is one of the most heinous injustices. It punishes a person for something they did not cause, cannot change, and must live with. For example, the oppression of Native American tribes is an ugly chapter in the history of the US and Canada. Native children were
Preventing Forced Labor Violations Read More »
Summary: the US, UK and Australia have entered a trilateral global security partnership to allow Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines (not to be confused with nuclear-armed submarines). A few takeaways: It was obvious once you saw it. Most things are. But I didn’t see it at first, and instead I focused on the export control
Horseshoes, Hand Grenades & Submarines: The AUKUS Security Partnership Read More »
Rules like to be done in three parts. For example, there is a rule in business: you can have it done quickly, done cheaply, or done well; pick any two. The presumption is that you cannot have all three. The job of logistics is to move goods quickly and at the best rate. The job
The Three Traits of a Trade Compliance Professional Read More »
Contingency plans. Companies who are members of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), or foreign companies who participate in their respective supply chain security programs (Authorized Economic Operator/AEO, etc.) should have already made contingency plans for a port closure. That is the point behind the development of supply chain security as a field. After the
The Cost of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Read More »
In recent news reported by CNBC, there have been concerns regarding China’s potential strategy of moving goods through Mexico to circumvent the Section 301 tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. However, it’s crucial to clarify that merely transiting goods through Mexico does not exempt them from these tariffs. Goods manufactured in Mexico, on the other
Country of Origin vs Country of Export Read More »
Hi everyone! Arthur O’Meara here coming to you from the Texas Hill Country, and I just wanted to tell you a little story today at my expense, about my mansplaining something to my wife. See, my wife is from Mexico City, and one day we were in the grocery store. So I’m in the grocery
Chocolate vs Candy In the Harmonized Tariff System Read More »