Email: arthur@aomeara.com
Customs brokers play an essential role in international trade. They process entries, deal with forms most people never want to read, and help keep your goods moving. But as any seasoned importer will tell you: not all brokers are created equal – and not all of them get your HTS classification right. While it’s tempting […]
Five Signs Your Customs Broker Is Getting Your HTS Codes Wrong Read More »
If you’re an importer in 2025, you know that tariffs don’t just live in headlines. They live in your landed costs, your margin reports, and your CFO’s nightmares. The tariff rollercoaster is ramping up. With rising geopolitical tensions, renewed Section 301 and 232 actions, and a steady undercurrent of protectionist trade policy, we’re firmly in
How to Navigate HTS Classification During a Tariff War Read More »
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 »