What’s on our minds

How to pick a 3PL when your inventory ships from China or Vietnam: customs brokerage, duty and tariff handling, port-side receiving and DTC fulfillment.

With Section 301 and Section 232 rates diverging sharply by classification and origin, a wrong guess on HTS or country of origin is expensive. A CBP binding ruling locks in the answer before you import. Here is when to request one and how the process works.

Five 3PLs compared for luxury and high-value brands.

Two 3PL quotes are almost never priced the same way. This is 3PL fees explained line by line, with 2026 industry benchmarks for storage, receiving, pick and pack, minimums, and the surcharges that show up after you sign.

Four 3PLs compared for arts, crafts and hobby brands.

A composite client story: how a home goods retailer with holiday purchase orders on the books moved to a new 3PL in about six weeks, and the checklist that made it work.

What supplement brands that import need from a 3PL: licensed customs brokerage, FDA-registered storage, lot tracking and one inventory pool for DTC, Amazon and retail.

With IEEPA gone, Section 301 is now the main engine of U.S. tariff policy. Here is where the Section 301 tariffs 2026 stand: China list rates, the July 24 action on 60 economies, Brazil, the exclusions that expire November 9, and the investigations still pending.