What’s on our minds

Representatives from Argents recently attended the WCA Regional Conference, and while some normalcy has returned relative to the last two years, staffing and labor shortages were at the heart of nearly every conversation. The World Cargo Alliance operates multiple global networks of independent freight forwarders and customs brokers operating in nearly every country on the ...

The South Carolina Port Authority (SCPA) is making moves to get ahead of the game. They’ve announced several key strategies they’ll be implementing to mitigate peak season disruptions and avoid the debilitating congestion the ports suffered in the early part of the year.  The SCPA reports: “SC Ports has moved roughly 2.7 million TEUs thus ...

In the past, when making policy, Federal Reserve officials didn’t give too much consideration to supply chain challenges. The consensus was that supply chain issues would manage themselves and the Fed would manage the economy, independent of those issues. However, that strategy could soon be changing.  With a possible impending recession (though, the ATL Fed ...

Finding balance in logistics is often less about finding a network loaded with divergent businesses and expertise, and more about creating a Venn diagram that carries passion, dedication, friendship, and communication in the overlay. One lesson we’ve learned at Argent’s, and try to impart each day, is that there is no substitution for a team ...

Last week, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) held its annual conference in Tucson, Arizona. Our Director of Import Operations Liz Deaton was in attendance. The conference brings together customs brokers and freight forwarders from across the United States and many of the vendor partners with whom we work including software, ...

The logistics of a product launch are as multifaceted, complicated, and singularly complex as the product itself. Whether it’s a fresh new item never seen on shelves or an upgrade to an old favorite we each have around the house, every launch is a unique challenge. When you can’t start over if something goes wrong, ...

Effective June 21, 2022 the US will no longer allow imports coming in from the XUAR (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) region of China. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed on December 23, 2021 by President Biden to mitigate the importation of goods made in whole or part, mined, assembled, or created in the ...

While we don’t often open our news with a joke, because it’s not funny and we understand that, this week, we want to inject a little levity. When the pandemic started, there was some internal buzz by industry experts regarding the delays and costs impacting the ocean freight industry. We remarked that a group of ...