There’s some important news about international trade that could affect your business. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced changes to the Section 301 tariffs. These changes will unfurl over the next few years and impact trade with China. Let’s break it down in a simple way. What Are Section 301 Tariffs? Section 301 tariffs… Read more »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued comprehensive guidance under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). This update marks a much-needed advancement in the cosmetics regulatory framework, addressing facility registration, product listing, and compliance deadlines. Key Highlights of the New Guidance: What Does This Mean for the Industry? Businesses in the… Read more »
The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, celebrated across several Asian countries, marks a period of festivity, family reunions, and shipping disruption for businesses worldwide. As we usher in the Year of the Dragon, an emblem of strength and prosperity, families worldwide will travel home to celebrate from February 10 through 24. As the legend… Read more »
Analysts say that e-commerce sales are expected to exceed $5.5 trillion worldwide by the end of 2022. This means that $.22 of every dollar spent is in e-commerce. Research analyst Nia Hudson with Transport Intelligence Ltd. (TI) says, “Customers continue to shop online more, and for a greater number of categories than ever before. As… Read more »
For the first time since 2019, the Global Affinity Alliance Annual Conference (GAA) took place from September 5-8 in Pattaya, Thailand. Representing Argents, Adam Sneed was one of almost a thousand attendees who came together for networking, meetings, a gala event, and an opening day team-building exercise that included dragon boat races by nine randomized… Read more »
A strike on the railroad has become possible as the thirty-day cooling-off ends Friday, and there are still two unions holding out for quality-of-life benefits, including vacation time, sick time, and the attendance policy. Due to the possibility of a work stoppage, many Class 1 railroads are initiating embargoes and service alterations to slowly wind… Read more »
East Coast ports are seeing record numbers of container volume, mostly from shippers looking to avoid the congestion snarls on the West Coast. However, at some East Coast ports we’re seeing the same issues as these ports don’t have the infrastructure to handle the increased activity. Others, like the Port of Charleston, have been watching… Read more »
In the interest of fairness, Kurt Schenkemeyer should have known what to expect at Argents. His father worked in management at Lufthansa for thirty-one years and Kurt himself was a twenty-three year veteran of the industry – ten years of which he spent in friendly competition with Dagny Chiappetta as they navigated clients, conferences, and… Read more »
In July, Anaheim, California was the site of the Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit held by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Previously, this had been two separate occasions: the CBP Trade Symposium and the CTPAT Conference. They’ve evolved into a combined three day whirlwind affair focusing on the newest policies and thinking coming… Read more »
Before the pandemic, the logistics industry had a finite definition of peak season – late July through early December was the busiest period for shipping worldwide. In the post-pandemic logistical landscape, peak season became a theoretical concept to define an ephemeral spike in supply chain activity during two years of abject chaos. In fact, the… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »