Reduce Import Duty Mexico: IMMEX, PROSEC and the Legal Methods That Work
Mexico offers some of the most powerful legal tools available anywhere in the world to reduce import duty Mexico, but most foreign businesses importing into or through Mexico are not using them. The IMMEX programme eliminates import duty and VAT on production inputs for qualifying manufacturers. PROSEC reduces tariff rates on specific industrial sectors. USMCA […]
Vietnam vs China Sourcing 2026: Which Is Actually Cheaper After Tariffs
The question every sourcing team is debating right now is Vietnam vs China sourcing 2026: which country actually produces a cheaper landed cost for goods entering the United States? The answer that most guides give is Vietnam, full stop. The answer that a genuine landed cost analysis produces is: it depends on your product category, […]
Liberation Day Tariffs 2026: One Year On, What Every Importer Actually Learned
Update, 28 July 2026: This anniversary review has been updated to reflect what happened after the first year. The IEEPA-based Liberation Day tariffs were struck down in February 2026 and replaced by a 10% Section 122 surcharge, which itself expired on 24 July and was replaced by a Section 301 forced-labour action at 10% or […]
EU De Minimis Changes 2026: The €3 Duty That Will Reshape How China Ships to Europe
Update, 28 July 2026: The EU’s €150 de minimis relief was abolished on 1 July 2026 and the temporary €3 duty is now in force, so this guide has been updated from a countdown to a live-compliance briefing. One point of clarification that a lot of early coverage got wrong: the €3 is charged to […]
What Happens When Your IOR Provider Goes Bankrupt: The Risk Nobody in Global Trade Talks About
What happens when your IOR provider goes bankrupt is a question almost no business asks until the moment it becomes urgent. Companies spend considerable time evaluating importer of record providers before signing a contract. They check coverage, pricing, turnaround times, and country availability. Almost none of them ask what happens to their shipments, their compliance […]
Section 301 Tariffs 2026: What Replaced Section 122, What It Costs, and What Is Still Coming
Update, 28 July 2026: The first of the two 2026 Section 301 actions is now final and in effect. The forced-labour action took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on 24 July 2026, the same moment the Section 122 surcharge expired, at 10% or 12.5% on products of 60 economies. It landed at a lower and […]
IOR and EOR for Returned Goods: The Reverse Logistics Compliance Problem Nobody Plans For
IOR and EOR for returned goods is one of the most overlooked compliance challenges in international trade, and the oversight costs businesses far more than a straightforward import or export ever would. Companies spend months building their forward logistics infrastructure. They establish importer of record arrangements, configure their exporter of record structure, and set up […]
Freight Forwarder vs Importer of Record: Why They Are Not the Same Thing and Why It Costs You
Freight forwarder vs importer of record is one of the most searched and most misunderstood distinctions in international trade compliance, and the confusion costs businesses millions of dollars every year. Most companies assume their freight forwarder handles everything at the border. They book the shipment, hand over the cargo, and expect customs clearance to follow […]
Semiconductor Supply Chain Disruption 2026: How the Helium Crisis Is Hitting Chip Fabs and What Electronics Importers Must Do Now
The semiconductor supply chain disruption 2026 did not start inside a chip factory. It started in the Gulf, when Iranian missile and drone strikes hit Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, one of the largest liquefied natural gas and helium production hubs on the planet. Within days, Samsung and SK Hynix were on high alert. […]
DDP Customs Clearance Worldwide
DDP customs clearance worldwide is the most comprehensive commitment you can make to a buyer in international trade. Under Incoterms 2020, Delivered Duty Paid means the seller handles everything: export clearance at origin, international freight, import DDP customs clearance at destination, all duties, all taxes, and physical delivery to the named place. The buyer opens […]