Paper IOR vs Operational IOR: Why the Difference Could Cost You Your Shipment
Every month, companies around the world book an IOR service without knowing the choice they are really making, move their goods, and discover at the destination port that the IOR they appointed has no genuine standing to import their product in that country. The customs declaration names an entity that does not hold the required […]
How to Import Medical Devices Without Local Entity: The Complete IOR Guide for 8 Key Markets
Every organisation expanding its global medtech footprint faces the same question: can we import medical devices without local entity registration in every destination market? The answer in most markets is yes, provided you appoint a specialist Importer of Record with established regulatory standing in each destination country. Medical devices carry a compliance burden that standard […]
Container Price Fixing 2026: DOJ Indicts CIMC, Singamas, Dong Fang and CXIC: What Every Importer Must Know
On May 19, 2026, the container price fixing 2026 indictment was unsealed by the US Department of Justice, explaining something every importer had lived through but could not fully account for: why container prices doubled, then tripled, then stayed elevated long after pandemic demand subsided. The answer, according to federal prosecutors, was not market forces. […]
China Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law 2026: What Every Importer of DG From China Must Know
On May 1, 2026, the China hazardous chemicals safety law 2026 came into force. Passed by the 19th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on December 27, 2025, it is China’s first standalone law dedicated to the safety management of hazardous chemicals across their entire lifecycle. For companies importing goods […]
IMDG Amendment 42-24: China Dangerous Goods Shipping Rules Are Live : What Every Importer Must Know
On January 1, 2026, IMDG Amendment 42-24 became mandatory for all ocean freight shipments worldwide. For companies importing battery-powered products, electric vehicles, e-bikes, e-scooters, lithium batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and energy storage systems from China, this is not a minor technical update. It is a structural change to how every one of those shipments must be […]
How to Import Into a New Country Without Setting Up a Legal Entity
Every year, thousands of companies face the same question when expanding internationally: do we need to set up a local company before we can import? Most of them make the same assumption at the start: before we can import goods, we need to set up a local company. They spend three to six months on […]
Section 232 Full Customs Value 2026: The April Change That Rewrote Every Metal Importer’s Duty Bill
On April 2, 2026, President Trump issued the section 232 full customs value 2026 proclamation, fundamentally restructuring how Section 232 national security tariffs are calculated on imports of steel, aluminium, and copper products into the United States. The proclamation, published in the Federal Register on April 7, 2026, took effect at 12:01 AM EDT on […]
US Port Strategy 2026: Why Importers Are Shifting Cargo From West Coast to Gulf and East Coast
Twenty years ago, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled 50% of all US container imports. By 2023 that share had fallen to 33%. By 2025, LA and Long Beach processed 10.1 million TEUs combined but their share of total US container traffic continued to erode as Houston, Savannah, Virginia, Charleston, and New […]
Trans-Pacific Freight Rates May 2026: Why Costs Are Up 37% and What Importers Must Do Now
The trans-Pacific freight rates May 2026 surge has pushed 33% to 37% month on month from April. A 40-foot container from China to a US West Coast port now costs between USD 3,015 and USD 3,685. A 20-foot container runs USD 2,475 to USD 3,025. Air freight to the US has firmed to USD 8.06 […]
How to Calculate Landed Cost: The Complete Guide for Every Importer
Every business that imports goods internationally needs to know how to calculate landed cost before making any procurement decision. The question before it can make a sound procurement decision: what is the true total cost of getting these goods from the supplier’s factory to my warehouse? The answer is the landed cost. Knowing how to […]