Zepol’s ComplianceMonitor™ tool reported that 340 new Antidumping and Countervailing letters were released in August by the U.S. government concerning imports to the United States. There were only 42 letters released in August of last year. Some product categories involved in the letters include iron and steel, wood, paper, and food items (such as seafood and wheat). Many times these products are imported at unfairly low or subsidized prices, potentially causing harm to domestic producers.

Being aware of the most recent compliance changes is of critical importance if your company wishes to avoid potential penalties. ComplianceMonitor™ proactively alerts users of the most recent updates for your imported products, allowing you to stay up-to-date and on top of your game. Learn more today!

On September 7th, Zepol completed their August, 2011 data upload for their U.S. Customs trade data tool, TradeIQ™. Total shipments in August increased 9.79% from July, but decreased 0.65% from August of 2010. Year to date, total TEUs are up 2.35% this year over last year.

Below is a table showing port regions of the world where shipments originated:

Also known as the “golden fiber”, jute is a bio-degradable, natural fiber grown in several countries in Asia. In a recent article by BBC News, they explain the process of cultivation as well as the recent popularity of jute that has rebounded amid environmental concerns. Before the 1980s, jute was a widely-used fiber, until synthetic materials, such as plastic, were introduced. Now, worldwide demand for jute is coming back strong, and production is booming in places like Bangladesh. New uses are continuing to be discovered and there is even talk about blending jute fabric with cotton to produce denim, something that could potentially ease the recent spike in cotton prices. Below is a U.S. import trend of jute, top countries supplying jute, and top importers of the product. Data was collected using Zepol’s powerful Bill of Lading database, TradeIQ™.

       

Zepol has created this guidebook for importers, customs brokers, and trade professionals in all industries to better understand the compliance risks involved when importing products into the United States. The report provides detailed information about U.S. trade compliance statistics, audit triggers, potential penalties, and more. With audits increasing along with severe penalties for noncompliance, this guidebook is intended to ensure your company does not overlook critical steps in the import-compliance process. Click the image to the right to download the free guidebook.

This report was created in connection to Zepol’s product ComplianceMonitor™, a tool designed to track and alert users on critical U.S. import compliance changes such as duty and tariff rates, U.S. Customs rulings, antidumping actions, and more.