Trade Topics

Estimated vs. Actual Duty Costs: CBP Liquidation Explained

For new importers, or just importers who are new to importing into the US, the concept of an ‘estimated duty’ on a customs broker’s invoice for duty can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to understand. After all, how and why are duties and taxes being estimated? Aren’t they comparable to a ticket price? The short answer is no, and the process at play is one referred to as ‘liquidation.’ The way liquidation works is, essentially, that the amounts owed to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in the form of duties and taxes, remain an ‘estimate’ until they are ‘liquidated’ by CBP. This means that you pay this estimated amount, and the goods are then released. However, there is still a significant period after that during which CBP can adjust the final accounting if necessary. 

November 23, 2018

By

John Doe

12 comments

It’s Time to Renew Your Free Trade Agreement Documents

As the title might suggest, it is once again time to renew your free trade agreement (FTA) certifications, including your USCMA/CUSMA/T-MEC Certificate of Origin. If you already know what we are talking about, then just consider this a friendly reminder to get your certification in order as you’ve done in the past, and contact your broker to initiate this process as promptly as possible. Sooner is always better than later in our current trade environment.

November 23, 2018

By

John Doe

12 comments

The CBP And Cargo Abandonment

Cargo abandonment is a topic that has been on the rise of late, with increasingly frequent regulatory changes often adding additional stress or challenges on importers, leaving them in positions where sometimes hard or impossible choices need to be made.

November 23, 2018

By

John Doe

12 comments

How to Import Without De Minimis

For those who are not aware, de minimis shipping has come to an end in the US. Effective August 29, 2025, the de minimis exemption, which previously extended duty-free shipping to goods with a value of less than $800, is being suspended in an effort to address national security concerns, including the trafficking of illicit goods such as fentanyl.

November 23, 2018

By

John Doe

12 comments