The basic tenets of trade, exchange of goods and services, have been components of human existence and interactions during a substantial portion of our evolution. In fact, New Scientist reported in April 2005 that a group of U.S. and Dutch economists points to archaeological evidence that suggests humans specialized and traded within and between regions […]

In hard economic times, it is remarkable how management at companies of every size, type, and description declare their businesses are “getting back to basics.” Not only do they assert their people are concentrating on the nuts and bolts of running a business, they are demanding vendors follow their example. As the smooth, efficient transportation […]

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) was enacted in 1977 and has been amended twice since its introduction. In its current form, the FCPA makes it unlawful for a U.S. person to make a payment of any kind to a foreign government official for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or otherwise attempting to […]

On June 2, 2008, the United States Census Bureau published its newly revised Foreign Trade Regulations under 15 C.F.R. Part 30 in the Federal Register. The revision makes mandatory the filing of Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the Automated Export System (AES) or through AESDirect for all shipments where a Shipper’s Export Declaration (SED) is […]

Every day, urgent consignments of both dangerous and non-dangerous goods are loaded on board aircraft and flown as cargo to their destination, thus reducing journey time to hours instead of days or even weeks by road and/or sea.
Air travel is used extensively both for business and leisure purposes, and, to ensure the safety of the […]

American cattlemen have long understood the need to add as much value as possible to every animal we produce. Operating in a free market — free of subsidies and safety nets — is a trademark of the U.S. cattle industry. While we wouldn’t have it any other way, this type of business requires great innovation […]

In today’s rapidly expanding global economy, we are witness to an international arena that has no bounds, yet is tempered by concerns for national security. As businesses streamline their processes and develop innovative ways to tap new markets, having an export compliance program is not only important, but necessary.
Senior level management and executives need to […]

Global companies with both export and import cargo shipments are finding the rules of international trade are changing almost constantly. Security regulations are shifting with every new whim of the TSA, jet and bunker fuel costs are going through the roof, and shippers are finding a number of air and ocean routes suffer from too […]

When the Monte dei Paschi Bank of Sienna, the fourth largest bank in Italy today, issued the first Letter of Credit in 1646, it could not have anticipated the role that this financial instrument would come to play in global trade. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the dollar volume of trade has doubled […]

Supply chain professionals at multi-national corporations tell us at Target Logistic Services that senior management support is among the most crucial components of a successful logistics program. We have been sounding out our customers at corporations both on the import and export side (and often both) to ascertain the role senior management plays in deciding […]