GLOBAL COMMERCE TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE

New Year in the Port of Virginia

2012-01-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012. After a better 2011, 2012 looks promising at the start. In attending several events over the past few weeks, we have noted that activity in our industry is on the rise. In the port of Virginia, for example, had its best December ever in terms of total volume handled at the port. In a report given this week, the last three months at the Port of Virginia, have been on the upswing and that indicates that a positive trend is in view on the horizon.

Opportunities exist all throughout this fine port. The addition and investment in the rail road operations to feed southern and Midwest locations not previously being competitive destinations for our fine port. Now, starting in 2012, additional business should come with the investments in an inland port location and inland rail head additions, with the combination of a port capable of handling the largest vessels coming through the Panama Canal.

Finally, the international shipping and maritime workforce of Virginia...here, there is the existence of maritime studies and international education programs by fine universities in Virginia that are turning out highly educated, trained and tested new potential employees to compliment the fine tradition of well trained and cooperative waterfront staff and a tradition of educated and experienced maritime and shipping business professionals in this fine state.

So, looking for a place to start up an import/export shipping business, forwarding business, NVOCC, Small Carrier or Logistics operation, this is the port, the state and the location that supports and promotes your success in this industry.

If you would like more details on starting a business or location in Virginia, send us a message and we can guide you on what information to read, where to go for support and what to do to get started. information@artemus.us

Have a great 2012!

Artemus Transportation Solutions is deploying new online transportation, shipment management and trade compliance products that adapt to all devices, browsers and third party systems in addition to meeting all the US Customs and Canadian Customs trade compliance requirements, including the upcoming changes for both Customs organizations. Artemus TS is part of the early adopters group in both cases.

ARTEMUS OUT!

Global Expansion - How do you do it as a small shipping business?

2011-12-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Over the last few months, our staff and I have attended many seminars, lectures, forums and speaking opportunities regarding the expansion of your business into a global market. Most of these events are focused on manufacturing or distribution but they can also be applied to service and global shipping service networks.

So, are you a small NVO/FF, Importer or Exporter looking to expand globally? Well, this can be done and you might be surprised as to how this can be done and what is available. First, let me speak about the State of Virginia....(probably the same is available in any state)

State of Virginia has organizations like Export VA or Yes Virginia, or even VA Economic Development that provides free support to businesses that are looking to hook up overseas and expand. Most recommend a relationship, like a local distributor or sales organization that is already on the ground in the local area you want to get into.

There are also US Based sales representatives, representing a country, a port, or municipalities that will help introduce your business to like businesses or potential clients to expand your reach as a business...again, all FREE!

Finally, most states and the federal government have mission trips, trips where you pay a fee and the organization, local, state or federal, that will set up meetings with potential clients, partners and distributors, tailor made for your organization.

Yes, much of what is written here is "general" but there are specifics in each area that we can provide for you if you are interested. But, there are many cases where a small business has "blown open" their revenue line just by getting into one of these programs, making an outreach to an organization that can help and that these mission trips can be direct hits to expand your business and outreach.

Our organization here in Virginia is setting a strategic goal for 2012 to exploit all these opportunities available and let's see how it works for us.

If you want to discuss this further, please reach out to us and look for our new website, twitter feed, blog post and new software and online training products, being updated and deployed as we write this.

Have a great holiday season and we look forward to 2012...hope you will have a great year too.

ARTEMUS OUT!

Fees - Fees - Fees and More Fees

2011-11-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

Good Day - all the talk in transportation for the public is the amount of money airlines and even banks are making millions on fees. Fees for baggage, fees for the use of services provided by the service provider and as you all know, in the maritime business, we have surcharges, port fees, documentation fees, even fees to use the live customer service line instead of booking or using the online services provided by carriers and freight intermediaries.

One good way to avoid fees is to get to know the details of the business and in doing so, do more yourself. In international cargo shipping, you really need to understand the business in detail to avoid many fees.

Documentation fees, for example...many exporters and importers can avoid many of these fees by doing certain processes themselves. Exporters can file their own AES or Ex Dec. Importers can do their own cargo customs reporting, to avoid paying brokers to do this for them. Intermediaries can file their own AMS and ISF for their shipments and avoid this charge from the carriers. Exporters and Intermediaries can electronically send in bookings to Ocean carriers without even picking up the phone.
Understanding the details of how the business works and doing more yourself can avoid some fees that do add up over time. These are also places where, if you are a carrier, freight forwarder, broker, importer or exporter, that you can add to your own revenue stream by doing these services for your clients.

Yes, this is a self serving post because Artemus does provide training in how to "do it yourself" We even have a class coming up in Virginia Beach VA on November 28 that will review all the critical shipping process and give you the tools to "do it yourself". If your not local, the same class is available online.

Artemus also provides software, systems and support to provide you with the tools and training needed to take your service under your own control, save money and hopefully provide more profit to your bottom line.

The bottom line is that the more you know about the process or service you are working with, the more you can ultimately save money by doing more yourself.
And yes, TECHNOLOGY is key here so give us a call and ask us how we can help! 866-744-7101

Artemus OUT!

BONDS - Can't live without them nor would you want to

2011-10-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

Surety Bonds, Carrier Bonds, Continuous Bonds, Importer Bonds, Broker Bonds, James Bonds..we have heard them all in the shipping industry. Does anyone know the purpose of a bond? What about the history and why these are such an important part of our industry.

Giving credit to Wikipedia for information contained within, Bonds can be traced back to 2700 BC. Yep. before the birth of Christ, the BOND existed (it came before the SCAC Code). You can thank our own bad behavior for the existance of a bond. As simply defined...The Bond ensures the obligator pays the obligatee and protects the contract of carriage for cargo. In the business of Artemus, our clients need bonds to transact with Customs, in several countries, not just the US.

Most of our clients start off with an Importer Bond...to mainly cover the obligations of paying duty and taxes for imported goods. Then, our clients obtain a carrier bond or continuous bond to allow their ability to transact with Customs and meet all requirements of those transactions. Although many of our clients can obtain a bond with corporate financials and proper corporate structure, a small number of clients are required to obtainer a letter of credit from their bank to back the bond amount or provide personal guarentees. Artemus referes clients to bond underwriting company's who work with us all the time and support our initial set up process and therefore giving our clients a step up in the process of securing the neccesary bonds.

The bond underwriting business is a $3.5 Billion dollar business each year. There are many other types of bonds not related to international trade but in order to transact with Customs, trade into and out of the US as well as provide contracts of carriage for cargo under your company's Bill of Lading, a bond is a neccesary and comforting part of the process. In short, they protect you and therefore make a lot of sense for the security and safety of cargo and your business

Don't sweat the Bonds, we can help you get them and our partners are very eager and anxious to assist. If they writing more bonds, that means more cargo is flowing, more providers are sprouting up and in short, our economy is growing...which are all good things.

Until next time, Artemus OUT!

Does investment in Technology or Service give you an advantage?

2011-09-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Technology or Service - Some say they can be one in the same but the experience in our industry would argue that they are very different. Service is the interaction with the client (your people)...the alerts, the phone calls, the emails, the overtime hours getting the job done. Technology supports service but so many use Technolgy as a "service" or more specifically, "self service"

The way we see it here at Artemus is that service is and always will be human interaction with the customer. The "may I help you", or "would you like me to call you when.....". or even "there has been an issue with your shipment, we did X and all is back on track". or, "I'll do that for you" That's service.

Our clients are telling us that to compete, they need access to better systems and technology, they need to move, send, received and provide more information. But none of them ask us to make technology replace them. The small to medium size carrier or freight intermediary wants to be close to the client. They need the phone, the want to talk to them but they want the ability to proactively advise and service them, update them, counsel them or even replace much of the time consuming work they perform with smart technology applications and smart process improvements.

NONE of the client of Artemus ask us to find the most advanced technology for them so that they can replace their service with it.

The final facts are these...in international shipping, service will always be what makes you successful and technology will hopfully go from a mentality of "serve yourself" to let us serve you better and in doing so, technology will make our clients better service providers and also make them more profitable.

So, does an investment in technology or service give you an advantage? The investment in service, which includes people first and technology second, gives you an advantage and if you invest in people first, then the investment in technology should make you more profitable.

Artemus OUT!

ECONOMY BAD? BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS BUT.......

2011-06-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

Exports from the US are up....how far up? RECORD LEVELS. Yes, that is what I said, RECORD LEVELS. Consider the details in this press release of FACTS from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.....April 2011, the US Exported goods and services of $175.6 Billion...the largest one month total...EVER RECORDED! Yes, thats the facts.

In addition to that..Exports are up 16% over last year. The trade deficit, (Exports to Imports) is down $47 Billion. So, that means we are exporting more and either staying constant or probably reducing our imports. Isn't that a good thing? Long Term loan guarentees on exports is up 34% so even the banks see a trend that is growing. Who is buying more from the US? Let's see, there is Turkey, South Africa, Panama, Taiwan, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia...wait...Hong Kong and Indonesia? I thought we imported a lot from them. Nice to see they are starting to return the favor!

WOW, check this out...our current President made a campaign promise of doubling our exports by 2014. Everyone, including those in this blog, had a great chuckle. BUT, the facts are that at the current annual increase rate of 16.7% we are on today, we will meet that goal since we only need to have an annual increase of 15% year over year when he took office to double it.

But, why doesn't anyone talk about this? Why doesn't that have an impact on unemployment rates in the US? Why is all of a sudden, Manufacturing is cool and upcoming? Well, you'll have to return here next month to get those answers.

TECHNOLOGY IN TRADE - YES, WE ARE BEHIND!

2011-05-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Technology usage in international transportation and trade is a must. One of the oldest industries is one of the slowest to ditch the paper and go "e". E-Commerce is an old term that is now be replaced by terms like "cloud", "virtual", "flash", "beam" etc etc. Moving information without even a file or just a transfer through blue tooth, beaming, place in a virtual environment.

But in international shipping, why can't we ditch the paper and go "E" in total.

Example....a Bill of Lading....still in so many places in the US, you have to present it to get cargo...why can we just show up and beam the information to you? Why can't I upload it to you from a flash drive....or why can I just send you one of these QR Code things on email or from my hand held device or smart phone?

Got a smart phone? Click on the image below and scan it with a smart phone app bar code scanner....You'll see what I mean!

I could put all the information in a Bill of Lading and store it on a little image like this....so when I scan it with my smart phone, it loads my system and WHOOSH...no data entry, no paper, nothing?

Why can't we get over it and lose the paper!

So many other industries, even RETAIL can keep inventorys with bar codes and scanners....I can use my smart phone, scan a bar code and get an instant BEST PRICE for an item with walking

distance...within seconds! Why can't the shipping industry DITCH THE PAPER and go totally "E"

At Artemus in 2011, our clients will have that option....and provide their clients with electronic transfer of shipment data, automatic upload and download to avoid data entry and state of the art communication abilities to lessen the time it takes to do the work and provide their clients with high end services in a totall web based, cost effective manner.

Artemus clients are going "E", why can't the rest of the industry go "E" in total for all transacting?

Cheers!

TECHNOLOGY IN TRADE - YES, WE ARE BEHIND!

2011-05-23T15:17:00.001-07:00

But in international shipping, why can't we ditch the paper and go "E" in total.

Got a smart phone? Click on the image below and scan it with a smart phone app bar code scanner....You'll see what I mean!

Why can't we get over it and lose the paper!

So many other industries, even RETAIL can keep inventorys with bar codes and scanners....I can use my smart phone, scan a bar code and get an instant BEST PRICE for an item with walking

distance...within seconds! Why can't the shipping industry DITCH THE PAPER and go totally "E"

Artemus clients are going "E", why can't the rest of the industry go "E" in total for all transacting?

Cheers!

Technology - What is the future for International Transportation and Trade?

2011-04-21T09:29:00.001-07:00

I am sure this topic has been written about over and over. The bottom line is.....the US Transportation and Trade Industry is NOT taking advantage of all that is available. Why? simple, competition!

Let me explain, in a recent speech given at Old Dominion Propeller club, the question was, where do I see the biggest opportunities for graduating college students in the Maritime Industry? I say, technology...the ability to take a work process and automate or program a product to conduct that process electronically. Why, because it makes sense, it allows electronic transfer of data, correcting mistakes automatically, control strategies for inaccurate data or data combinations, it allows electronic checking and for the sole purpose of cutting out errors and increasing satisfaction of the client....the ultimate user. So, staff would then focus on building relationships with clients and less on data entry, double entry and manual "checking". All those last things being archaic ideas.

Example - In Australia in 1999 (yes, 11 years ago) the entire import and export process of a container or piece of cargo was ELECTRONICALLY done. Yep, starting from booking over the phone, to phone recognition link to internal systems, to bringing up history, copying and updating a shipment, transmitting that shipment to transport providers, vessel planners, export documentation, terminals, customs etc. Yep, then picking up the phone and creating an ELECTRONIC appointment to delivery cargo to the terminal, which was sent to a transponder, that was read at the gate, instructions issued, information of receipt back to the carrier, which was electronically sent to planners at the terminal and the carrier and CUSTOMS and AQIS and yep, documents were released ELECTRONICALLY with electronic signatures, incripted files with password protection and oh yeah...ELECTRONIC billing and payment to the back for the shipment.

This was 1999 in Australia. Is this happening in the US today? in some places with some providers and in a few different formats but is there a standard? NOPE. Can everyone access this type of communication? NOPE. Why? Competitive Advantage.

Why can't the US International Trade Industry set some simple standards and require everyone to follow them, from the BIG TERMINALS to the small forwarders?

We have done a great job in focussing on security of cargo and national security with CSI, CTPAT, ACE etc. So, as an industry, let's focuss on being "state of the art" as a whole and not state of the art, as long as you can afford it.

Finally, Artemus will provide electronic data exchange systems to all customers of its transportation software. Visit our website www.artemus.us or call 866-744-7101 and we will show you our approach and our products and show you how affordable they are. So, be ready, get your smart phone, Iphone, computer and electronic internet device and get ready to provide your clients with state of the art service at very, very affordable prices.

Talk to you soon

Artemus OUT!

Is Transportation and Shipping Hiring again?

2011-03-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hiring, how do you know its a good time to look for a job?

Are you not happy at your current position and thinking of leaving? Let's deal with that one right now.....keep your job and make it work...at least for another 12 months!

Let's look here, in Hampton Roads Virginia. Unemployment in 2008 Feb was 3.8%. 2009 Feb, unemployment was 7.2. Now, to start the year in 2011, we have inched down to 7%. As a Nation, we are now at 8.9% but two years ago, we were at this number as a nation. If you look at port dependent states, such as New York, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Seattle, Texas and Florida, as compared to the rest of the Nation, have some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Only New York, Texas and Virginia are UNDER the national average for unemployment. WOW. Virginia is the sixth lowest in the nation! So, maybe trade is coming back here in VA, but is sure ain't looking better in most other areas, so there is still a lot to do.

In VA, more and more people with experience in specific areas, such as logistics, warehouse and distribution are finding work that have been out of work for a while. Still the larger employers of transportation jobs in Virginia are staying firm on hiring (stingy) and pushing still on productivity increases through changes in how they do business and investment in technology.

Speaking of Technology, VA is looking for experience in IT across all disciplines. More tech jobs are coming to VA and more investment in technology through Govt incentives in investment is spurring more job demand in IT.

2011, looks better than 2009 and 2010 for jobs in Transportation but it looks as though the hiring is slow and won't pick up until probably the summer of 2011, when orders start to happen for the holiday season and consumer confidence continues to rise.

Watch those gas prices and stay smart with your demand, look to invest in technology and for those looking for work, get involved with or go get some more education in IT basics.

If you want to learn more about international transportation and trade or are seeking a job in this industry and you have past experience, give us an email at information@artemus.us

Signing out for now....come back soon to see how Technology in Shipping can transform a little company into a serious international competitor!

Until next time.......I'm OUT!

Do you need to know how to properly handle hazardous cargo?

2011-02-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

From the NOAA Site - The aftermath of a March 2006 explosion of hazardous cargo on a container ship. The congressional research service estimates that more than 100,000 marine shipments of chemicals that could cause mass casualties passed through US Ports in 2003, the latest year for which data were available. The image to the left is courtesy of Royal Netherlands Navy.

So don't think you need hazardous cargo handling training? This accident was due to a clerical error. Someone, somewhere, probably unemployed now, did not class this cargo correctly. In turn, the stow planners did not stow it correctly. In turn BOOM! Here is the result.

So many in the shipping industry feel they do not need to take training to handle hazardous cargo. But, fork lift drivers have to get certified to handle HAZ Cargo, warehouse workers needs to know how to pack and placard boxes and your ship planners must understand the consequences of stowing hazardous cargo within a ocean vessel as the elements and/or motion and/or flashpoints of cargo and the location of that cargo on a vessel has serious repercussions...as illustrated above.

All of us in shipping oooh and awwe at pictures like this but maybe someone reading this post was one of those responsible for this.

As we take all the neccesary precautions to ensure safe travel on airplanes, trains, subways, and even our cars...these cargo vessels come into and out of the US in the hundreds and thousands EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Dont be the one to blame for this type of situation. If you handle hazardous cargo, do paperwork for hazardous shipments, help pack and stow this containers and cargos, get certified, get trained and let's try to avoid pictures like this from happening again, not to be forgotten, the cost of the mistake could run into the big bucks! There goes your insurance premiums!

Artemus signing off until next week.....oh what will we write about then? Come back and see!

GLOBAL COMMERCE TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE: Good Day Shipping Colleagues....Let's walk like th...

2011-02-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

GLOBAL COMMERCE TRANSPORTATION AND TRADE: Good Day Shipping Colleagues....Let's walk like th...: "(READ ON, there is a surprise at the end) As the American populations watch the middle east turmoil unfold we look to our leadership to act..."

Good Day Shipping Colleagues....Let's walk like the Egyptians.......and for one moment, imagine how it would feel

2011-02-06T12:41:00.001-08:00

(READ ON, there is a surprise at the end)
As the American populations watch the middle east turmoil unfold we look to our leadership to act...some want them to fix the problem, others complain they were "taken by surprise", some say they are doing the right thing and still others believe the US started this situation. Well, let's for one time "walk like an Egyptian"

Here are some Egyptian facts....unemployment is currently 9.4%. you might say, hey, no different than the US, but it has been between 9% and 12% in Egypt for the last 10years. Right now, the younger work force is currently running an unemployment rate of 25%. Since most of the demonstrators are the younger population, that might make sense. The national debt is 84.7% of GDP. In the US, where we replaced the party in power for reasons of our "debt" percentage increasing less than a 10th of a percent, we are currently are at HIGH of 88% debt to GDP Ratio. The US has been as high as 125% Debt to GDP and the last decrease we have was in the 1990' when we went from 70% to 60% and of course, it has shot up to 88% since 2000. This nation, Egypt, has had the same person in leadership for over 30 years, do we wonder why the revolt? Are you happy we have elections every 2-4 years now?

Look at gas prices...which have been a point discussion since the Suez Canal is controlled by Egypt. These prices have risen 3 cents a gallon since 25 Jan, when this uprising began and the future outlook is stable...meaning that most are predicting no real effect on the price of oil per barrel as most companies and people have "adapted" usage and dependence over 2 straight years of higher oil prices. The current US average gas price is $3.15 and in Egypt, it is currently $3.14 per gallon. So far, not much difference, right? Ok, how about this:

The Egyptian stock market has been closed for over a week. Most businesses in the Capital city of Cairo have been shut down. Let's compare that to the US Stock market closing for a week, most businesses in DC closing for a week...what about the ports closing for over a week? We complain when the port closes for hours but imagine, total capital city shut down of a city like New York or Los Angeles for a week. Get the picture?

Now, shipping people, what if your agent, forwarder, NVO or carrier in Egypt is not available..how does cargo get handled? How do you communicate with no internet, no cell phone for 3-4 days?

What's the purpose for this "walk in an Egyptians shoes" for just a few paragraphs...it is to point out the incredible country we live in and how our leadership, though always changing, always being criticized and always hearing whether they should do more or they should not do as much, seem to keep us from being an Egyptian. We are a free country, we have not had this type of uprising for more than 200 years and our economy, although still recovering, is showing signs of life in container volumes in and out, more positive outlook by consumers and we continue to see more OTI licenses (about 10-20 a week) being applied for. I guess many companies, including those not located in the US, continue to "bet american" as we always seem to be the place to be.

So, now that things look good and we have proven how positive the outlook is, sign up for one of our online courses or classroom courses in Feb. Mention you want to "walk like an Egyptian" and we will knock off 10% from your tuition. Get Hazardous certified this month or renew our certification and get 10% off.

Artemus....signing off!

WTF! Are You Handling Dangerous Goods?

2011-01-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck. Sounds simple doesn't it? But can you always rely on your senses when it comes to describing dangerous goods? Sure the exporter of the product must have alot of information and training to properly described, classify, and package dangerous goods, but what about YOU! Who are YOU?

YOU are the party who may be accepting the goods for transport. YOU may be accepting the goods for multiple modes of transport that may include international transportation. Do YOU know how the goods should be properly labeled, placarded, described on a shipping paper? Do YOU know what if any other goods dangerous or not can be loaded on the same transport vehicle or on the same vessel or the proper segregation that must take place on that vessel?

An example of misclassifying hazardous materials involved a shipper who failed to properly describe a class 1 material on drums that contained primary and high explosive materials. Instead they were improperly described on a hazardous waste manifest and not properly marked or labeled. Class 1 materials have specific safety, security, and vehicle routing requirements, none that were followed in this case and had an explosion occurred it could have been in a densely populated area. As it turned out there was an explosion when the drums were taken to an incinerator and they caused significant damage to the incinerator. The shipper agreed to pay a civil penalty for violiating federal hazardous materials transportation law. You can see how this could have been a much more tragic incident and could have cost lives if the drums exploded during transport or handling.

Ignorance is no excuse for accidents when it comes to handling dangerous goods. Someone's life could be in your hands. Don't be ignorant, be smart. Take a haz mat class and learn how to use a 49CFR. Learn how to properly mark, label, placard and describe dangerous goods and how to use a hazardous materials table. Someone somewhere may thank you!

Is Reporting ISF Timely a Myth?

2011-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone who is filing ISFs by now knows that they are still not seeing any monetary penalties being issued by customs. While this is a good thing, you have to ask yourself why is it being delayed? It was reported that penalities would be assessed by the fourth quarter of 2010. Is it because everyone filing an ISF is in compliance? According to the progress reports being sent out by customs the answer is no.

So what gives? We have seen numerous reports of untimely filings. The standard is that the ISF should be reported 24 hours prior to vessel loading. Customs has reported that more than 90 percent of shipments comply with this filing deadline while only 2.5 percent are rejected for being inaccurate or incomplete.

We have been told by customs that the reports on timeliness are not perfect and probably won't be. It still takes human intervention to catch errors made on these reports and customs is working to improve the problem with each new release that comes out. Meanwhile the client should be protected from fines or penalties.

Customs has under law a six-year window to find an ISF violation and issue damages. What will this mean to the importer down the road? Once all the "bugs" are worked out, will customs then proceed to go back and fine violators on past proformance? It will be interesting to see how this plays out and how the implementation of ACE will benefit filers to extract their own data for the reporting of ISFs going forward.

Check back next month for more on ACE.

Visit our site at www.artemus.us

New ISF Disposition Codes

2010-09-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

On September 10, 2010, CBP issued CSMS #10-000215 discussing the implementation of the new Importer Security Filing disposition codes. While the new codes will be functional within AMS beginning Wednesday, September 15, 2010, CBP will not begin using the new ISF Hold codes prior to November 1, 2010. This delay will give the trade a sufficient amount of time to modify their systems to receive and respond to these new holds and removals.

On July 16, 2010, CSMS #10-000169 was issued discussing the implementation of new disposition codes in AMS related to the Importer Security Filing program. On August 17, 2010, CSMS #10-000194 was issued correcting some of those codes, which are listed below. The changes described in these CSMS messages will become effective on Wednesday, September 15, 2010.

List of New ISF Disposition Codes

ISF Disposition Code / Description

ISF Disposition Code Description
2O ISF Hold for no ISF on file
2P ISF Hold for ISF Compliance Issue
2Q Do Not Load – No ISF on file
2R Do Not Load – ISF Compliance Issue
4O ISF Hold Removed for no ISF on file
4P ISF Hold Removed for ISF Compliance Issue
4Q Do Not Load Removed for no ISF on file
4R Do Not Load Removed for ISF Compliance Issue

If you have questions or comments, please contact your assigned Client Representative. For more information about Artemus Group visit our website at www.artemus.us

Top 5 AMS Filing Errors

2010-08-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Do the following errors sound familiar to anyone?
5. Bill Rejected, Bill Already on File
4. Manifest Not on File
3. No Bills Processed for Port
2. Bill of Lading Not on File

and the No. 1 problem I hear but is not listed as a customs error is..........
1. I'm missing the 1Y (this is no. 1 problem I hear from the NVO)

Let's start with no. 5, Bill Rejected, Bill Already on File

This can be more of an annoyance than an error. It can be generated just because the user is resending the same port pairs to customs everytime they add on new bills of lading to the manifest. Customs will send back the Bill Rejected, Bill Already on File message. It is a no fix error and you usually don't have to worry about it. But in some cases it can mean trouble.

Let's say your shipment missed the vessel and was rolled to another. You go into the Bill Header, change the vessel name and resend to customs and guess what? You get back "Bill Rejected, Bill Already on File". This time it really is an error. Customs is rejecting your manifest because you didn't send a delete amendment on the first vessel taking it off that manifest before you changed the vessel name.

# 4. Manifest Not on File. This error is generated when a user issues an amendment on a bill of lading that the original manifest was never accepted by customs. You should always check your original manifest is on file before you try to amend it.

# 3. No Bills Processed for Port. This error is generated when customs finds an error with either your vessel name, lloyds code, or country flag. I would say 9 times out of 10 it is the vessel name. Vessel names change but not the lloyds code, also customs may have a vessel name in their system abbreviated, not abbreviated, with or without a dash, etc. and doesn't match your sending of the vessel name EXACTLY. In that case, they will reject your entire manifest with the error message "No Bills Processed for Port". The first and easiest way to rid this error is to go to the Vessel Tables and check off the box next to the vessel name which reads Send to Customs. Leave it unchecked and leave the box next to the lloyds checked. This will send the lloyds code to customs and they will match it to the spelling of the vessel name they have on file. If this doesn't work, you will need to confirm your lloyds code and country flag. If the vessel has never called the U.S. before, then customs may be in need of more vessel details so you can contact Artemus for further assistance.

# 2. Bill of Lading Not on File. This error is sent to the ISF filer when the ISF does not match a bill on file in AMS. It could be a typo in the bill number. I have even seen incorrect SCACs sent on the ISF versus the AMS.

# 1. And the No. 1, Where is my 1Y?
All the above errors could also be the reason for your missing 1Y. That is because in all the above scenerios your AMS manifest may not even be on file. If your manifest is not on file, then of course you cannot receive a 1Y.

There is a misconception that many users have that a 1Y means your manifest is on file and this is not true. The ONLY way to confirm your AMS is on file is to check from the AMS Main Screen under Original Manifest Tracking and Show Acknowledgement to see if your bills of lading sent out were accepted or rejected by customs. You have a reference number issued by our system to match customs' response to each transmission you send out. It notes whether or not customs finds errors, how many bills are accepted, how many are rejected.

I find many users are not looking here but looking at disposition codes instead for the acceptance. Disposition codes carry over from previous transmissions and if you have a shipment that rolls from one vessel to another, the codes roll with it and that includes a previous 1Y. That 1Y doesn't mean your manifest on the new vessel however was accepted.

It is very important that users train themselves to look at the acknowledgements provided on the AMS Main Screen from customs for their confirmation that their AMS is on file and if not, the reason why. This will help them avoid penalties and cargo delays when outturned.

Please don't hesitate to contact us at Artemus if you have any questions regarding your AMS filings. Stay tuned for common errors on ISF filings coming out next.

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Security Filings on Cargo not Remaining in the U.S.

2010-06-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows by now the importer's requirements for reporting the 10 elements on cargo discharging in the U.S., but what about cargo that just transits through the U.S.? I've seen cases where cargo discharges from a vessel coming from a foreign country and then transits inland by rail and / or truck to either Canada or Mexico where the goods will be cleared by CBP at the U.S. border and the security filings are not properly reported.

There seems to be some confusion between reporting FROB (foreign cargo remaining onboard), T&Es (transportation and exportation) and I.E.s (immediate exportation) entries when it comes to the security filings. They are all reported the same. That is they have 5 elements that are required instead of the usual 10.

The difference between FROB cargo and cargo moving on a T&E or I.E. is that the FROB cargo never discharges the vessel at a U.S. port and therefore is only reported with a foreign port of discharge when filing in AMS. When reporting cargo on a T&E or I.E. in AMS, you report it under a U.S. port of discharge because the goods physically come off the vessel. They just aren't cleared by a customs broker under a consumption entry because the goods will not be sold or consumed in the U.S.

In the case of the T&E, the goods are moved through the U.S. overland to cross the border either into Canada or Mexico where they will be sold or consumed there. Sometimes they discharge one vessel and move overland to another coast to load a different vessel and go via ocean to a foreign country. Therefore the T&E is the inbond entry that will be filed with customs at the port of entry to allow the goods to leave the port to move inland without a consumption entry being filed. The T&E will note the foreign destination of the goods and customs will clear out the T&E at the border crossing or the port of exit. In the case of the I.E., the goods never leave the port of entry but still discharge the vessel. Instead of moving away from the port, the goods are loaded onto another vessel and sent foreign again. The I.E. will note the foreign destination and customs will clear the I.E. at the port of entry where the goods came in.

When reporting the 5 elements to customs on this type cargo, you must report the foreign port of unlading. This includes the foreign port that the T&E and I.E. cargo is destined to, not the U.S. port of unlading that is reported in AMS. That seems to confuse alot of users that they must show the U.S. port of unlading for the security filings but they do not.

Example #1: A shipment loads a vessel in Antwerp, Belgium that is discharging in Norfolk, VA. The goods are being moved inbond on a T&E to Montreal, Canada. The T&E will be cleared at the border in Buffalo, NY by customs. For the security filing you will show Montreal, Canada as the foreign port of unlading, not Norfolk, VA. For AMS you will show port of unlading as Norfolk, VA.

Example #2: A shipment loads a vessel in Liverpool, U.K. and discharges in New York. A T&E is issued to move the goods inland to the west coast port of Seattle, WA. where the goods load another vessel for destination Kobe, Japan. For the security filing you will report Kobe, Japan as the foreign port of unlading, not New York.

Example #3: A shipment loads a vessel in Lisbon, Portugal and discharges in Charleston, SC. An I.E. is issued to load the goods on another ship to send them to their destination in Montevideo, Uruguay. The security filing will show Montevideo, Uruguay as the foreign port of unlading, not Charleston, SC.

These are different transmissions with different requirements. I hope this helps out with some of the confusion on this.

The 5 elements are:

1) Booking Party name and address
2) Foreign port of unlading (explained above)
3) Place of delivery (city of final destination)
4) Ship to name and address
5) Commodity HTSUS number

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Import Security Filing - US Customs Bonds

2010-06-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Myth becoming a legend.......so many clients, importers especially, come to me and say, I cannot get my broker to do the ISF filing for me because they tell me I have to get a bond. They say it is required. How come I did not have to have a bond to file an AMS or ABI filing? Well, because a broker and an AMS filier live by different requirements. First of all, to make any filing, AMS, ABI or ISF, a bond is required. At a minimum, the bond is required by the company who is filing the information on behalf of another. So, let's say an Importer used to use a broker to do all import filings for them, that was ok, before because the broker had a license and a bond to cover them in cases where they needed it. For an ISF filing, the broker is requiring the bond, not US Customs. US Customs requires the FILIER to have a bond. A broker has a bond but chooses not to use it. In the case of an AMS Filing, the filier has a bond and that bond is also good to use for ISF Filings. Since the ISF filing and the AMS filing are similar...in data sets and in the overall purpose of the filing (an informational filing only) than the bond the AMS filier uses, they also use to cover the ISF filing they make on behalf of their clients.

Bottom line is that there are SO MANY options to getting your Import Security Filing done, a broker is not the only option and in most cases, is not the cheapest and the most cost effective option for an importer or a forwarder. If you want more information and proof of the above, just let us know and we can help. 100+ plus customers in 17 countries will vouch for what is written above....

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Let's Get Started - Importing Cargo into the US

2010-06-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

Are you an importer, forwarder or carrier? If so, requirements are different. Simply put, without someone "in the know" or with previous experience, this will be a search for WALDO. Today, let's first bring up National Security. For all import cargo coming into the US, even if it is staying on a carriers ship or air freight, all cargo details MUST be given to US Customs before it loads at its origin point overseas. Yep, all details..then, each shipment requires an Import Security Filing, and Automated Manifest Filing and a Customs Broker Entry. All of these can be done by the importer or by using a variety of other partners. Tune in tomorrow for more details on each.

By for now...

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