The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin accepting food facility registration renewals on Oct. 1, 2022, and continue through the end of the calendar year.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted notice of an increase in user fees, effective October 1, 2022. According to the agency, this is an effort to help offset rising inflation in the country. Importers will see an increase in their U.S. Customs user fees—minimum and maximum Merchandise Processing Fees (MPF).

UPDATE (Sept 15, 2022): As of today, it seems like the rail strike threatened earlier this week has been averted through negotiations between labor unions representing the rail industry and federal labor officials. Averitt continues to monitor the situation very closely and will provide any needed updates to our customers as the situation develops.

For all the variables of international commerce – with its endless combinations of commodities, origins, and destinations – there are still some things all shippers have in common: a desire to streamline the supply chain and reduce freight costs.

On June 21, 2022, The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) took effect, effectively banning the import of all goods made in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. President Biden signed this law on December 23, 2021, after it overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress. In addition to giving the government additional tools to enforce U.S. forced labor laws, the new law includes a statutory presumption that all goods from Xinjiang are made with forced labor.

As the subject line suggests, there has been a recent (March 23, 2022) development out of the office of the US Trade Representative that offers some hope to companies that had previously been subject to exclusions to the Sec. 301 duties against China.

On March 1, 2022, the Felicity Ace sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Traveling from Germany to the U.S., the ship was carrying thousands of luxury cars from Volkswagen, including Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Bentleys. According to Reuters, without international cargo insurance coverage the financial losses could equal upwards of $155 million.

For over 15 years, the relationship between Averitt and Virco, an American manufacturer and supplier of school furniture and equipment, has continued to thrive and grow. From standard LTL services to dedicated fleet operations, and international forwarding, Averitt helps Virco deliver first-class delivery experience to schools and offices—even through the most challenging of times.