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Take advantage of the services offered by
our
new
U.S. freight office
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Our office in Buffalo now offers both freight and customs brokerage services. |
We are very proud to announce an important milestone in our company’s 66 year history, with the official launch of U.S. freight services at our Buffalo, New York location.
Having operated as a U.S. customs broker since 2009, this expansion enables us to offer our U.S. and Canadian based clients a wider range of cross-border and international freight services, helping them to reduce freight costs and optimize transit times. With the recent approval of our FMC License, we are now authorized by the Federal Maritime Commission to operate as a licensed Ocean Freight Forwarder and a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) in the U.S..
Moreover, we have made a key staff addition with the hiring of Lisa Fertita, General Manager – Freight Services, a new position created to manage our U.S. freight operations (seeAtYourService for more details).
“We are incredibly excited about the potential for our Buffalo office, especially in the light of the positive forecasts for the future growth of the U.S. economy, Canada’s largest trading partner,” says Chris Barnard, Vice President – Projects & Market Development.
Don’t book your next U.S. freight shipment until you have checked out the many ways we can help you save time and money. Contact Chris Barnard by email or phone, (905) 882-4880, ext. 229, to learn more about the client benefits we can offer by having a full-service office in Buffalo, a key international trade and logistics gateway within 500 miles of 40% of the continental North American population.
Why being eManifest compliant matters
All truck transportation carriers employed by Universal Logistics are eManifest compliant – an
important consideration because non-compliance means the carrier will be delayed or turned back to the U.S., effective January10,2016.
For more information, contact William Sanchez, Manager – Truck Services.
New Canadian import policy for U.S. pet foods
After consulting with the Canadian pet food industry, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) have announced the following changes to regulatory requirements for pet food, containing animal or animal products, made in the U.S. and exported to Canada:
- U.S. exporters will now have the option of obtaining a multiple-shipment zoosanitary export certificate. This certificate will cover all exports to Canada within a 7-day period and be valid for 30-days from the first departure date.
Implementation will begin September 1, 2015, at which time the zoosanitary export certificates will be endorsed by the USDA-APHIS based upon notarized affidavits from pet food manufacturers. On July 1, 2016, Phase II will begin where USDA-APHIS will endorse zoosanitary export certificates based upon inspection and approval of exporting facilities.
Exporters will still have the option of obtaining single-shipment export certificates, however, the new multiple-shipment certificates are expected to significantly reduce paperwork for exporters and the USDA-APHIS. Similar regulations for Canadian pet food producers are being developed by the USDA-APHIS in conjunction with the CFIA.
For more information, contact Brian Rowe, General Manager – Customs Consulting Services.
Harmonized System (HS) Classification for Exports
Exporters need to correctly report the Harmonized System (HS) classification for all shipments requiring submission of an Export Declaration.
Export HS Classifications must be reported asfollows:
- If you are reporting electronically, using the Canadian Automated Export Declaration (CAED) system or the G7 Electronic Data Interchange Export Reporting system, you must use the 8-digit Canadian Export Classification code.
- If you are reporting on paper (Form B13a), you may use either the 8-digit Canadian Export Classification code, or the 10-digit Canadian Import HS Code; both are considered valid until further notice.
Regardless of the method of reporting, you must ensure that the classification code you provide accurately describes your goods. The CBSA is monitoring the use of classification codes, and Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPS) could be issued to exporters in cases where the classification code is inaccurate.
To avoid potential AMPS penalties, we can provide an Export Classification service complete with electronic CAED export reporting for clients utilizing our Export Freight Services.
For more information, contact Brian Rowe, General Manager – Customs Consulting Services.
Gaining new insights on how to sell to China
A team of three Universal Logistics employees attended a “Think Asia, Think Hong Kong” conference, held June8 in Toronto. Our attendees, Mark Glionna, Vice President – Client Relations, Cathy Fong, Manager – Freight Pricing and JohnLeis, Manager – Client Relations, sat in on three different sessions, including one on Selling to China and throughout Asia.
The conference was organized to promote Hong Kong’s role as Asia’s central business district and the global gateway to China.
For more information, contact John Leis, Manager – Client Relations.
Is your product being targeted for Trade Verification?
Now is the time to confirm that your products are not on the recently released list of customs compliance verification priorities for 2015. Here are just some of the business categories and products that are being targeted for trade verification for the 2nd half of2015:
- Bicycle Parts
- Articles of Plastics (H.S. Heading 39.26)
- Articles of Iron or Steel (H.S. Heading 73.26)
- Vices and Clamps
- Parts of Machinery (H.S. Heading 84.31)
A second round of classification audits is planned for products such as non-domestic use furniture, disposable gloves, spectacle lenses and safety headgear.
Clients of Universal Logistics are notified on a commodity basis to be prepared for a potential verification, while transactions of subject goods are reviewed by our Customs Consulting Services team to ensure compliance.
If your company is not using Universal Logistics for customs brokerage – and you are unsure about your level of customs compliance – now is the time to ask for a free SMART Customs Review, available exclusively from Universal Logistics.
For more information, contact Brian Rowe, General Manager – Customs Consulting Services.
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This port is a popular
destination for cruise ships |
Can you name this ancient port?
This mystery port dates back to ancient times when it began as a small fishing village. It quickly grew into one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean.
- A key centre of trade since ancient times.
- A dense network of canals once connected warehouses to the port – today freight moves over road, rail and air links.
- Located close to the western coast of Tuscany.
- Goods imported from this port include crude mineral oils, coal, cereals, phosphates and fertilizers, silica sand, and metal minerals; exported goods include mineral and derived oils, marble, plate glass, wine, tomato preserves, olive oil, sodium carbonate and sodium hydrate, and copper and its alloys.
- Suffered extensive damage during the Second World War.
- Close to the city considered the birthplace of the Renaissance.
- Home of a large shipbuilding yard and smaller yards for ship repair.
 Click here to see the answer
For more information about freight to/from this port, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – FreightSolutions.
Clarifying the limitations of Incoterms
Don’t make the mistake of assuming Incoterms define anything other than the terms of delivery. For example, Incoterms do not cover:
- The transfer of property rights in the goods.
- Relief from obligations and exemptions from liability in case of unexpected or unforeseenevents.
- Consequences of various breaches of contract, except those relating to the passing of risks and costs when the buyer is in breach of their obligations to accept the goods.
At Your Service: Lisa Fertita, General Manager – Freight Services
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Lisa Fertita, General Manager – Freight Services
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With the recent hiring of Lisa Fertita as General Manager – Freight Services at our Buffalo office, we now offer freight forwarding and customs brokerage in the U.S..
Lisa holds an FMC Ocean Transportation Intermediary License, which authorizes us under the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)to operate as a licensed Ocean Freight Forwarder and a Non-Vessel – operating Common Carrier (NVOCC).
Lisa, who was raised in Buffalo and now lives with her family in Virginia Beach, was lured back to her old hometown by the opportunity to join our growing U.S. office.She is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Virginia, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Maritime Supply Chain Management.
Lisa can be reached by phone (716) 882-4100, ext. 1002 or email.
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