Proponents list a host of benefits from FTAs, including:

- Expanded access to markets for both goods and services

- Greater protection of intellectual property rights

- Growth in jobs that would accompany the opening of new markets

Taking this into consideration, Management Dynamics offers a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) management solution that provides solicitation and qualification in order to determine if a company’s product is eligible for preferential treatment. This can have a significant impact on the applicable duties for their products resulting in reduced total landed costs.

To learn more about the Free Trade Agreement Solution, read the full press release here.

Global trade involves an array of compliance and operational issues that small businesses are aware of but either don’t fully comprehend, or don’t have the right resources and expertise to properly deal with.  To tackle these issues and automate (and streamline) trade compliance, more and more companies are turning to Software as a Service (SaaS) models.  Such SaaS models are appealing to SMBs because of their affordability and ease of use as on-demand, pay as you go export management and compliance solutions. 

According to Nathan Pieri, VP of Marketing and Product Management at Management Dynamics, the main challenge for SMBs is organizing their approach to globalization; both understanding the rules and regulations, and setting up an environment where they can comply with export laws.  Management Dynamics recently released an Export On-Demand solution that helps SMBs automate and manage all aspects of global trade initiatives, including: product classification, restricted party screening, and license management. 

For more information, check out the full article.

During the one-hour webinar, key industry experts will discuss the market dynamics driving importers to consider this strategy, and Management Dynamics customer Leggett & Platt will share their success story. Other topics will include:

- The benefits of integrating logistics and compliance
- Challenges importers will have to overcome
- The key role technology plays
- Actionable advice for importers exploring this idea

Register today!

In advance of the webinar, the webinar organizers ask that you please tweet your questions to Management Dynamics or World Trade on Twitter so they can be sure all questions are included.

From the WorldTrade Magazine description:

“Earlier this year, the world’s largest retailer announced projected cost savings of 5 – 15% by product category with an expanded direct import program.

While retailers, consumer goods companies and most global manufacturers have been importing for years, there is renewed interest in understanding all of the elements of a direct import program and the opportunity areas that can drive new supply chain efficiencies and boost product profitability.

The Direct Import Webinar will take a look at the foundation technologies for a direct import program, explore the implementation options by working with a global logistics provider, and discuss a number of successful case studies.

During this webinar, you will hear from a panel of industry experts to better understand how to:

• Optimize sourcing strategies across procurement, logistics and trade  compliance
• Better manage compliant orders with suppliers and plan shipments
• Coordinate origin logistics and reduce transportation spend
• Automate pre-clearance and reduce delays through Customs
• Monitor and manage global fulfillment issues to accelerate cash-cash cycles”

Click here for more details and to register for the webinar!

The ability to ensure regulatory compliance, conduct landed-cost comparisons with multi-country sourcing scenarios, and reduce duty payments almost anywhere in the world gives BD a decided competitive advantage, said Director of Supply Chain Management, Asia-Pacific Warren Cohen

Global organizations face challenges in their operations as trade regulations and customs requirements can vary dramatically across regions. Keeping these laws straight it of utmost importance, especially for a company like Becton Dickinson who researches, manufactures, and distributes highly-regulated medical products.

BD embarked on a trade compliance initiative to ensure trade compliance among their business units as well as on-boarding companies which they acquire.

The first step was to conduct an audit of existing processes, followed by benchmarking against other companies. BD then formed a GTM team that prepared a value-stream map for each region and developed new trade compliance processes. After selecting a software package, the team implemented formal trade-compliance training and a reporting structure for each region. The software itself is being rolled out in phases, starting with restricted-party screening.

Read the complete article at DC Velocity: Consistent trade compliance, step by step.

On October 22-23rd, trade compliance experts in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industry will gather in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia for updates and best practices for importing and exporting their products while remaining compliance with CBP, BIS, and the FDA.

Featured speakers include:

• FDA Address - FDA Perspective on Importing Products in 2010
• Domenic J. Veneziano, CDR, U.S. Public Health Service, Director Division of Import Operations and Policy, Food and Drug Administration
• Keynote Address – Global Trade Compliance and the ‘Trusted Trader’ Concept”
• Marianne Rowden, President & CEO, American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI)
• Bradd M. Skinner, Director, C-TPAT/ Industry Partnership Programs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• Craig Thurber, Section Chief, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, IPR Center, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

For additional information and to register, please visit the Center for Business Intelligence, who is hosting the conference.

You can also get additional details in their press release.

Leading Medical Technologies Company Automates Trade Compliance

A leading medical technologies company ships products from over 145 locations and faced an increasingly complex supply chain spanning international borders, time zones and multiple regulatory environments. And with subsidiaries, suppliers, distributors, manufacturing facilities, carriers, brokers, and customers located all over the globe, operations were fragmented and difficult to manage.

By automating trade compliance, the company:

• Streamlined its global trade compliance process
• Minimized fines by improving licensing accuracy and efficiency
• Reduced cycle time by preventing shipment delays
• Increased visibility and availability of data between trading partners and business units
• And, reduced risk by complying with country specific regulations

Learn how this Fortune 500 company achieved these results.

And, the best part? Customizable RSS Feeds! You can select the affected trading partner, country/trade region, and the specific industry to make an RSS feed based on your own interests. So, if you’re a Macedonian musical instrument-maker exporting within the EU, you can have your very own RSS feed.

Or you can go the “old-fashioned” route and get customized email alerts too.

To read the complete alert and learn which items are effected, visit International Trade Law News.

Of course, if you have automated your export compliance you already have this covered.

Also interesting is the similar themes across global trade compliance enforcement. Seems like everyone trying to export technology to the frequently sanctioned countries (Iran, North Korea, etc) gets busted. Take this person, for example:

“According to various newspaper report, the president of small trade house in Tokyo, Toko Boeki, and the president of two other companies who cooperated with Toko Boeki were arrested in violation of Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law (“FEFTL”) by attempting the export of magnetic measuring devices supposedly to North Korea via Myanmar and Malaysia.

A magnetic measuring device is considered as dual-use item which can be used for development and manufacturing of missile. Any of news report don’t indicate the ECCN for this device, and reported as violation of Catch-all control. In Japanese classification, it is reported as Category 16 in Export Trade Control Order Appendix I, which covers almost all general industrial goods except food and wooden products. “

Export Compliance:

Ensure you and your customers are not exporting to countries embargoed by the US, UN, EU, Canada, Japan, and more. Learn more in this 3-minute video: Introduction to Automating Export Compliance.