New developments in electronic filing and communications. Compliance issues and criminal liability. This course will discuss the importation requirements under the United States Customs laws and how businesses can navigate these potentially treacherous waters while taking advantage of available opportunities. Of greater personal concern, an importer may be subject to criminal penalties for the removal of the country of origin marking from imported goods. A business can register a trademark or copyright with Customs and Customs will exclude goods that infringe this trademark or copyright at the U.S. border.
Customs can be a policeman at the border to protect intellectual property rights.
The Customs laws contain various provisions that allow importers to defer, obtain a refund and even avoid the payment of Customs duties on imported goods. For example, an importer can use a Customs bonded warehouse to temporarily store imported goods without the payment of Customs duties while it finds a buyer for these goods. In addition, provisions exist that allow a business to pay a lower rate of duty on imported goods from certain countries. Goods from Canada and Mexico, for example, are subject to the lower duty rates of the North American Free Trade Agreement rather than the duty rates charged goods from other countries. This course will explain the requirements of these provisions and how a business can minimize the effect of Customs duties on its business operations.