525 S. Douglas St. , #100• El Segundo, CA 90245 • (310) 607-8000

During these tumultuous times of business uncertainty, our offices continue to remain open with many employees diligently working to keep your cargo moving despite the daily issues that come with operating in logistics during a pandemic.  We have in place a dedicated team, strict protective measures and years of experience all working together to ensure continuity of service.

TARIFF EXCLUSION REFUND OPPORTUNITIES:
As the government adds more exclusions to the fourth list of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese merchandise, there are more opportunities for customers to receive refunds of tariffs they have already paid. We are filing a great deal of Post Summary Corrections and Protests to obtain these refunds for our clients and ask that you reach out to us if you feel your commodities are eligible for a refund. 
Passenger airlines ask for permission to remove seats to move more cargo
In light of the scarcity capacity and lack of passenger travel due to restrictions some passenger airlines are asking the FAA if they can remove the seats from their planes and use that space to move more cargo. The capacity is needed and a decision on this issue should be made very soon.
NEWS FROM COPPERSMITH
TIMELY PAYMENT AND TERMS:

We understand that everyone is adjusting to business in these unprecedented times. In order for our company to continue to provide quality customer services, we must continue to staff our offices. Therefore, we ask that our customers remain within their terms and pay our invoices on time, so we can continue to pay our staff and vendors. If you cannot physically cut us checks, we are now accepting payments to us by ACH (preferred), wire transfer, or by another approved electronic payment service. If you have shipments already ordered, we encourage you to contact us to review our April 1, 2020 Credit Policy and how it applies to your company. Our goal is to keep your account in good standing and your shipments moving without delay. 
Now is a great time to take advantage of the government’s Automated Clearing House (ACH) option which enables importers to pay their duties monthly on a Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS) rather than each individual shipment on a daily basis. Ask us for an application today!

We are receiving numerous requests from people wanting to help by providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, and cleaning materials to those in need. This is a noble endeavor that we applaud all people for pursuing. At the same time, it should not be viewed as an opportunity to take advantage of a bad situation. Importing these items requires shippers to do their homework to understand what types of licensing, labeling, and packaging requirements are needed by ALL the governmental regulators. Materials, usage, and origin are just a few of the questions that must be answered before you can start looking at costs for transportation, tariffs, and filing fees. 
Please refer to FDA’s COVID-19 information link below:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing a temporary rule to allocate certain scarce or threatened materials for domestic use, so that these materials may not be exported from the United States without explicit approval by FEMA. Exceptions are being made for PPE to Canada and Mexico.  The rule covers five types of PPE. While this rule remains in effect, and subject to certain exemptions stated below, no shipments of such designated materials may leave the US without explicit approval by FEMA.
Container shipping lines continue to blank sailings to stop the losses coming from a dramatic drop in consumer shopping and delays from equipment imbalances. The number of cancelled sailings rose last week from 45 to 212, according to a report by shipping consultancy Sea-Intelligence. Figures like this lead to an estimated 20 - 30% decrease in demand for ocean space. Ports and other supporting industries are also seeing huge declines in traffic.
Many shipments were already in transit when businesses in the U.S. started shutting their doors and staying home. So what should you do with your shipment while you wait for your customer to re-open? Coppersmith has our own warehouse space in Houston, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta, as well as relationships with facilities throughout the country to assist in this time of need. Storage and trans-loading rates apply, but they are small compared to the costs for storage, per diem, and rentals imposed by the carriers, terminals, and chassis owners. Ask us for a quote.
As ocean shipping demand falls, the ports servicing container ships are seeing huge losses with the decreased traffic. According to Freightwaves, "Ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Houston, Jacksonville and Charleston all report drops in March"
Northwest Sea port Alliance (NWSA) CEO John Wolfe called this event "unprecedented disruption" and expects this trend to continue well into the second quarter of the fiscal year 2020.