All transportation rates will remain high, maybe go higher
Every source we read projects continuing high transportation rates in all modes: ocean, air, trucking, rail, and warehousing. While labor shortages are the main limiting factor, material shortages are exacerbating the problem. In addition to not being able to hire workers, factories can’t get raw materials timely or in sufficient quantities, which affect delivery of new trucks, trailers, and containers, which lengthens any recovery. Worse, these sources are now projecting a recovery in late 2022, and a few even into 2023! Please place your orders as far in advance as possible, and expect delays once they are shipped. Our staff will help in every possible way to expedite your shipments, but given the current chaos in the supply chain, we can only do so much.
CBP Forced Labor Enforcement Actions (From CBP)
ED. Note: This is a focus area for CBP this year!
CBP implements 19 U.S.C. §1307 through issuance and enforcement of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) and findings to prevent merchandise produced in whole or in part in a foreign country using forced labor from being imported into the United States.
CBP encourages stakeholders in the trade community to closely examine their supply chains to ensure goods imported into the U.S. are not mined, produced, or manufactured, wholly or in part, in a foreign country with prohibited forms of labor, i.e., convict, forced, or indentured labor under penal sanctions. Consider the resources below as starting places:
• The U.S. Department of Labor’s Comply Chain tool provides guidance on setting up a social compliance system.
• KnowTheChain is a resource for businesses and investors who need to understand and address forced labor abuses within their supply chains. https://knowthechain.org/
• CBP’s Informed Compliance Publication, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know: Reasonable Care provides guidance on the use of reasonable care in entering merchandise.
For more information, please go to
https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2020-Feb/icprescare2017revision.pdf
Online “phishing” scams
We are seeing significantly increased incidents of “phishing” and other online scams where the sender will use a similar, but not exact email address of the proposed sender, and request you click on the embedded link. This link takes you into the dark web where your personal information can be at risk if you give it out. For example, just yesterday, I got an email from
American Express notice@amerexpressalert.com
saying my AMEX card had been compromised and to click on the link to ”verify your information”. First, I don’t have an AMEX card, so I knew it was a scam. Next, please note the domain address, “amerexpress…”, not “AmericanExpress”. Again, the scammers will use a similar but not exact address. I did not click on the embedded link, but I am sure if I had, they would have asked for personal information they could use later to try to steal my identity. PLEASE be aware of these scams and exercise considerable caution!