About TradeEdge

TradeEdge is a practical freight forwarding and import/export education resource written by Jason Kim — a logistics professional with over 15 years of hands-on experience managing international freight operations across three of the world's most important trade hubs.

About the Author

Jason Kim has worked in international freight forwarding since 2010. His career spans nine years in Los Angeles, six and a half years in Frankfurt, Germany, and his current role as a Branch Manager in the Chicago area — giving him direct operational experience across the two most important US import gateways and one of Europe's largest cargo hubs.

Jason is not a licensed customs broker. He is an operational freight forwarding professional who has coordinated thousands of international shipments, worked side by side with licensed customs brokers on every major trade lane, and managed freight through some of the most disruptive events in modern supply chain history — including the 2021-2022 LA/LB port crisis, the 2024 East Coast ILA labor action, and multiple peak season congestion events at major US gateways.

Operational Experience — Airports

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — 9 years managing air import and air export operations on trans-Pacific and transatlantic lanes
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) — 6.5 years in Frankfurt, one of Europe's largest cargo hubs, coordinating European manufacturer shipments into the US market
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) — current operations as Branch Manager in the Chicago area

Operational Experience — Seaports

Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach (LA/LB) — 9 years working the busiest import gateway in the United States, including direct experience managing shipments through the 2021-2022 congestion crisis when over 70 vessels were queued offshore
Port of Hamburg — Germany's largest seaport, coordinated during Frankfurt tenure
Port of Rotterdam — Europe's largest seaport, coordinated during Frankfurt tenure
Port of Antwerp — Belgium's principal container terminal, coordinated during Frankfurt tenure
Port of Bremerhaven — major German container gateway, coordinated during Frankfurt tenure

Areas of Expertise

Ocean freight — FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) operations
Air freight — chargeable weight, MAWB, HAWB, and air cargo documentation
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) procedures and documentation requirements
HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) code classification and duty rate analysis
Incoterms 2020 — operational application across all 11 rules
Demurrage, detention, and port fee management
ISF (Importer Security Filing) compliance and CBP audit response
Customs broker coordination and entry management
Trans-Pacific and transatlantic trade lane operations
Peak season logistics planning and port congestion management

Why TradeEdge Exists

After fifteen years managing freight operations, Jason noticed a consistent pattern: importers and exporters — especially those new to international trade — were making expensive decisions based on incomplete information. They did not know what a CBP customs exam would cost them. They did not know that demurrage clocks start running before their container is even available for pickup. They did not know that the Incoterm their supplier chose was shifting risk onto them in ways they had not agreed to.

TradeEdge exists to give importers and exporters the operational knowledge they need before their cargo moves — not after a problem has already become expensive. Every article on this blog is written from real freight forwarding experience, not from research or aggregation. The case studies are real. The numbers are real. The mistakes are ones Jason has personally watched importers make across fifteen years and three continents.

Editorial Standard

TradeEdge publishes practical, experience-based guidance for importers, exporters, and logistics professionals. All content is written by Jason Kim from direct operational experience. Case studies are drawn from real shipment situations with identifying details anonymized to protect client confidentiality. TradeEdge does not publish speculative content, political opinion, or information that could not be verified against CBP regulations, carrier tariffs, or established trade law.

TradeEdge is not a licensed customs brokerage. Nothing published on this blog constitutes legal, financial, or customs compliance advice. For active shipment needs and formal customs entry filing, work with a licensed customs broker (CHB) in your area.

Contact

For questions about freight forwarding, customs, Incoterms, HTS codes, demurrage, or any other topic covered on TradeEdge, contact Jason Kim at tarsis.global@gmail.com.

For instant answers to freight and customs questions 24 hours a day, visit Tarsis AI — a free AI-powered logistics assistant built on 15 years of real freight forwarding experience. No sign-up required.