TradeEdge

By Jason Kim · Branch Manager · 15 years in freight forwarding · Los Angeles · Frankfurt · Chicago Published on TradeEdge | Practical freight forwarding, customs, and import/export guidance written from 15 years of real logistics operations. In Fiscal Year 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recovered $26 billion in additional duty from entry summary reviews — the audits CBP conducts to confirm imported goods were correctly classified and valued. The year before, that number was $667.5 million . That is a 39× jump in twelve months . If you import into the United States and have not changed the way you classify your products, you are walking into the most aggressive customs enforcement environment in modern American trade history armed with a 10-digit code that you probably guessed. This post is the antidote. Why I'm writing this now There are roughly 11,000 licensed customs brokers in the United States. There are nearly 25,000 freight forwarders. There ar...

By Jason Kim  ·  Branch Manager  ·  15 years in freight forwarding  ·  Los Angeles · Frankfurt · Chicago Demurrage and detention are two of the most common charges that surprise importers after a container arrives. When I worked with shipments moving through Los Angeles and Long Beach, I saw many importers misunderstand one important point: vessel arrival does not mean the container is ready for delivery. Customs release, freight release, terminal availability, delivery order handling, truck appointment, warehouse receiving, and empty return all have to line up. If one step is delayed, the cargo may sit at the terminal too long, or the empty container may be returned late. That is when demurrage and detention charges begin. This guide explains the difference between demurrage and detention, why these charges happen, and what importers should check before the container arrives. Demurrage vs. Detention: Two Differen...

By Jason Kim  ·  Branch Manager  ·  15 years in freight forwarding  ·  Los Angeles · Frankfurt · Chicago Many U.S. importers source products from Asia, but not every importer understands what happens between the supplier’s factory and the final delivery in the United States. When I worked with shipments connected to Korea, Vietnam, China, and the United States, I saw the same problem many times. Importers often focused on product price and transit time, but they did not always understand the freight process, document requirements, customs timing, port availability, or delivery coordination. That gap can create delays, extra charges, and confusion after the shipment has already departed. This guide explains the practical difference between ocean freight and air freight when importing from Asia to the United States. It is written for importers who want to understand the process before they place a purchase order, not ...