Minimizing duties, taxes and tariffs is one of the fastest and easiest ways to squeeze significant financial returns out of a company’s global supply chain. Yet, according to a recent SCM World Survey, most companies “only became aware of the opportunity as a result of problems that emerged as their companies increased international sales and found new sources of supply.” The result is that few companies use these tactics in making supply chain design decisions.

Twelve nations and roughly twelve issues still remain after the most recent round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations last month in Maui, Hawaii. At this stage of negotiations it is typical for only 2-3 major issues to remain, which raises questions as to whether or not President Obama will successfully reach a deal on TPP prior to leaving office.

Amber Road is excited to sponsor the FDRA Sourcing Intelligence Summit on July 22-23 in New York City. The summit will focus on footwear sourcing, factory compliance trends, and supply chain innovations to help you get your footwear to retail faster and more cost effectively.

On June 29th, President Obama signed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA-2015) bill into law. This bill is a ground-breaking step in removing trade barriers that hinder a truly free and open global economy.

The passage of TPA was vital in order to further progress towards free trade – giving the executive branch the ability to negotiate free trade agreements for the U.S. while providing a strong backing for the President to lower tariffs between Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries. This progression could save nearly $400 million a year in duties for the footwear industry alone!

Each year the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) holds an annual Legislative and Regulatory Seminar that brings NAFTZ members together with top decision makers in Washington D.C. to discuss key public policy issues affecting the Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) community. This year, Amber Road was a gold sponsor at the seminar, "FTZs: Leading the Economic Expansion – Jobs, Exports, and Investment," which highlighted the trade policy agendas of Congress and the Administration and looked at the implications of those policies on the FTZ community.

Could 2015 be the year of preferential trade agreements? We are only a few weeks in, but both President Obama and Congress have made it clear that ratifying preferential trade agreements is a top priority. With a new Republican majority in Congress and Obama hoping to solidify his legacy of expanding free trade, action on a number of trade issues is sure to be a major legislative theme this year.

In a recent SCM World survey, 58% of respondents, comprised of global manufacturers and retailers, agree that their inability to take advantage of free trade agreements is costing them a material amount today.

With the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), business relationships between North and South America have improved tremendously.

Since November of 2009 the U.S. government has been negotiating the terms of its largest and most progressive trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Comprised of 12 countries, this comprehensive accord will create vast opportunities, as well as many compliance responsibilities, for a number of U.S. industries.

Recent AberdeenGroup research found that Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ) and free trade agreements (FTA) offer the most direct and significant duty and tariff reduction opportunities. In fact, 57% of companies claim that they have, or will build, FTZ capabilities into their global trade functionality to support global transformation and reduce total landed costs. Isn’t it time you took advantage of FTZs as well?

Aberdeen’s newest report, Advancing Global Trade: Foreign Trade Zone Solutions Revealed, highlights the rising importance of cross-border trade, reshoring, and FTZ solutions in today’s global supply chain. Key themes include:

• The strong correlation between FTA/FTZ automation and superior supply chain performance
• Mission-critical features and functions required of an FTZ solution
• Five key process steps you should take to join the FTZ leader ranks