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Universal adds a second location in the U.S.
Clients looking for a complete package of logistics services for the U.S. market can now use a name they know and trust: Universal Logistics USA.
“With the recently completed acquisition of an international freight forwarder in Cleveland, Ohio, we are now better positioned to handle all of our clients’ import and export requirements on both sides of the U.S./Canada border,” said Michael Glionna, President – Universal Logistics. “We have come a long way since the company was established by my grandfather in 1949 and continue to build on our existing strengths:
- international air and ocean freight services
- specialization on trade lanes connecting North America to Europe and Asia”
Universal formally entered the U.S. market in 2010, when the company acquired a fully licensed customs brokerage business in Buffalo, New York. “The addition of our second U.S. office is an exciting milestone in the company’s growth and enhances our ability to focus on serving the Northern portion of New York and Pennsylvania as well as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and the other U.S. Midwest States” said Mr. Glionna.
Four ways we can handle all your logistics needs for the North American market
- International freight services, air or ocean, import or export, U.S. or Canada
- Domestic trucking anywhere within the U.S. and Canada
- Cross-border truck freight services, to or from, U.S. or Canada
- Customs clearance and consulting services from a licensed customs broker in both the U.S. and Canada
To learn more, contact us by phone (905) 882-4880 or online.
Building the global partnerships that
translate into improved global services
Superior client service starts with a lot of behind the scenes work that happens year round in one-on-one meetings at industry conferences. Most recently, we sent two senior executives, Paul Glionna, Vice President – Systems Development & Operations and Chris Barnard, Vice President – Projects & Market Development to the annual meeting for the Premier Cargo Alliance (PCA), a top freight forwarder network with members in 85 countries across five continents.
“We had no fewer than 20 partner-to-partner meetings,” said Mr. Barnard. “Some were with existing partners, where we discussed ways to strengthen our existing trade lanes, and some were with new partners, who will help introduce us to new markets.”
The conference, held in Vienna, Austria in October, also featured keynote presentations from industry experts on topics of high interest to the logistics industry. “We are already thinking about how we will apply what we learned at the conference to not just our existing services, but also some new initiatives that will keep us ahead of the wave,” Mr. Glionna said.
For more information, contact Chris Barnard, Vice President – Projects & Market Development.
You have questions about the new trade agreement
between Canada and the European Union. We have answers!
The Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), provisionally implemented on September 21, 2017, makes almost all (98%) goods traded between Canada and EU countries duty free.
Learn more about what it may mean for your business by reading the following frequently asked questions.
Q. Can a CETA origin declaration be provided as a “blanket” declaration?
A. Yes, the declaration may be completed as a “blanket” for a period of no more than 12 months. It must provide the complete declaration wording and include a list of qualifying goods.
Q. Can the CETA origin declaration state goods are of EU preferential origin?
A. No, the origin declaration must specifically state the goods are of Canada/EU preferential origin.
Q. Can the CETA tariff treatment be applied to goods from countries where the Agreement has not yet been ratified?
A. Yes, the CETA tariff treatment can be applied, as of September 21, to originating goods even though that particular EU member country may not have completed their domestic ratification process.
Q. Does CETA apply to/from goods from the UK?
A. Yes, but only until Brexit comes into force.
Q. What is the CBSA’s position or policy in situations where the Origin Declaration does not indicate the exporter’s customs authorization number? Will CBSA still recognize the Origin Declaration as adequate proof of origin for the Canadian importer to claim the benefits of CETA?
A. Field 5 of the origin declaration may be left blank if the exporter in the EU provides a Registered Exporter Number in Field 2 of the origin declaration. If no number is provided in Field 2 of the origin declaration, the signature of the exporter must be provided in Field 5. Put simply, placing an REX or Business Number in Field 2, eliminates the need to sign the declaration.
Q. Does a statement of origin on the EU exporter’s letterhead constitute a statement of origin, as per paragraph 2 of Article 18?
A. Yes, provided the EU company letterhead document contains the origin declaration and describes the originating product in sufficient detail to enable identification.
Q. Can refund claims be filed if a CETA origin declaration is obtained post-import?
A. Yes, a refund claim to obtain CETA originating status may be obtained from the CBSA up to 4 years from the date of import to Canada (back to a maximum of the provisional implementation date of September 21, 2017).
Q. Does CETA apply to goods shipped prior to September 21, 2017?
A. CETA would apply to goods imported (i.e. customs released) on/after September 21, regardless of shipping date, as long as the exporter provides a valid CETA origin declaration.
For more information, contact Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.
Terminology Explained
ISF Filing – The Importer Security Filing (ISF), commonly known as the “10+2” initiative, is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulation that requires importers and vessel operating carriers to provide advance shipment information to CBP for U.S.-bound ocean cargo. The goal is to identify high-risk cargo that may need additional examinations.
To be in full compliance, U.S. importers must provide an additional ten data elements (see below) to their appointed freight forwarder 24 hours before the vessel is loaded at port of origin. Failure to comply could lead to damages ranging from $5,000 to $100,000.
- Importer of Record Number: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Employer Identification Number (EIN), Social Security Number (SSN), or CBP assigned number of the entity liable for payment of the duties and responsible for meeting requirements incurred as a result of importation.
- Consignee Numbers: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Employer Identification Number (EIN), Social Security Number (SSN), or CBP assigned number of the individual(s) or firm(s) in the United States on whose account the merchandise is shipped.
- Seller Name & Address: Name and address of the last known entity by whom the goods are sold or agreed to be sold.
- Buyer Name & Address: Name and address of the last known entity to whom the goods are sold or agreed to be sold.
- Ship to Name & Address: Name and address of the first deliver-to party scheduled to physically receive the goods after the goods have been released from customs custody.
- Manufacturer Name & Address: Name and address of the supplier of the finished goods in the country from which the goods are leaving.
- Country of Origin: Country of manufacture.
- Commodity HTS Code: The number under which the commodity is classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. This is the 10-Digit H.S. code per U.S. Customs Tariff.
- Container Stuffing Location: Name and address of the physical location where the goods were stuffed into the container.
- Consolidator Name & Address: Name and address of the party who stuffed the container or arranged for the stuffing of the container.
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This mystery lake-side city was an industrial powerhouse in the early to mid-20th Century and is currently undergoing a revitalization and economic revival boasting more than
17 billion in capital developments. |
How many clues do you need to name the city that coined the term “Rock and Roll”?
- This city was founded in 1796 and is centrally located in the most populated region in the U.S. – within a day’s drive of 60% of the country’s population.
- This city has a huge manufacturing sector, ranking #3 in the nation.
- This city is strategically located near important transportation routes, including highways, rail links and a Great Lakes port.
- This city’s airport is a regional hub for FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, United States Postal Service and major commercial freight carriers.
- Four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens grew up in this city.
- This city is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
 Click here to see the answer
For more information about freight to/from this city, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – Freight Solutions.
How to avoid customs delays at the border
Drivers crossing the Canada/U.S. border can reduce wait times with three simple steps:
- Sending their PARS and PAPS in advance and verifying the status of their PARS/PAPS before proceeding to the border.
- Checking wait times on the CBSA website, which is updated hourly and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Also available is the free “CanBorder – Border Wait Time” app for Apple and Android smartphones. CBSA also offers a Border Alert subscription service which notifies subscribers when unexpected events cause a significant disruption to normal Canadian border services.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also offers Border Wait Times on their website, as well as an app for smartphones.
At Your Service: Highly Trained Employees
Our commitment to employee education is underlined by the ever increasing number of Universal Logistics employees who have completed industry training programs. Our latest graduates, who have both earned the designation Certified Customs Specialist (CCS), are Lukas Hamann – Customs Operations and Charlie Herman – Business Development.
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Lukas Hamann –
Customs Operations |
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Charlie Herman –
Business Development |
“These two employees are now better prepared to deliver the exemplary service our clients have come to expect,” says Mark Glionna, Vice President – Client Relations. |
