United Global Sourcing Importing & Exporting Blog

A month ago the SEMA/APEX Automotive Aftermarket Show took place and one of our valued customers – CIPA located in Port Huron, MI launched their new ‘EVOformance’ L.E.D. automotive aftermarket lighting. This new and modern lighting program offers everything from replacement headlight bulbs, dome lights, neon wire, strobe bars, bullet strobes, L.E.D. eyebrows, neon rings that surround the headlights, & neon ultra brights. These are all high-tech automotive lighting accessories made for today’s vehicles.

The advantage to using this type of lighting? The lighting is brighter but there is no heat transfer which means longer life for the bulbs unlike typical halogen and iridescent lighting on vehicles. How was UGS involved? We manufactured the complete program for CIPA, plus the packaging and artwork were developed by our highly qualified staff. We also won an award from SEMA for having the best packaging and graphics. You can check out the complete product line at www.evoformance.com.

This is yet another example of what we can do for you. UGS can take your project and make it a reality. We can take your product and not only manufacture it, but we will create unique packaging for you suiting the market you are trying to reach. Fill out the contact request form and let us show you what UGS can do for you.

Check out one of our greatest customers and their featured products. It all started with an idea. We then took that idea and made it a reality for the Marshmallow Fun Company (MFC).

We helped MFC with their designs, packaging, and even added some improvements to enhance their fine products. We also make sure that they meet all of the CPSC child safety requirements, provide them with all of the documentation and certifications, and monitor their tooling and provide them with complete service in getting their products to market. Not only that but they are really cool products and a fun project to work on as you can see by the video.

Now if we can do all of this for MFC, just think what UGS can do for you! We can take your ideas and turn them into a reality. Contact UGS today and one of our representatives will contact you within 24 hours.

In this global economy it is very important to have an edge over your competition and at UGS we have just that. We offer all of our customers the very best in service, quality, pricing and overall satisfaction when it comes to manufacturing overseas. To help us do this, we have our own office overseas located in Shanghai, the emerging financial hub of Mainland China.

Our employees are our greatest asset. They help us overcome the language and cultural differences which increases our value to our customers by problem resolution and pre-qualifying our manufacturers and making sure that our customer’s products and parts are made to their satisfaction.

We have a highly trained staff of sales, customer service, engineers and quality engineers on hand at our Shanghai office working very hard to ensure our customers satisfaction. Our office is located in the business district of Shanghai with office space of over 7,000 square foot in a new modern facility (see attached photos of office space and key personal).

In order to be a competitive and reliable overseas supplier, you have to have the necessary tools in place in China which sets us apart from many of our competitors and yet another reason that UGS should be your only source to go to for overseas manufacturing.

So contact UGS today to see how we can help set you apart from the rest of your competition!

One of my responsibilities I have with UGS is making sales calls to generate new business opportunities. Some resistance I run into when making these calls includes:

1) You take away jobs from the USA.

2) I have tried working with offshore manufacturing but have had nothing but trouble.

I thought I would take a moment to address both of these remarks and give everyone a different perspective. Regarding the first issue, my response is that we are a wholly owned US company and employ US citizens. We offer a service that helps our US manufacturing customers reduce their costs, which helps them become more profitable by getting products manufactured Overseas. This additional profitability allows businesses the opportunity to expand and hire more employees which ultimately helps our economy.

Regarding the second remark; this is the main reason you should consider working with UGS. We have heard the many horror stories from customers who have tried to go overseas themselves or have used trading companies and have received manufactured products or components that were not to their specifications but had no recourse to get the correct parts or even get their money back. We offer a turn-key solution that provides competitive offshore pricing and reduces risk by doing the following:

Provide delivered to your door pricing, including all freight costs, customs, and duty in our quoted price. No hidden charges.

Provide first article samples for approval before any Overseas production is made.

Provide shipping samples for approval before their Overseas shipments are made.

With approved credit, we can also extend payment terms which eliminate the need for costly letters of credit.

We have the experience and longevity (in business since 1981) to handle any project or product.
We are UGS and we love what we do and we have customer references to prove it.

So contact us today to see how we can help you and your company.

More like, what can’t we make? We thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the products that UGS manufactures for our valued customers to give you an idea of what we are capable of doing. We plan to show you over the weeks ahead some of the products and components manufactured as a sampling of our capabilities and who knows, maybe you might see something the perks your interest?

The featured product this week is a wheel polishing tool called the ‘Black Magic® Bullet’. This product attaches to any cordless drill and is used for polishing wheels and rims for your car. It is unique in that it is a tapered design to reach those tight spaces that are found on high polished chrome rims.

What makes this a unique product to manufacture?

The brush head is made from an absorbent foam wrapped in gentle, non-woven microfiber material called Evolon®.

Robotic sewing machines help assemble the head utilizing 2 different stitch patterns (one is called a box stitch and the other is called a lockstitch) for increased strength and durability.

This tool incorporates a high strength plastic flip-down handle for added control and increased safety.

We have also made this product to meet several tough standards involving a Force Test, Compression Test, Torque Test, Aging (heat) Test, Cold/Freezing Test, Impact Test, Tension Test, Tensile Strength Test, Tear Strength Test, Transit Vibration Test, Master Carton Drop Test, and Polishing Head Life Cycle Test.

We also provided the product in a free standing/hanging full clamshell display package complete with product and sample bottle of wheel polish (see photo below).

The product involves several manufacturing processes (cut & sew, machining, plastic injection mold, and of course assembly). This is further proof for you that we can manufacture any project from simple to the most difficult and provide you with the quality and precision that you require. If you have a product or project that you need help manufacturing, contact UGS, you won’t be disappointed. If you would like to learn more about this product please check out our customer’s website at www.blackmagicshine.com.

UGS continuously monitors federal regulations and import shipping requirements because the import regulations are constantly changing both from a security standpoint and from the recent safety issues that have arisen.

Did you know that the CPSC (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) is requiring specific markings on products that are consumer products designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger? This is not just for toys, it affects any product for children 12 and under.

When does this law go into effect? August 14, 2009.

What does it mean for you? Every product that is manufactured overseas must be marked with some type of permanent marking before being imported to the United States. The markings must include the location of where it was made, the date of production or date-code, and a manufacturing code or factory identification lot number. If this marking is not present, your shipment will be rejected at port of entry and returned to the country of origin which would be very costly and time consuming.

What is the purpose of this import regulation? To provide an ability to identify the location, date of production and lot number so that CPSC can more readily isolate products that may present a safety concern at the port of entry.

What does this mean for you? If you are considering going overseas to have product manufactured, beware of the imitators, stick with the professionals at UGS and we will handle all of the import shipping requirements and we will make sure that you are protected. If you have any questions or comments regarding this subject, we are listening…

Have you ever needed to see a physical prototype of your 2D or 3D drawing and need it in a hurry? At UGS, we have the solution. As part of the services that we offer our customers we now have a Dimension SST1200 3D printer that will take your STL format (i.e. Solidworks, IGES or other 3D format) and convert it to an actual physical part using ABS plastic material.

This process in most cases takes less than one day to perform and will give you your part to within thousandths of an inch of your parts size. Highlights include:

· Receiving your 3D prototypes within 2 – 3 days of submitting computer blueprints.

· Saving money and time in product development.

· Test form, fit and function with 3D printed model.

· All working models produced in durable ABS plastic.

· Standard colors available are white, red, blue, green, gray, yellow and red (other PMS colors available upon request).

· Single piece construction up to 56.3 cu. inches.

· 3D prototype parts can be used in sales presentations as visual aids.

· 3D samples are excellent masters for vacuum forming.

We have used this process for many of our customers as added value and service to help our customers sell to their customers! Another reason to consider UGS as your full service overseas manufacturing source. Contact us to discuss complete pricing for your project.

Finally, CBP has agreed to issue an interim rule for the Import Security Filing commonly referred to as 10+2, as opposed to a final implementation.  The fact this was issued as an interim rule highlights the fact CBP has taken into consideration many of the trade’s concerns.  The following are the key areas that have been amended from the initial Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM).

1)  CBP will “show restraint in enforcing the the rule for a period of 12 months after the effective date.  The effective date will be 60 days from the date of publication – January 26, 2009.

2)  Two of the twelve elements will subject to flexibility as to the timing of their submission to CBP.  This includes the Container stuffing location and the Consolidator (stuffer) name and address.   The importer must submit these elements as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours prior to arrival in a US port.

3)  Four elements will be subject to flexibility with respect to interpretation.  These elements include the Manufacturer (supplier), Ship-to party, Country of Origin, and HTS number.  CBP will allow a range of acceptable responses based on facts available to the importer at the time, but the elements must still be filed 24 hours prior to loading.  The importer will then be required to update their filing of these elements as soon as accurate information is available and no later than 24 hours prior to arrival at a U.S. port.

4)  The liquidated damage amount for violations has been changed from the value of the cargo to $5,000 per violation.

5)  The requirement for break bulk cargo to be included on vessel stow plans has been eliminated.

6)  Container Status Messages (CSM) are required for empty containers.

7)  The label for the party required to submit the ISF has been changed from “importer” to “ISF importer” meaning the owner, purchaser, consignee, or agent.

8)  Provisions were made to create an Importer Security Filing Bond (19CFR 113.63).

9)  Powers of Attorney must be in English and POA’s as well as letters of revocation must be kept for five years from revocation date.

Basically, CBP has made some changes in response to comments from the trade but many requirements remain unchanged.  The phased-in approach provides importers a chance to work through the challenges without immediate penalties as well as the opportunity to provide additional feedback to CBP.  The next 14 months will be challenging as importers try to ramp up to meet the requirements of another security initiative as they also strive to cut costs and increase efficiency while remaining competitive.

Should you have any questions/concerns related to your freight movement under this new initiative, please feel free to contact us directly.  UGS is working daily with our service providers to ensure we are ready to meet the challenges presented by the implementation of 10+2.

The Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) final ruling eliminates the requirement for foreign manufacturers who export to certify their goods conform with applicable CPSA product safety standards.  The importer of foreign manufactured will be solely responsible to issue conformity certificates for imported goods.

The rule also clarifies that certificates can be electronic and satisfy the requirements of a) accompanying the shipment, and b) furnished to distributors/retailers.  This can be accomplished by using a unique shipment identifier that can be accessed via the Internet to eliminate concerns regarding confidentiality of imported products.

It is still critical for importers to determine the standards that apply to their products and ensure those standards are being met, a task that is complicated by the fact new rules and guidelines seem to be issued weekly.  All importers should take note after an initial adjustment period, the failure by an importer to abide by the certificate of conformity requirement will result in shipments being denied entry and/or destruction.

All importers should remember it is the Customs Inspector at the port initially making the determination whether or not to hold a shipment and as we all know this “interpretation” of new regulations varies dramatically from port to port.  I would not be surprised to see a larger than expected volume of shipments being held while CBP Headquarters sends some directives to the officers at the ports on how to handle and process shipments under these new guidelines.

The controversial Clean Truck Fee (CTF) assessed by the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach that was scheduled to begin on November 17, 2008 has been indefinitely delayed in order to finalize certain procedural issues. The CTF imposes a fee of $70 for an FEU and $35 for a TEU.  The arrangement between the two shipping ports and PortCheck (the company contracted to collect the fees) is pending approval by the Federal Maritime Commission.

The Federal Maritime Commission said October 29th that it would ask a U.S. District Court to strike down portions of a landmark pollution-control program at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s busiest international cargo complex.

Elements of the ports’ clean truck program are likely, by a reduction in competition, to produce an unreasonable increase in importing and exporting of goods, transportation cost or unreasonable reduction in service.

The new anticipated launch date has yet to be published.  United Global Services (UGS)  continues to monitor this situation to avoid delays in freight movement for our customers who are involved in over seas manufacturing, importing of manufactured goods and exporting of goods from the USA.