Author: Stu Spikerman

What is Foreign Trade Zone Status and Why It Matters

What Is Foreign Trade Zone Status? Foreign trade zone status is a powerful designation approved by the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board that allows businesses to operate in special zones considered outside of U.S. customs territory. What this means is that companies can bring in foreign goods and delay, reduce, or even eliminate customs duties depending […]

What Is the US Economic Zone? A Strategic Guide for Businesses and Policymakers

What Is the US Economic Zone? The US economic zone refers to the area extending up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline of the United States’ coastline. Within this boundary, the United States has special rights related to exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources. This includes both the water column and the seabed […]

How Logistics Tracking Services Improve Visibility and Delivery Accuracy

What Are Logistics Tracking Services? At Tri-Link FTZ, we’ve been in the logistics game for over 35 years, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: you can’t improve what you can’t track. Logistics tracking services are systems that give you visibility into where your goods are at any point during the shipping process. […]

Logistics and Supply Chain Training: Why It’s Essential for Today’s Professionals and Businesses

What Is Logistics and Supply Chain Training? Logistics and supply chain training teaches people how to move goods from point A to point B, and every stop in between. It’s about how raw materials get turned into products, stored in warehouses, and shipped out to customers. It also covers how to manage inventory, work with […]

De Minimis UK to USA: What Businesses and Shoppers Must Know

What Does De Minimis UK to USA Mean? The phrase de minimis UK to USA refers to the threshold that once allowed goods under $800 in value to enter the U.S. without duties or taxes. In practice, it meant that a small order from a UK seller—whether it was a £25 book or a £300 […]

What is De Minimis in Tax? A Guide for Businesses and Individuals

Definition of De Minimis in Tax When people ask me what is de minimis in tax, I usually explain it this way: it’s a recognition that sometimes, the smallest values just aren’t worth the trouble of accounting for. In the world of taxation, de minimis refers to benefits or discounts that are so minor they […]

Trade Compliance Meaning: What Every Global Business Must Know

What is Trade Compliance Meaning? Trade compliance meaning refers to how companies follow international, national, and regional laws when importing and exporting goods. It’s about staying on the right side of legal requirements so that goods can move across borders without causing trouble or delay. In my 35 years running a third-party logistics company at […]

The US De Minimis Rule: What Importers and Businesses Need to Know

Defining the US De Minimis Rule The us de minimis rule refers to a U.S. trade regulation that allowed shipments valued under $800 to enter the country duty-free and without heavy customs processing. It was formally recognized under 19 U.S.C. § 1321(a)(2)(C), sometimes referred to as Section 321 shipments. The rule meant that consumers could […]

What Does De Minimis Mean in Tax? A Practical Guide for Businesses and Individuals

Introduction When people ask me, what does de minimis mean in tax, I usually start with the simplest answer: it refers to amounts so small that tax authorities consider them not worth the effort to track or enforce. It’s a Latin phrase that translates to “about minimal things,” and in the world of taxes, it’s […]

The De Minimis Trade Loophole: What Importers and Retailers Need to Know

What is the De Minimis Trade Loophole? The de minimis trade loophole comes from Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allowed small-value shipments to enter the U.S. without duties or customs inspections. For decades, this applied only to packages worth under $200. But in 2016, the threshold was raised to $800, instantly […]