What this looks like in practice

Project cargo — equipment conversion

The situation

A project cargo programme was moving on ro-ro because that was how it had always moved.

The question I asked

Does this cargo actually need a ro-ro vessel, or does it fit flat rack and container equipment?

What changed

The cargo was re-planned onto flat rack and container equipment for the same lane.

The outcome

Reduced a client's project cargo cost by 35% by moving cargo from ro-ro to flat rack and container equipment.

Duty deferral — FTZ and bonded warehouse

The situation

Duty was being paid on arrival, well ahead of the point at which the goods generated revenue.

The question I asked

When does duty have to be paid, and can that point be moved to when the goods actually sell?

What changed

An FTZ and a Class 3 bonded warehouse were brought into the flow of goods.

The outcome

Structured duty deferral through an FTZ and a Class 3 bonded warehouse, aligning duty payment with the client's own sales cycle rather than arrival date.

FTZ production authority — manufacturer

The situation

A manufacturer was importing inputs and exporting a share of finished output.

The question I asked

What does the exported portion of production cost in duty, and does it have to?

What changed

FTZ production authority was assessed and built into how the site handles imported inputs.

The outcome

Advised a manufacturer on FTZ production authority — eliminating duties on the exported portion of output and deferring duty on domestic sales.

Weekly entry — processing fees

The situation

Frequent shipments were each being entered separately, and each entry carried its own processing fee.

The question I asked

Is this an entry-frequency problem rather than a freight problem?

What changed

Entry practice was consolidated to weekly entry.

The outcome

Implemented weekly entry, reducing merchandise processing fees from a per-shipment charge to a single weekly capped fee (FY2026 cap: $651.50 per entry).

Export compliance — filing and recordkeeping

The situation

Export filings were being made, but responsibility and records were not clearly held anywhere.

The question I asked

If this were audited tomorrow, who is the USPPI on each transaction and where is the file?

What changed

EEI/AES practice, routed-transaction responsibility, screening and recordkeeping were written into operations.

The outcome

Built export compliance discipline into client operations — correcting EEI/AES filing practice, clarifying USPPI responsibility in routed transactions, and establishing screening and recordkeeping procedures that hold up under audit.