Section 338 Tariff Affects More Than Alcohol and Dairy

HUGE news for Canadian businesses - we’ll be sharing our insights shortly. Now more than ever, compliance is KEY. #section338 #tariffs #canadiantariffs

A lot of importers ask me the same question: “Should I source from Country A or Country B?” Let’s say both countries produce good-quality cashew and both have suppliers ready to sell. How do you decide? I would compare them across seven things: 1. Landed cost Don't compare supplier prices alone. Add freight, insurance, duties, taxes and other destination costs. 2. Quality & certification Can suppliers in each country consistently meet your required grade, specifications and certifications? 3. Supply reliability Look at production stability, weather risks, political conditions and export restrictions. 4. Capacity & MOQ Can suppliers consistently provide the quantity you need, order after order? 5. Tariff treatment Does your country give one sourcing country a preferential tariff or trade-agreement advantage? 6. Logistics Compare actual shipping routes, transit times, freight costs and transshipment requirements. 7. Your selling market This is the one many importers overlook. Who are you competing against when the product reaches your market? What are they selling for? What quality are buyers already expecting? If your total cost makes it impossible to compete, finding a cheaper supplier won't solve the problem. The sourcing decision and the selling decision have to be considered together. There is no universally “best” country to source from. There is only the country that makes the most commercial sense for your product, your cost structure and your target market. #GlobalTrade #ImportExport #SourcingStrategy #SupplyChain #InternationalTrade #TradeResearch #ImportBusiness

CIRCULAR 48/2026/TT-BCT: DETAILED HS CLASSIFICATION FOR PROHIBITED IMPORTS AND TRADE COMPLIANCE REGULATIONS Effective September 5, 2026, Circular No. 48/2026/TT-BCT officially took effect to implement key provisions of the Law on Foreign Trade Management and Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP. Key regulatory points for cross-border supply chain operations: - Strict HS Code Mapping for Prohibited Used Goods: Detailed HS codes are mandated for used consumer goods and used vehicles banned from importation. Target categories include plastics, apparel, footwear, wood products, paper, household appliances, electrical and electronic equipment, furniture, as well as specific used motorcycles, bicycles, and auto parts. - Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ) Mechanisms: Outlines management lists per WTO commitments and active FTAs for commodities including unmanufactured tobacco, cane/beet sugar, salt, and poultry eggs, along with designated scopes for rice and motor vehicles. Allocation methods include auctions, dossier appraisals, pre-registration, or designated importers. - Rough Diamond Trade Controls (Kimberley Process): Traders must satisfy statutory conditions for KP certificate issuance (valid for two months from the date of issue) and conform to verification requirements to maintain transparency in mineral supply chains. - Transitional Provisions: Outlines continuity protocols for licenses, regulatory permits, and pending filings submitted prior to September 5, 2026. Full text of Circular 48/2026/TT-BCT and the itemized HS code schedule below

A buyer in Belgium asked me for our price list last week. I told him I do not have one. That sounds like a bad answer from an exporter, so let me explain it. A price list is a single number per product. But the number that decides whether you can sell my rice is not one number - it is at least six inputs, and five of them come from you. Which grade. 1121 steam and 1509 golden sella do not cost the same, and neither one is "basmati" on an invoice. Which pack. 5 kg retail bags with your artwork, 25 kg PP, or 50 kg jute - each changes the cost per tonne and the loadability of the box. Which port. Antwerp is not Port Klang is not Jebel Ali. Different freight, different transit, different sailing frequency. Which volume, and over what period. One container as a trial and twelve containers on a schedule are not the same trade, and pretending otherwise is how suppliers quietly overcharge trial buyers. Which certification set. EU-MRL panel, halal to the certifier your regulator recognises, organic where the lot is actually certified. Each one is a real cost and each one is a real document. And crop year. New crop and carry-over stock price differently, and any exporter who does not tell you which one he is quoting is not selling you the same thing twice. An exporter who sends the same price list to every enquiry is either padding the number to cover the worst case, or quoting a specification he has not committed to. Usually the first. You pay for his uncertainty. So when someone asks us for a price, we ask five questions first and come back within one business day with a worked CIF against the actual specification - the freight, the insurance clause, the pack, the loadability, the document set. It is a slower first email and a much shorter negotiation. If you buy food internationally, treat an instant price list as a warning rather than good service. The number arrived before anyone knew what you needed. What do you ask a new supplier before you accept a first price? - Jehangeer Dhanani, Founder & Director, Alvaraa Global Trading

FOB or DDP? Where Blueberry Price Risk Actually Sits The International Blueberry Organization drew a distinction this season worth repeating: premium fruit has a floor, commoditized fruit has a cliff. In frozen blueberries, the same split shows up in the Incoterm you sign, not only in the headline price. A frozen blueberry wholesale quote in the New York market was tracked at about $2.99 in mid-September, inside a twelve-month range of $2.99 to $3.33. That narrow band tells you very little unless you know who owns freight, insurance, and the final leg. That is what price terms are for. FOB leaves ocean freight and its volatility with the buyer. CNF and CIF move the freight to the supplier but stop at the destination port. DDP and DDU carry the goods further and pull customs and delivery risk back to the supplier. None of these is cheaper by definition; each one relocates risk. What we do at NewsourceFoods: we quote Frozen Blueberry on FOB, CNF, CIF, DDP and DDU, and we show the cost build-up behind each so the comparison is like for like. The problem it solves: a low FOB number that becomes the most expensive option once freight and inland handling are added. Why buyers choose us: transparent terms, MOQ from 10 tons, and pricing quoted against the Incoterm you actually operate on. Send us your destination and volume and we will quote the same cargo on the terms you use. NewsourceFoods | yulian@qdnewsource.com | Tel / WhatsApp: 0086 13687623173

FOB or DDP? Where Blueberry Price Risk Actually Sits The International Blueberry Organization drew a distinction this season worth repeating: premium fruit has a floor, commoditized fruit has a cliff. In frozen blueberries, the same split shows up in the Incoterm you sign, not only in the headline price. A frozen blueberry wholesale quote in the New York market was tracked at about $2.99 in mid-September, inside a twelve-month range of $2.99 to $3.33. That narrow band tells you very little unless you know who owns freight, insurance, and the final leg. That is what price terms are for. FOB leaves ocean freight and its volatility with the buyer. CNF and CIF move the freight to the supplier but stop at the destination port. DDP and DDU carry the goods further and pull customs and delivery risk back to the supplier. None of these is cheaper by definition; each one relocates risk. What we do at NewsourceFoods: we quote Frozen Blueberry on FOB, CNF, CIF, DDP and DDU, and we show the cost build-up behind each so the comparison is like for like. The problem it solves: a low FOB number that becomes the most expensive option once freight and inland handling are added. Why buyers choose us: transparent terms, MOQ from 10 tons, and pricing quoted against the Incoterm you actually operate on. Send us your destination and volume and we will quote the same cargo on the terms you use. NewsourceFoods | yulian@qdnewsource.com | Tel / WhatsApp: 0086 13687623173

Section 338 is now in effect and Canadian businesses exporting to the U.S. need to understand where they may be exposed. The new measures impose an additional 50% tariff on certain Canadian-origin goods, with affected products extending well beyond the alcohol, dairy and automotive sectors that prompted the action. For importers and exporters, the key is understanding exactly which products are impacted. That means reviewing HTS classifications, country of origin, Section 232 interactions, applicable exclusions and overall duty exposure. At Peacock Tariff Consulting, we’re helping businesses assess their Section 338 exposure and identify compliant opportunities to mitigate the impact. Not sure if your products are affected? Let’s take a look. 📩 info@peacocktariffconsulting.com #Section338 #Tariffs #CanadaUSTrade #InternationalTrade #CustomsCompliance #TariffMitigation

Canadian Supply You Can Rely On With ongoing tariff uncertainty, more Canadian distributors are choosing local manufacturing to reduce risk and keep supply chains stable. Amhil and Stone Straw produce essential foodservice packaging in Canada, helping reduce exposure to cross-border tariffs, delays, and global disruptions. From cups and lids to straws and containers, they provide dependable, Canadian-made supply closer to home. #Balpex #Amhil #StoneStraw #VendorSpotlight #ProudlyCanadian

When a buyer asks why our quote looks different from another exporter's, this is usually why. 1. Farm gate price What we pay for the fruit itself — this moves with season, yield, and quality grade. 2. Grading & sorting cost Every batch is hand-sorted before it's export-ready. Not all fruit that leaves the farm qualifies. 3. Packaging Export packaging isn't the same as local market packaging. It's built to survive weeks in transit, not a same-day sale. 4. Cold chain & logistics Refrigerated transport from farm to port, then port to ship. This isn't optional for pomegranates. 5. Freight & insurance Sea or air, plus insurance on the shipment. This is usually the largest single line item. 6. Documentation & compliance IEC, APEDA, phytosanitary certification, customs clearance — all of it has a cost attached. 7. Commission & margin The smallest layer, usually. Contrary to what buyers sometimes assume. Most price conversations start at layer one and stop there. The real number is all seven. What part of export pricing do buyers ask you about most?

🌾 RICE EXPORT SERIES | PART 7 How to Verify an International Buyer Before Accepting an Order Finding a buyer is exciting. But in international trade, not every enquiry is a genuine business opportunity. Before accepting an order or agreeing to commercial terms, exporters should conduct reasonable buyer verification and due diligence. What should you check? 🔹 1. Company Identity Check the buyer's legal company name, website, business address and registration details where available. 🔹 2. Business Activity Understand what they actually do—importer, distributor, wholesaler, retailer, manufacturer or food-service company. 🔹 3. Product Requirement A serious buyer should be able to explain the required product, specifications, quantity and destination. 🔹 4. Communication Look for professional communication and consistent company information. 🔹 5. Payment Terms Clearly understand the proposed payment method and assess the risks before committing to production or shipment. 🔹 6. Import Capability Understand whether the buyer is positioned to legally import the product into their market and meet applicable requirements. 🔹 7. Trade References Where appropriate, ask for business references or other evidence that helps establish credibility. 🚨 Be careful when you see: ❌ Pressure to ship without proper commercial terms ❌ Inconsistent company information ❌ Unusual payment requests ❌ Refusal to provide basic business details ❌ Unrealistic quantities or prices ❌ Requests for unnecessary fees or payments 🌍 Remember: A genuine buyer is valuable—but a verified buyer is much safer to do business with. Good export business is not just about getting an order. It is about protecting your company while building long-term international relationships. 👉 In Part 8, we'll discuss: Rice Quality & Specifications: What Should an Exporter and Buyer Agree On? 💬 What would you check first before trusting a new international buyer? Share your experience below. 👇 Follow me for Part 8. #RiceExport #ExportBusiness #InternationalTrade #BuyerVerification #DueDiligence #FoodExport #B2BTrade #ExportImport #GlobalTrade #MajjiExportImport