04-05-2013, 05:45 PM
The ridiculous part is that you have a very limited time to offload your material from containers, and after 5 days, if your container is still in the port, you are getting charged demurrage.
So, 1) you pay a fee for the inspection
2) you pay an additional fee for intensive
3) you pay demurrage
4) you lose money on your orders
And this is just US Customs. Then you get US agriculture coming in (because we import lumber) and they want their piece too and we are subject to roughly the same situation as Customs. These agencies operate independently, despite very similar tasks. Both missions could easily be accomplished by the same inspection agent. DUMB.
What's worse, is that we've been charged for intensive inspections, and based on how our containers are packed, we can tell no inspection actually ever took place (this has happened numerous times).
As for a 70% directive, I don't know what the number is supposed to be, but I guarantee the Wal-Marts of the world are not dealing with this kind of crap.
This definitely slides into the political forum a bit, and honestly I think any traction that could be gained, surrounds the length of time they can sit with containers without doing anything, which I think avoids any political partisan hang-ups. Bottom line is that not a single container in the last 5 years or so has cleared inspection in the same day (or day after) that it was pulled. Standard inspection is an x-ray of the container. something that should be easy to manage throughput.
Anyway, I think it's a total racket, and one of the most overt cash grabs by our government, which has occurred under both Rep and Dem governments. I'm just thinking in this current political climate, this could be the time to actually change some of this crap.
So, 1) you pay a fee for the inspection
2) you pay an additional fee for intensive
3) you pay demurrage
4) you lose money on your orders
And this is just US Customs. Then you get US agriculture coming in (because we import lumber) and they want their piece too and we are subject to roughly the same situation as Customs. These agencies operate independently, despite very similar tasks. Both missions could easily be accomplished by the same inspection agent. DUMB.
What's worse, is that we've been charged for intensive inspections, and based on how our containers are packed, we can tell no inspection actually ever took place (this has happened numerous times).
As for a 70% directive, I don't know what the number is supposed to be, but I guarantee the Wal-Marts of the world are not dealing with this kind of crap.
This definitely slides into the political forum a bit, and honestly I think any traction that could be gained, surrounds the length of time they can sit with containers without doing anything, which I think avoids any political partisan hang-ups. Bottom line is that not a single container in the last 5 years or so has cleared inspection in the same day (or day after) that it was pulled. Standard inspection is an x-ray of the container. something that should be easy to manage throughput.
Anyway, I think it's a total racket, and one of the most overt cash grabs by our government, which has occurred under both Rep and Dem governments. I'm just thinking in this current political climate, this could be the time to actually change some of this crap.
Gameless (for now)