4 Steps Essential to Successfully Importing Trademarked Goods

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Create a Shipping Checklist to Ensure You Don’t Miss Anything Important

When it comes to shipping trademark goods anywhere, you will need to take special care to ensure all the necessary paperwork has been obtained, filled out, and filed properly. As you can imagine, US Customs and Border Protection can be quite strict when it comes to shipping intellectual property both nationwide and internationally.

Under US law, a trademark can be anything that is owned by or used in connection with a registered service. For example, shipping goods that showcase a company’s brand or business’ logo is usually considered trademarked goods. While Promptus LLC strongly suggests that you use a professional service for all your freight forwarding needs, it is especially recommended in this kind of situation. In any case, here is a detailed guide that can help you remember all the steps necessary to help ensure successful delivery.

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1. Check and double-check your contracts.

   Be sure you are completely clear on which goods should have logos or other trademarks clearly visible on their packaging. You should also ensure you have all the necessary assurances of compliance in writing from your respective suppliers

2. Ensure your supplier has the right to use this logo.

   We can’t stress the importance of reviewing your paperwork enough. Sometimes, you may be in complete compliance, but your suppliers are not. This could negatively affect you should you run into trouble during the shipping process. For example, if your supplier purchased their goods from a third-party supplier without obtaining the necessary trademark compliance assurance or release forms, they may not be legitimate.

3. Take pictures of the goods, packaging, and paperwork.

   Having detailed records of all of your work can help you exponentially in the long run. You would be surprised how taking a few extra minutes to carefully document everything can ensure you don’t miss even the smallest detail. You can even compare your paperwork with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure their legitimacy.

4. Review your supplier’s paperwork carefully.

   Again, you may be in complete compliance with the code, but you could suffer should your supplier have overlooked something. If you are missing something, don’t hesitate to ask! While customer care is one of the most important things, so is staying compliant with shipping codes and responsibilities.

Customs and Border Protection seizes, taxes, and halts ten of thousands of packages every year! You don’t want to be one of these people. Promptus LLC is a licensed US Customs Broker and will gladly take on the responsibility of ensuring all of your contracts are up to code and any paperwork is properly processed. To get a quote from one of our experts, contact our office by calling us toll-free at 1-877-776-6799. Our services extend from our backyard in Miami, FL to various countries overseas!