The details of international business are growing more complex by the day, and the consequences of bad decisions and improper methods have never been so dire. More than ever, you need a definitive resource that gives you not only up-to-the-minute business tools but also the bullet­proof, dotted-i and crossed-t legal information you need in order to protect your business all over the world.

Whether you are new to the business or a seasoned exporter or importer, the new, completely revised Fourth Edition of Export/Import Procedures and Documentation is simply the most valuable resource you’ll find, offering an authoritative voice on hundreds of topics. From before you take or place your first sales order to the day the products clear customs, you’ll have all the information you need, including:

• An overview of the entire import and export process

• Dozens of sample documents, precise procedures, and checklists to make sure they’re being followed every time

• An export/import training manual to use with your staff

• Sample contracts

• Legal requirements spelled out in precise detail—but in everyday language

• Questionnaires and drills to make sure you’re prepared for an audit

• A glossary of international trading terms and acronyms

• Important information on the new U.S. export control laws and the heavy penalties for not following them

• New security filing requirements pre-import and supply chain security issues

• New information regarding other government agencies that have control over the import and export of goods, technology, software, and services

Also brand new with this edition is cutting-edge information on Internet-based documentation—such as the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), export license filing, and accessing and using the websites of the Departments of State and Commerce—plus powerful strategies for buying and selling over the Internet while staying in compliance with the export and import laws.

Export/Import Procedures and Documentation also provides instructive lessons based on recent high-profile cases of global trade missteps, including melamine in pet food, lead in children’s toys, and the Asian longhorn beetle epidemic. All these incidents and many more not only illustrate the potential perils of international business, they have also led to increased scrutiny and requirements on the part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, and other government agencies. The book will tell you how to meet and surpass all of these new restrictions with flying colors.

A straightforward guide for the professionals on the front lines and in the back offices of global business, Export/Import Procedures and Documentation provides everything you need to understand and establish terms and conditions, manage supply chain dynamics around the world, and keep everything organized, up-to-date, and above board every step of the way.

Thomas E. Johnson is a former partner in the law firms of Baker & McKenzie and Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. He has been appointed five times by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Illinois District Export Council and is a past President of the International Trade Club of Chicago.

Donna L. Bade is the managing partner of the Chicago office of the international trade law firm, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. She began as a customs broker and freight forwarder before attending law school. She has taught Import and Export Trade Law at The John Marshall Law School as well as given numerous seminars and webinars throughout the United States. She is past President of the Chicago Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association and of the Customs Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.

Hundreds of factors combine to determine exactly how you import or export goods. Where are they coming from or going? What are they made of? What are they used for, and by whom? And because every import or export scenario is unique, you need to make sure you account for every detail, lest you make errors that could cost your business time, money, licenses, reputation, and more.

This newly revised and fully updated edition of Export/ Import Procedures and Documentation is designed to address nearly every conceivable set of circumstances involving international trade—and protect your business legally and financially. Chock full of sample documents, brand new legal information, and situation-specific procedures, the book gives you the power to:

Exploit new online resources, including government agency websites

Use the Internet to file forms, speed supply chain processes, and more

Navigate increased security and new enforcement structures resulting from recent well-publicized import problems

Keep better records and gain compliance company-wide

Protect trademarks and copyrights overseas

Interpret currency fluctuations when pricing or evaluating goods

Identify trustworthy and compliant suppliers

The book also covers in-depth how to create, keep, and file purchase and sale documents, certificates of origin, and dozens of other process documents, as well as how to leverage opportunities that may be unique to your product or industry. The dozens of sample documents and forms include bills of lading, notices of action, penalty and seizure notices, customs forms, purchase agreements, sample contracts, commercial and consular invoices, inspection certificates, letters of credit, and much more.

A trusted reference since the first edition was published nearly two decades ago, Export/Import Procedures and Documentation covers every conceivable situation you’re likely to encounter in the global trade arena. Don’t leave port without it.