27 Oct Sole Searching for Answers to Trade Compliance, Customs and Supply Chain Snags
An unusual rainy start didn’t stop the lively discussions and informative sessions on trade issues, compliance challenges, and customs solutions at FDRA’s Footwear Trade and Distribution Conference (FTDC) last week in Huntington Beach. Nearly 200 of the industry’s top footwear executives, traffic and distribution specialists, customs experts, and service providers joined the longest running U.S. footwear conference on October 16-19. Companies on stage and in the audience included Caleres, Deer Stags, Amer Sports, KEEN, NIKE, Kohl’s, and others.
This was Amber Road’s eighth year participating in this premier event for U.S. footwear companies. The underlying theme of the presentations at this year’s event helped importers and manufacturers better understand how to navigate logistics, trade compliance, product testing, and supply chain management in the uneven import and export environment experienced in 2016. Here are some key takeaways:
Don’t go it alone
Tread the industry and supply chain turmoil with the right partners and alliances. When you don’t know something, seek professional help; this could mean reaching out to your service providers and trade associations who are armed with the expertise to help you achieve a successful outcome. Likewise, you should explore ways to plan for alliance-related supply chain disruptions with the right partnership that fits your business needs before entering into a relationship. The Hanjin situation, shipping industry concerns, and other transportation issues have had an extraordinary impact on logistics reliability, cost, capacity and speed.