July Birthdays July 23 - Terry Grisamore July 28 - Kristal Luong July Anniversary’s July 11 - Terry Grisamore (17 Years) July 16 - Kristi App (15 Years) July 25 - Gretchen Groom (5 Years)   July Holiday’s Monday July 4 - Independence Day (Office Closed) “Those who won our independence… valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty.” ~ Louis D. Brandeis Happy Independence Day!!!

Our office will be closed on Monday July 4th in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Our office will reopen on Tuesday morning July 5th at 8:30 a.m. If you need assistance in our absence, please click Here for emergency contact information. "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.  We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Ronald Reagan Happy Independence Day!

06/17/2016 06:00 AM EDT   Attention Importers!!!   For shipments that are on the water on or after June 30, 2016, CBP ports will no longer be required to send requests for liquidated damages (LD) claims to Headquarters for review, and the “three-strikes” approach to LD claims against importers’ bonds will also end. There is no change to cargo holds for ISF non-compliance; ports may hold cargo instead of (or in addition to) initiating LD claims.     If you have any questions regarding this matter, you may send them to security_filing_general@cbp.dhs.gov.

Are you Ready for VGM Implementation? By now most if not all international shippers should have some familiarity with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) ruling concerning the verified gross mass (VGM) amendment going into effect July 1, 2016. Since January 2015, in an effort to make shippers aware of this very important amendment J.W. Allen & Company has periodically sent out newsletters with status updates. For those not yet familiar with the VGM amendment at it's core it instructs the shipper of each international shipment they must affirm and declare in writing the gross…

Memorial Day Holiday Our office will be closed on Monday May 30th in observance of the Memorial day holiday. Our office will reopen Tuesday morning May 31st at 8:30 a.m. If you require urgent assistance during our absence please visit our website for emergency contact information by clicking here.   Happy Memorial Day to our fallen soldiers. May their bravery, selflessness, and heroism be fondly remembered and honored forever. The J.W. Allen Family   True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at…

Less Than 60 Days to the July 1st 'No VGM, No Load' Implementation With less than 60 days to go to VGM implementation the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) have made its position on a few things clear. 1. Existing U.S. laws and regulations for providing verified container weights are equivalent to the requirements in SOLAS regulation V1/2. 2. The IMO's SOLAS VGM regulation should be handled as a 'business practice' instead of regulatory enforcement. 3. The carrier is allowed to permit any VGM determination method they choose so long as the VGM is provided using certified scales. 4. The USCG…

May Anniversary’s May 13 - Monica 'Taty' Hamburger (8 Years) May 24 - Karen Johns (40 Years) May 25 - Erin Clancey (6 Years) May Holiday’s Thursday May 5 - Cinco De Mayo Sunday May 8 - Happy Mother's Day A Mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world.  It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things, and crushes down remorselessly all that stand in its path."  Agatha Christie To Mother's everywhere, "While your family may be the world to you, to your family you're their world."   With sincere appreciation and admiration of your unconditional courage, love, and…

While some things regarding the IMO's Verified Gross Mass (VGM) requirement have become clearer many things remain vague with less than 100 days to go to the July 01, 2016 implementation date. Let's take a moment to review what we do know. 1. What is Verified Gross Mass (VGM)? VGM means the weight of each packed container must be confirmed. This VGM must consider the masses of all packages, packing materials, the container tare weight and all additional loading materials. Please refer to Chapter 2.1 of the SOLAS guideline. The VGM is independent of the weight declared in the booking…

8:15 a.m. Update As a result of severe weather conditions presently impacting Southeastern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi our office is presently closed. Office conditions hinder us from undertaking normal business due to intermittent power outages and partial power service adversely impacting our office area making our office building and phone system inoperable. The local electric company advises our office conditions may not resume to normal conditions until late this afternoon. Our computer network infrastructure is housed in a secure off-site data center and remains in full operation with employees working remotely to provide service as needed. The preferred method of…

Like the NCBFAA, J.W. Allen & Company is fully committed to the success of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) migration and fully supports the development and implementation of the International Trade Data System (ITDS), or Single Window initiative. To that end the NCBFAA is working with a broad range of private and public sector groups and individuals to ensure that the transition to this new way of doing business is as seamless and efficient as possible. To help you, our importer and exporter clients, better understand the current status of the ACE/ITDS migration, we are sharing with you the NCBFAA’s…

J.W. Allen Holiday Office Schedule / Closures Please be advised of the following J.W. Allen & Company office closures in recognition of the Christmas Holiday Season.   Thursday Dec 24th & Friday Dec 25th – Office Closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Holiday Thursday Dec. 31st – Office Closure @ 1:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve Friday January 1st – Office Closed New Year’s Day Holiday Should you require assistance during this time, please   Click Here to access Emergency Contact information as available on our website. Thank You So Much for Your Continued Support & Best Wishes for a Blessed Holiday Season!

December Birthday's Please join us in wishing a Happy Birthday to the following employee(s): December 7 - Denise Parker December 21 - Peggy Barcellona December Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Anniversary: December 18 - Beth Raymond (Celebrating 37 years of good times!!!) December Special Occasions December 20 - J.W. Allen & Co. Family Christmas Brunch December Holidays Friday December 25 - Christmas Day (Office Closed) Friday January 1 - New Year's Day (Office Closed) Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season and a Safe, Prosperous New Year! ~ The J.W. Allen & Co. Family  

Thursday November 26th – Thanksgiving Day (Closed) Friday November 27th – Black Friday (Closed)  Happy Shopping!   *Emergency contact information is located under the “Contact Us” heading on our website or can be accessed by clicking Here.   ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* In this time of gratitude and giving thanks, we would like to take the opportunity to say “Thank You for your trust and support.”  We treasure your patronage and the confidence you have placed in us. With great appreciation, we would like to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving and Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season The…

J.W. Allen & Co., Inc. is improving their IT network infrastructure to better serve our customers shipping needs.  The scope of the upgrades will necessitate the shutdown of our operations this coming weekend to migrate data and functions to the new network platform.  Beginning at 6:00 p.m. USCST Friday November 13 until noon Monday November 16, 2015 J.W. Allen & Co., Inc. will not have immediate access to emails or import/export processes.  Emails sent during this period will be retained and received into the new system once the project is completed Monday.   An additional communication will be forwarded on Monday morning confirming our return to…

November Birthday's Please join us in wishing a Happy Birthday to the following employee(s): November 13 - Heather Cortez November 25 - Beth Raymond November Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Anniversary: November 20 - Bill Yennie (9 Years!!!) November Holidays Sunday November 1 - All Saints Day Sunday November 1 - Daylight Savings Time ends (Fall Back!!!) Wednesday November 11 - Veteran's Day Thursday November 26 - Thanksgiving Day (Office Closed) Friday November 27 - Black Friday ~ Let's go shopping!!! (Office Closed) November is a very special month.  It's one in which we give thanks for the people…

October Birthday's Please join us in wishing a Happy Birthday to the following employee(s): October 12 - Jerry Becnel October Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Anniversary: October 26 - Sandra Frazier (6 Years!!!) October Holidays Saturday October 31 - Happy Halloween!!!  

Official CBP Announcement of New ACE Migration Schedule   Working in close coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, the Border Interagency Executive Council, and the White House, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been actively tracking and assessing stakeholder readiness for the mandatory filing of all electronic entry and entry summaries in ACE. While significant capabilities have been deployed to date, concerns about stakeholder readiness have necessitated a reassessment of our current timelines. We appreciate the input from the trade community and have adjusted the mandatory transition to ACE for electronic entry and entry summary filing as follows:  …

September Birthday's Please join us in wishing a Happy Birthday to the following employee(s): September 12 - Erin Clancey September Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Anniversary: September 5 - Billy App (53 Years of Good Times!!!) September Holidays Monday September 7 - Labor Day (J.W. Allen & Co. Office Closed) Sunday September 13 - Grandparent's Day Wednesday September 23 - Autumn Begins  

August Birthday's Please join us in wishing J.W. Allen & Company a Happy Birthday. August 8 - J.W. Allen & Company, Inc. - Proudly Celebrating 83 Years of Good Times!!! It is with great pride and appreciation that we give special thanks to the J.W. Allen & Co. employees and their families whose sacrifices and contributions through the years have enabled us to reach this incredible milestone.  To our valued clients, vendors and friends ~ Our Most Sincere Thanks for Your Continued Confidence, Trust & Support!  We wouldn't be here without you! August Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy…

Following is an overview of the birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other events taking place within our company this month. July Birthday’s Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Birthday: July 23 - Terry Grisamore   July Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Anniversary: July 11 - Terry Grisamore (16 Years) July 16 - Kristi App (14 Years) July 25 - Gretchen Groom (4 Years) July Holiday's July 4 - Independence Day Office Closure Friday July 3 (Independence Day Holiday) "In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be…

GSP Renewed Retroactively, Refund Claims Authorized On Thursday June 25th, Congress passed the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 which not only extends AGOA and trade preferences for Haiti but also reauthorizes the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program through December 31, 2017 and retroactively to July 31, 2013. The TPA Extension Act of 2015 is now on its way to the President for his signature. Following is an overview of the high points regarding GSP:   Thirty days after the President signs the Act into law, GSP will be in effect again for articles entered or withdrawn for consumption.…

Following is an overview of the birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other events taking place within our company this month. June Birthday’s Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Birthday: June 4 - Bill Yennie     June Holidays June 14 - Flag Day "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."  ~The Pledge Of Allegiance June 21 - Happy Father's Day! (First Day of Summer) The circle of life as it applies to Fatherhood,…

May Anniversary’s May 13 - Monica 'Taty' Hamburger (7 Years) May 24 - Karen Johns (39 Years) May 25 - Erin Clancey (5 Years) May Holiday’s Tuesday May 5 - Cinco De Mayo Sunday May 10 - Happy Mother's Day Monday May 25 - Memorial Day (Office Closed)  

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March Birthday's Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Birthday: March 3 – Billy App March 20 – Sandy Frazier March 24 – Karen Johns March Anniversaries Please join us in wishing the following family member(s) a Happy Anniversary: March 4 – Heather Cortez – 4 Years! March 25 – Debbie Janusa – 13 Years! March Holidays & Special Dates March 8 – Daylight Savings Time (Spring Forward!) March 17 – Happy St. Patrick's Day (Don't forget to wear green!) March 20 - First Day of Spring