International Law - 12/12 - boyerlawfirmblog.com

Northeast Florida Foreign Trade Zone Expanded

Northeast Florida Foreign Trade Zone Expanded: “JaxPort on Wednesday announced the U.S. Department of Commerce and its Foreign Trade Zone Board approved the port authority’s application for a zone that covers Duval, Nassau, Clay, Baker and Columbia counties.
Deborah Lofberg, who oversees the foreign trade zone for JaxPort stated that “the designation is based on showing an industrial site is served by a solid transportation network that can attract a cluster of businesses that import goods.”

Business located in foreign trade zones can either eliminate or defer the custom duties levied when goods are imported into the U.S. The foreign trade zones are aimed at convincing manufacturers and distributors to put their operations in the U.S. rather than overseas.

Here at Boyer Law Firm we have handled many business cases dealing with imports and exports. This trade zone expansion may benefit or even appeal to many businesses. At Boyer Law Firm we will be happy to help you with any issues you have with your business. Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/business/2011-05-11/story/first-coast-businesses-expect-boost-being-foreign-trade-zone?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4dcb684bae77925d%2C0#ixzz1M9V1zykg

Boyer Law Wins $4.8 M Judgment Reversal on Appeal

In a case with international “flavor”, I argued that a $4.8 million dollars judgment entered against my clients was improper. My clients were living in France and were at that stage not defending the lawsuit.

My clients were notified by regular mail of the final hearing to introduce evidence to determine the amount of damages that they would have to pay. However, the plaintiff mailed the notice only 10 days ahead of the hearing. Obviously, my clients did not receive the notice by mail until after the judgment was entered after the hearing.

The mail between the U.S. and Europe is still unreliable. It still gets lost. At any rate, when and if it arrives, it takes between 3 to 6 weeks.

I was hired to conduct the Appeal. I am glad that the three judges on the Court of Appeals all agreed on my theory of the case.

If you need any help on a similar matter, please contact a Florida attorney at Boyer Law Firm. You only have 30 days to file for a Notice of Appeal.

JAX Commercial Harbor to be Florida’s Biggest

JAX Commercial Harbor to be Florida’s Biggest: The Port of Jacksonville aims to increase the number of containers it handles by 25 percent by 2012, and challenge Miami as Florida’s top port, despite forecasts of a slowdown in international trade growth.

More customers will move their cargo through Jacksonville instead of other Southeast ports, such as Savannah, Ga., as Jacksonville gains new shipping services, thus creating more competitive prices. The port’s container handling is above pre-recession levels, largely because it added new shipping services during the international trade slump.

The port’s earlier expectation of increased Asian trade creating a $1.8 billion annual economic impact and more than 11,000 direct and indirect jobs has been pushed back at least two years by the recession, said Roy Schleicher, the authority’s chief commercial officer. TraPac Inc.’s terminal isn’t operating at full capacity and Hanjin Shipping Company Ltd.’s terminal is expected to open two years later than expected, in early 2014.

Railroad companies have fared well through the recession and trucking companies are righting themselves as demand meets capacity, leaving warehouse operators as the most vulnerable to the delayed trade projections.

Within two years, the Jacksonville port should be up to 1 million TEUs and competing with Miami as the state’s top container port.

There is also untapped potential in Europe. The Jacksonville operations of Bacardi USA, Premier Beverage and Southern Wine and Spirits, along with Mercedes Benz USA and BMW of North America LLC, import from Europe.

The port’s robust service to the Caribbean and Latin America can also be leveraged to enhance its ability to work as a hub for goods going to or coming from Europe and Asia. Schleicher remains confident that the port’s logistic advantages — proximity to major highways and rail lines — and its access to a growing Southeast market will allow it to tap the nation’s appetite for imports.