GISTnet GISTnet Tips: 23 May 2001
GISTnet Tips: 23 May 2001

General:
Do you have your internet browser optimized by the use of browser
plug-ins?  See the GISTnet glossary for an explanation of these features:
http://www.gistnet.com/sub/glossary/browser_plug-in.html.

Customs Brokers/Importers:
What is "essential character"?  Is this what makes a good comedian? or a
good president?  Find out in the GISTnet glossary at
http://www.gistnet.com/sub/glossary/essential_character.html.

Freight Forwarders/Exporters:
How good is your knowledge of hazmat regs?  Did you know that the new
International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, Amendment 30 comes into
acceptance by the U.S. DOT for ocean shipments on July 1, 2001?  It will
supercede the current IMDG Amendment 29 as an acceptable form of compliance
with DOT hazmat regulations for cargo transiting the U.S. en-route to or
from ocean vessel carriage.
Because IMDG Amendment 30 makes the continued application of Amendment 29
an option through year-end, 2001, the DOT has also adopted this position
(that is, cargo packaged, labeled, marked, and documented in accord with
Amendment 29 is legal to transit the U.S. through year-end.) However, as of
January 1, 2002, the use of Amendment 29 is no longer valid/legal.
Amendment 30 must be used.  You can view the period July-December, 2001, as
a grace period for continued use of Amendment 29, but commercial shippers
are busy converting their procedures to conform to Amendment 30, so, as a
forwarder, from July on you should expect to receive cargo documented
according to Amendment 30.  See glossary definition for IMDG at
http://www.gistnet.com/sub/glossary/imdg.html and learn about compliance
by taking the Hazmat courses from the GISTnet course catalog:
http://www.gistnet.com/courses/.