Sophia DeVries

Basically, entrepôt trade is the process of re-exporting goods that have been imported into a country without the package having undergone any repackaging or additional processing. When translated, the term means entry port trade, and it avoids the payment of any import or export duties when the package is sent out from that port. In other words, entrepôt trade is a process in which goods are imported in one country with the express purpose of having them end up in a different country. In a case like this, a trader becomes both the importer and the exporter of these goods. For example, if a South African company were to import wool from Australia and export it immediately to Zimbabwe, this would be called entrepôt trade for South Africa.

Dear Sarah, the Dangerous Goods Declaration must be signed and dated by the shipper. Other persons employed to act on behalf of the shipper such as consolidators, freight forwarders, and cargo agents may sign the DGD on behalf of the shipper.

Trade barriers are government policies which place restrictions on international trade. Trade barriers can either make trade more difficult and expensive (tariff barriers) or prevent trade completely.Below you can see some examples of Trade Barriers:Tariff Barriers. These are taxes on certain imports. They raise the price of imported goods making imports less competitive.Non-Tariff Barriers. These involve rules and regulations which make trade more difficult. For example, if foreign companies have to adhere to complex manufacturing laws it can be difficult to trade.Quotas. A limit placed on the number of importsVoluntary Export Restraint (VER). Similar to quotas, this is where countries agree to limit the number of imports. This was used by the US for imports of Japanese cars.Subsidies. A domestic subsidy from government can give the local firm a competitive advantage.Embargo. A complete ban on imports from a certain country. E.g. US embargo with Cuba.

FTAs are not as simple as they seem. These agreements have a definite aim. First of all, they must be seen in a global context as stepping stones towards full integration into a global free market economy. They are another way to ensure that governments implement the liberalisation, privatization and deregulation measures of the corporate globalisation agenda.They are based on assumptions that free trade and the removal of regulations on investment will lead to economic growth, the reduction of poverty, increased living standards and employment opportunities. In reality, these kinds of agreements only allow transnational corporations (TNCs) more freedom to exploit workers and to shape the national and global economy to suit their interests. Like other free trade and investment agreements, they work towards removing all restrictions on business.Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a trend towards mega-regional trade agreements. These are between more than two countries and involve large shares of world trade or investment. Such deals include the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

My professional answer is YES! There are thousands of double tax treaties world-wide. The UK is a perfect example. It has double tax treaties with more than 130 countries, making it one of the world's largest networks. In order to explain this, we have to answer the question: “What is the reason for double taxation?” It occurs when local legislation results in taxes being levied on the same income, capital gains, or company profits in more than one country. This can be mitigated through the use of double tax treaties or through unilateral relief, where no treaty exists or where a treaty does not cover the category of tax involved. The circumstances in which double taxation can occur are many and different. Just one example is an individual or company considered to be resident in more than one country and taxed in both. Another example of double tax treaties is India, which has joined 96 treaties to avoid double taxation and share information with a number of countries. Some of the countries are US, Mauritius, Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. According to the Income Tax Act the taxpayer is allowed to choose what is more convenient for them – domestic law (ITA) or the tax treaty. A non-resident that demands treaty relief has to file tax returns in India and offer a tax residency certificate provided by the tax authority in its home country. The greatest benefits of all this system are: 1. getting the possibility for exchange of information and 2. including the list of measures to prevent fiscal evasion.