HQT KNOWLEDGE BASE
Foreign Trade Expertise
End-to-end foreign trade practice: trade terms and contracts, documentation and settlement, export compliance and certification, plus the latest changes in tariffs and trade policy.
6 Series
50 Articles
International Trade Basics The 11 Incoterms 2020 Rules: Who Books, Who Pays, Who Bears Risk
Trade terms answer only three questions: who books, who pays, and at what moment risk trans… 1 Minutes10-12
International Trade Basics Liability Boundaries of FOB, CIF and DDP: Understand Them in One Table
These three terms are the most used and the easiest to confuse. Look at booking, payment, i… 1 Minutes10-12
International Trade Basics 9 Clauses an Export Contract Must Spell Out
An export contract is not feared for being long but for missing items. These 9 are baseline… 1 Minutes10-12
International Trade Basics Quotation Sheet and Proforma Invoice (PI): How to Issue Them and What to Write
A quotation sheet is for negotiating price; a PI is proof of the deal. Different uses, and … 1 Minutes10-12
International Trade Basics The Three Main Payment Methods in International Trade: How to Choose T/T, L/C and D/P
The core of a payment method is who concedes first. Which one to choose depends on your lev… 1 Minutes10-12
International Trade Basics What a Complete Set of Export Documents Includes: From Commercial Invoice to B/L
Export is not finished once you hand the cargo to logistics. Documents are the basis for cu… 1 Minutes10-12
Documentation & Settlement Commercial Invoice and Packing List: One Wrong Word Means an Amendment
The commercial invoice and packing list are the two basic documents indispensable for custo… 1 Minutes10-12
Documentation & Settlement Types, Transfer and Risk Control of the Bill of Lading (B/L)
A B/L is a cargo receipt, evidence of the transport contract and a document of title. Its t… 1 Minutes10-12
Documentation & Settlement How to Choose a Certificate of Origin: Differences Between CO, FORM E and RCEP Certificates
The certificate of origin is called paper gold in the industry; it is the document by which… 1 Minutes10-12
Documentation & Settlement The Three Payment Points of T/T: Pre-T/T, Post-T/T and Partial Advance
T/T is the most commonly used method of collecting payment in foreign trade, and the risk d… 1 Minutes10-12
Documentation & Settlement Cross-Border RMB Settlement: Can You Still Get a Tax Rebate and How to Operate
Declaring in RMB and collecting in RMB still allows a normal tax rebate. The key is to get … 1 Minutes10-12
Documentation & Settlement Exchange Rate Risk Management: Natural Hedging, Forwards and Options
Exchange rates are determined by market supply and demand and are very hard to predict. Rat… 1 Minutes10-12
US Customs & Compliance The Full US Customs Clearance Process: From ISF Filing to CBP Release
From a Chinese port to US customs release, a shipment passes five checkpoints. Understand w… 1 Minutes10-11
US Customs & Compliance What Is a Bond? Why You Can't Clear Customs Without One
A Bond is a "performance guarantee" the importer files with US Customs. Without it, CBP won… 1 Minutes10-11
US Customs & Compliance The $5,000 ISF Late-Filing Penalty: Where Does It Come From?
The phrase "$5,000 penalty for late filing" circulates widely in the industry. It comes fro… 1 Minutes10-11
US Customs & Compliance The Real Cost of Under-Declaration: Duty Saved, Cargo Lost
Under-declaration looks like "saving on duty," but in reality you're putting the whole ship… 1 Minutes10-11
US Customs & Compliance What Does DDP Actually Cover?
"DDP" is one of the most misunderstood terms in cross-border logistics. It doesn't mean "ev… 1 Minutes10-11
US Customs & Compliance FDA, FCC, CPSC, Prop 65: Which Goods Need Certification
For some goods the question isn't "can it clear customs" but "is it even allowed into the U… 1 Minutes10-11
Tariffs & HTS Codes How to Look Up US HTS Codes: A Complete Method from Product to Code
Get the HTS code wrong and tariffs, customs clearance and compliance all go wrong with it. … 1 Minutes10-12
Tariffs & HTS Codes How to Calculate US Import Tariffs: Composition and Logic of the Dutiable Value
Tariffs aren't simply "cargo value times a number." Understand how the dutiable value is co… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariffs & HTS Codes Furniture Exports to the US: Tariff Classification and Compliance Points
Furniture tariff codes don't hinge on the word "furniture" — they hinge on material and use… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariffs & HTS Codes What Is Section 301 Tariff: Lists, Additional Duties and How to Check
Section 301 additional duties aren't a blanket across all categories — they follow lists an… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariffs & HTS Codes LED Lighting Exports to the US: Classification and Certification Points
Whether an LED is a "component" or a "lamp" changes the tariff code and certification entir… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariffs & HTS Codes Toy Exports to the US: Tariff Classification and Safety Compliance
For toy exports to the US, what usually blocks you isn't tariffs — it's safety compliance. … 1 Minutes10-12
Export Compliance & Certification UFLPA Supply Chain Compliance: 2026 Enforcement Trends and Responses
UFLPA does not check a single certificate — it checks an entire supply chain. Understand it… 1 Minutes10-12
Export Compliance & Certification US Product Compliance: What FDA, FCC, CPSC, CARB and Prop 65 Each Govern
The US has no universal market-entry certificate. Different categories fall under different… 1 Minutes10-12
Export Compliance & Certification How to Handle EU CE, UKCA and EPR Packaging Rules
For the EU, products need CE and packaging must be registered under EPR. For the UK, the ma… 1 Minutes10-12
Export Compliance & Certification Shipping and Certification for Battery Products: UN38.3, MSDS and Transport Limits
Whether battery goods can ship depends not on value but on three things: UN38.3, MSDS and w… 1 Minutes10-12
Export Compliance & Certification China Export Controls: How to Identify and Declare Dual-Use Items
The first gate of export control is on your side. First determine whether an item is contro… 1 Minutes10-12
Export Compliance & Certification Anti-Dumping and Countervailing: How Exporters Respond to Investigations
Being investigated does not mean being found guilty. Anti-dumping and countervailing invest… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariff & Trade Policy Watch The US Tariff System in Full (2026 Edition): 301, 232, 122 and the End of De Minimis
US tariffs are no longer about a single rate. Understand the three tracks — 301, 232 and 12… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariff & Trade Policy Watch After the US $800 De Minimis Ends: How to Ship Parcels and First Leg
With the $800 de minimis gone, parcels no longer clear duty-free. Choosing the right declar… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariff & Trade Policy Watch IEEPA Tariffs Ruled Unlawful: How to Claim a Refund on Duties Paid
In February 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled IEEPA tariffs unlawful. Here is a clear explan… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariff & Trade Policy Watch EU CBAM Carbon Tariff Now in Force: Three Things Exporters Must Do
From 1 January 2026, the EU CBAM enters its formal levy period. Exporters of steel, alumini… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariff & Trade Policy Watch RCEP Rules of Origin Accumulation: Making the Most of This "Paper Gold"
The RCEP certificate of origin is known in the trade as "paper gold". Using accumulation ru… 1 Minutes10-12
Tariff & Trade Policy Watch New Changes to Export Tax Rebates: Solar Cancelled, Batteries Downgraded — Who Is Affected
Export tax rebates saw new adjustments in 2026. Solar rebates are cancelled and battery reb… 1 Minutes10-12