Document text
CLOUDY Temp: 37 °F Wind: ENE at 5 mph Saturday, April 26, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend October 29, 2002 For Eastwinds Trading, a customs agent is vital By GREG STILES Mail Tribune When you’re counting miles and days on a delivery from the far side of the planet, you might not get hot and bothered about an extra day or two. However, the reality facing Gary Whipp, president of Eastwinds Trading Co., is that a delay of a couple of days on a garment shipment from Thailand to O’Brien might cost him hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars. That’s why the Josephine County merchant says he’s willing to pay a premium price for his one or two monthly shipments to keep a customs agent on call at the Medford airport. "I’m up against a lot of deadlines and sometimes that makes all the difference in the world," Whipp says. "Clearing things in Portland slows shipments down by a couple of days. It’s worth it to me to pay $500 or $1,000 to keep customs (open in Medford). I could conceivably lose that much in canceled orders. It’s a lot less hassle. Aside from the shorter drive to Medford, the real advantage for Whipp or any merchant importing goods to the Rogue Valley is that the area is served by a single customs broker, Dennis Schrank. "It’s the difference between being a regular customer at the diner, where they know what you want and walking into a Denny’s in Kansas," Whipp says. If a broker gets confused about garments that are woven or knitted, it most likely creates delays. Bonded goods that come into the Portland airport are trucked to Medford, where they are reviewed and cleared. The critical issue is whether the paperwork is in order. Schrank, president of Summit Trade Systems Inc. and Rogue Customs Brokers, has handled the gamut of local customs activity for 8½ years. Imports range from Japanese beads headed for Klamath Falls to an Ashland firm that brings handicrafts and furniture from South Africa. There’s a company in Yreka that imports ammunition and parts from Australia, England and Germany. A Medford company imports electronic pest controllers from Hong Kong. Schrank says the highest volume of shipments headed into Southern Oregon come from Hong Kong and Thailand, although South America may supersede that volume in the future. He says the area has generated an average of $75,000 in duties and user fees over the past three years. At present no agent is permanently stationed here; they’re rotated in from Portland. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S