There are a host of risks business owners need to prepare for when running their day to day. Resource shortages, employee issues, competition, and regulatory pressure are just a few of the onslaught of challenges most business owners must deal with. Sometimes these are daily fires which can be quickly dealt with using operating procedures and prep plans, and at times these occurrences are surprises, causing significant delays and outages or even an entire restructuring of how a business operates.
Regulatory pressure, in particular, has the potential to create a heightened level of chaos and uncertainty in a business which, in turn, can lead to a hard shift in vision and focus, or worse, the company having to close down. Over the last 18 months we’ve seen the effect that unexpected catastrophe and government regulation can have on the backbone of commerce, and it’s caused many business owners across the planet to take pause and really evaluate how they operate, if it’s still sustainable, and if they are truly in line with their vision. As a result, we have seen many beloved businesses rebrand and change, relocate, significantly downsize, or disappear altogether. Without a proper contingency plan in place, government regulation can seriously impede your ability to run your business efficiently and deliver to your customers and clients as expected.
Under Biden’s presidency, the rules and regulations the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uphold have become significantly stricter. Let’s take a look at the EPA’s mission, where we stand today with current regulations, and how companies like ITC Diligence Inc. use creative solutions to navigate sudden law changes and government pressure when it is applied unexpectedly.
The EPA was officially started by President Nixon in 1970, when the first chairman of the agency took office on December 4th. Under Chairman William Ruckelshaus, the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency was made clear: “To protect human health by safeguarding the air we breathe, water we drink and land on which we live.” This vision has carried the EPA from a small budding agency into a massive arm of the government that is consulted on pretty much every policy that gets voted on. Today, the EPA reaches every sector of business and touches on all trade done here in the US, ensuring that operations meet stringent guidelines to protect both the planet and its inhabitants.
In August of 2021, the EPA proposed a revised Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) standard for passenger vehicles and light trucks model years 2023-2026. These new standards hope to achieve the goals of reducing the costs of fuel while giving increased public health and welfare benefits. In addition, electric vehicle manufacturing companies are incentivized when today’s technology is used to achieve the future goal of lower greenhouse gas emissions. These incentives will continue until 2026, when the EPA is expected to create more stringent or permanent benchmarks. Automakers and light truck manufacturers across the globe will need to make sure their new vehicles follow these guidelines if they will be sold here in the United States. This all sounds fantastic in helping achieve the goal of a cleaner and healthier planet but fails to account for the needs of many business owners and how these sudden changes impact their immediate lives.
In one such case, a cargo company had anchored a barge offshore and was awaiting customs clearance with 40 containers worth of goods on this ship. Before these goods could be delivered, the EPA changed regulatory requirements which affected all the cargo on board this particular ship. As a result they were stranded, without many answers. The labels that were used during shipment that had been fine previously, were now outdated and no longer up to the required standard. ITC Diligence Inc. was contacted for help since they have been providing creative solutions to cargo shipping companies in situations like this for more than three decades. The strategy here was to move the containers into a Foreign Trade Zone, where it can be held with zero or reduced customs fees for as long as needed. While the containers were being stored, new EPA labels were applied for, allowing these products to be delivered without much delay at all. In this situation, the EPA still has their guidelines met and the client still gets to honor the promises they made with their customers. ITC Diligence Inc. was instrumental in orchestrating this arrangement and was able to help this business owner continue to operate their day to day with peace of mind. A leader in using FTZ’s to help navigate unexpected regulatory changes or burdensome border customs fees, ITC Diligence Inc. is committed to making sure you get your products received or delivered on time. By consulting ITC Diligence Inc., you tap into decades of experience combined with creative planning and expert execution.
Your business must continue to operate, regardless of what the future holds. When government reach creates challenges in your cargo business, ITC Diligence Inc. is the only partner you need to help weather the storm.
