FedEx makes international shipping easier

[August 9th 2000]

FedEx Corp. has launched FedEx Global Trade Manager, a free, Internet-based service aimed at helping small- and medium-sized businesses navigate the complex, fast-paced world of international commerce. FedEx Global Trade Manager can be used by U.S.-based customers who arrange shipments to or from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico. Additional countries will be brought online on a regular basis.

The FedEx Global Trade Manager guides merchants through the often-complicated process of international shipping. A recent Forrester Research report found that 85 percent of firms couldn't fill international orders because of the complexities of shipping across borders. Of the companies surveyed, 38 percent identified "distributing globally" as the biggest fulfilment challenge for 2001.

The simple wizard-based process helps shippers identify and prepare the appropriate import/export forms based on the commodity description and country of import or export. The application also alerts customers to restrictions on shipping certain commodities, whether the country of import or export is under embargo and provides information on some special licensing requirements.

"The FedEx Global Trade Manager can help open new markets and smooth a company's entrance into international shipping and trade by solving customs issues before they start," said David Roussain, vice president of electronic commerce marketing for FedEx. "FedEx Global Trade Manager is a valuable tool that reinforces our commitment to be a trusted provider of services to small- and medium-sized businesses."

FedEx Global Trade Manager is the latest addition to the portfolio of electronic commerce solutions offered by FedEx and follows the recent introduction of FedEx eCommerce Builder, a simple, fast and affordable way to manage an online store. These e-commerce solutions further demonstrate the company's commitment to help small and medium-sized businesses open new markets and operate more efficiently.

In addition to its comprehensive document determination capability and document library, the FedEx Global Trade Manager also includes FedEx International Resource Center, which provides a variety of timely information on customs and commodity requirements. The most frequently used areas of the IRC are:

• Searchable database of US laws & regulations and other Customs resources, which include Harmonized System (HS) Classifier and Schedule B lookup tools to find the correct classification codes for a specified product;

• Trade Broker, a qualified trade leads retrieval system that accesses a large database of international buy/sell offers;

• International Document Assistance, which helps customers complete the most commonly used U. S. export forms online.

Links
FedEx Global Trade Manager		http://www.fedex.com/us/