China Dethrones Germany as Top Goods Exporter

In 2007, China replaced Germany as the world's third largest economy. Soon, it will become the world's second largest economy, replacing Japan. It'll probably be a while before it replaces the U.S. as the world's largest economy, but that could happen too.

In another major milestone, China has now officially become the world's largest exporter, replacing Germany. China exported $957 billion worth of goods in the first 10 months of 2009, overtaking Germany's $917 billion.

China Dethrones Germany as Top Goods Exporter - WSJ.com

New U.S. Import Documentation Required Soon

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is implementing a new security feature effective January 26. The "ISF" or "Importer Security Filing" includes 10 elements about the importer of record and 2 elements about the carrier, so it's called a 10+2 filing. The information isn't onerous, it's basic stuff like buyer, seller, HTS number, and so forth. Failing to comply is not good, though, because the fines are pretty stiff: $5000 to $10,000 for each violation. Hit the link for more information.