May 5, 2020 Dear Member: The ACMA releases the data from our survey on how the catalog/online/DM industry has coped with the COVID-19 crisis; namely, how merchants got through the first full month of the lockdown, how they are adapting to it internally, and what their long-term plans are. The results show how hard our […]
May 1, 2020 Dear Member: If you import any personal protective equipment or medical devices, you’ll be interested to know that the US Trade Representative (USTR) is now evaluating the merits of individual exemption filings on the basis of companies responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The USTR last month announced that it […]
April 21, 2020 Dear Member: On April 21st, Congressional leaders and the White House reached a deal to replenish the various loan programs under the Small Business Administration (SBA). As a summary, the Paycheck Protection Program Increase Act of 2020 (PPIA) would add: $310 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); $75 billion in assistance for […]
April 20, 2020 Dear Member: On April 18th, President Trump signed an Executive Order to provide additional economic support for U.S. businesses, including critical supply chains for U.S. manufacturers, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order gives the Administration the flexibility to allow for a 90-day deferment period on certain payments for importers […]
April 17, 2020 Dear Member: On April 16th, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced that the Paycheck Protection Program has hit the program’s $349 billion loan cap and will not be accepting any more loan applications or enrolling new lenders. Accordingly, SBA is now waiting for Congress to provide additional funding for […]
April 17, 2020 Dear Member: We hope you are well and weathering this storm. I’d like to provide an update on what we are hearing and working on: Catalog Industry Status During COVID-19 Lockdown Our merchant membership basically segments into two groups: a) those who are cutting mail circulation because sales are up, but they […]