Utilizing Professional Networks To Solve Export Problems Internationally

Photo courtesy of The Northwest Seaport Alliance

​Allports’ Operational Excellence Manager and ECO Board Member Kiffani Iverson, shares how building lasting professional relationships can help local exporters and importers to build their companies globally.
In September of 2016, in response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) addition of the United States to the list of Zika-infected countries, China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) implemented a fumigation requirement for all cargo being imported from the US. At the time, the cargo Allports was facilitating was already on the water and being shipped to China and was not admitted into the country, causing uncertainty amongst exporters. Allports proceeded to utilize their network with their global agent partners to locate a local Chinese contact for their customers who could help navigate the new requirements on the importing of cargo from the west coast.
Another instance that Kiffani Iverson mentioned was the recent shipment of beans, peas, and lentils to India where the buyer walked away from the cargo that had arrived in-country. This issue required Allports to utilize their extensive network to contact an agent and work with the Oregon exporter to find a new buyer for the products and facilitate the necessary steps for the potential new buyer to get the product into the country with relative ease. The great professional relationships and swift actions steps showed this Oregon based Customs broker and freight forwarding company’s true excellence in providing service to exporters and importers.  

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Author

Kiffani Iverson is the Operational Excellence Manager at Allports' and an Export Council of Oregon and Southwest Washington board member. Kiffani's company is a great example of what local Oregon companies can accomplish internationally.