They call it "free" trade, but the price of failing to properly manage one's imports and exports can be dangerously high.

Livingston International, a customs broker and provider of trade-compliance services, has expanded its global trade management (GTM) offering in India and Brazil.

A new year, and with it a new slew of regulations and stepped-up enforcement of international trade law. Brace yourself.

For international traders who are sick of filing documents with multiple regulatory agencies, help is on the way.

Spreadsheets and manual processes weren't sufficient to allow the global logistics provider to reconcile inventories within its FTZs. It needed a single platform to provide the necessary integration and visibility.

When it comes to assessing supply-chain risk and opportunity in emerging markets, the landscape never stops changing.

Many of today's customs house brokers rely on legacy systems. Increasingly, new Customs and Border Protection rules and regulations are challenging the capacity of these systems. Beyond just functional limitations, many firms are finding that older technology can be expensive to operate and maintain. Sometimes, maintenance demands are so great that in-house IT staff must focus all their time and energy on keeping these systems operational. Real risks accompany the decision to stick with older systems.

All the best intentions in the world can't guarantee that a company is complying with the volumes of laws and regulations that govern international trade.

There is a whole series of new regulatory concerns by companies doing business in global markets. Tony Leto, chief executive officer with iTRAC Global, helps us to understand the most critical ones.