UPS announced it has acquired Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services, the world’s largest independent provider of global trade management services, on November 30, 2017.

“UPS customers tell us they are looking for a full suite of brokerage services, including trade management and advisory services, from a partner that can help them on a global basis,” said Jim Barber, President, UPS International. “As our customers’ global broker of choice, we can now offer a wider portfolio of services. Combining Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services with our existing UPS Trade Management Services provides customers with an even more powerful set of solutions designed to maximize their trade investments and minimize complexity, time and cost throughout their international trade operations.”

Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services’ 750 trade professionals provide services in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America and help clients comply with the ever-changing and complex rules, regulations and laws covering international trade. Almost 70 percent of the company’s employees work outside of the U.S., in strategic offices in cities such as Shanghai, Bengaluru, Aberdeen, Warsaw, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo. These additional locations will complement UPS Trade Management Services’ existing global operations in Hefei, Wroclaw, and Singapore. Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services also provides an advanced trade management technology platform that UPS will continue to build upon over time.

Building Comprehensive Global Trade Management Services

Earlier this year, UPS acquired Zone Solutions, which specializes in Foreign Trade Zone services. Zone Solutions brings UPS customers extensive expertise in navigating all aspects of FTZ operations, providing managed services (zone administration), systems implementation and consulting.

Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services and Zone Solutions enhance existing UPS solutions and add industry-leading trade management services to UPS’s global portfolio, forming a foundation the company will continue to build upon. Some of these solutions include: duty drawback; regulatory compliance; rules of origin determination; harmonized tariff schedule classification; export control classification; order management and free trade agreement qualification and verification, and more.  All such services all designed to free up UPS customers’ resources and improve their bottom line and supply chain velocity.