KPMG BUYS CUSTOMS INFORMATION DATABASE

KPMG BUYS CUSTOMS INFORMATION DATABASE    KPMG LLP has expanded the service offerings of its Trade & Customs practice by acquiring CUSTOMS Info, a customs reference information CD-ROM and Web site, from Fuglei & Associates.
   CUSTOMS Info includes a range of trade and customs reference materials, and has one of the largest electronic collections of U.S. Customs rulings commercially available, KPMG said. The product is aimed at helping importers to accurately classify their goods, comply with import rules, and speed the customs clearance process.
   “The acquisition of CUSTOMS Info comes at a time when customs controls are a focal point for companies importing parts and other goods into the U.S.,” said Jeffrey C. LeSage, KPMG’s partner in charge of International Corporate Services, which includes the Trade & Customs practice.
   “The comprehensive CUSTOMS info database nicely complements KPMG’s Trade & Customs practice advisory services, which provide cost-effective strategies for cross-border trade for leading importers and exporters,” LeSage said.
   “The CUSTOMS Info team is very excited about the upcoming opportunities this acquisition provides,” said Bruce Fuglei, founder and president of Fuglei & Associates, based in Missoula, Mont. “This is a great fit.”
   CUSTOMS Info is marketed to more than 800 subscribers and 3,000 licensed users, including importers, exporters, customs brokers and attorneys. The Web-site for the product is https://www.customsinfo.com .
   Fuglei will support KPMG as an advisor to the Trade & Customs practice. KPMG plans to enhance CUSTOMS Info’s “interactivity” and to migrate its CD-ROM users, which make up about 80 percent of the subscribers, to a Web version. KPMG will also target CUSTOMS Info at import and logistics departments of large companies, customs brokers, customs and trade attorneys and customs consultants.