Frequently Asked Questions

Forward Systems Group is an ITAR-compliant, DDTC-registered freight forwarder and licensed customs broker headquartered in Doral, Florida. The company specializes in defense logistics, Foreign Military Sales, and aerospace supply chain movements by air, ocean, and road. That includes USML-controlled cargo, dangerous goods, and outsized platforms.

Forward Systems Group operates from 1503 NW 82nd Ave, Doral, FL 33126, minutes from Miami International Airport and PortMiami, inside the Miami logistics gateway that handles the majority of U.S. trade with Latin America and the Caribbean.

DDTC registration M28606, held as an FMS Freight Forwarder, for ITAR-controlled exports, IATA cargo agent accreditation 0111789, Federal Maritime Commission NVOCC license 024278NF, C-TPAT account 12723076, CAGE code 7DF25, and DUNS 068536970. The company also maintains current HAZMAT and dangerous goods certification and operates as a TSA Indirect Air Carrier.

Yes. Forward Systems Group is registered in SAM.gov under CAGE code 7DF25 and works both as a direct vendor to U.S. government agencies and as a logistics subcontractor to prime defense contractors.

The company ships worldwide, with particular depth in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Europe. Miami's freighter network and customs infrastructure make it the natural consolidation point for cargo moving to Central and South America.

Yes, and it is a significant part of the practice. FSG steps in when others fall short, resolving issues for businesses whose shipments were confiscated or delayed because of paperwork errors. We reconstruct the filing and work the release through to delivery.

For standard air and ocean movements, same business day in most cases. Movements requiring export licensing, dangerous goods review, or charter procurement need a classification and routing review first, which is scoped at the point of enquiry.

The Forward Systems Group team brings more than 66 years of combined experience in the export and import of controlled commodities.

Yes. We are licensed to transport firearms, ammunition, and related ordnance, and we manage the corresponding DDTC authorizations, ATF requirements, and IATA or IMDG dangerous goods documentation for the mode selected.

Yes. Forward Systems Group is registered in SAM.gov under CAGE code 7DF25 and works both as a direct vendor and as a logistics subcontractor to prime defense contractors.

FMS logistics is the transportation, licensing, and documentation of defense articles purchased by allied governments through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. It differs from commercial freight forwarding because every movement must align with the governing Letter of Offer and Acceptance and the applicable ITAR authorization.

Yes. Partner nations and their embassies routinely appoint Forward Systems Group as the designated freight forwarder for FMS and direct commercial sale cases, with authority to receive, consolidate, and export cargo on the purchaser's behalf.

Yes. We obtain DSP-61 temporary import authorizations to move foreign-origin defense articles through U.S. territory in full ITAR compliance. We did exactly that when we moved KFIR J79 engines from Colombia to Israel by way of the United States.

AOG stands for Aircraft on Ground, meaning an aircraft that cannot fly until a specific part arrives. AOG logistics is the expedited movement of that part, usually by next-flight-out air freight, an on-board courier, or a dedicated charter, with customs and export authorizations arranged in advance so nothing waits at the border.

Yes. Forward Systems Group has moved complete UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters internationally, including three airframes from West Palm Beach, Florida to Amman, Jordan aboard an Antonov An-124. We also move Black Hawk components, rotables, and ground support equipment.

For a part already cleared for export, next-flight-out tender out of Miami International Airport can put cargo in the air the same day. Movements requiring a new export authorization are governed by the licensing timeline, which is why we review classification before the part is picked, not after.

An Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) is a freight forwarder approved by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to tender cargo to passenger and all-cargo airlines. IAC status requires an approved security program, vetted personnel, and adherence to cargo screening standards. Forward Systems Group operates as a TSA-approved IAC.

Yes. We hold IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations certification and prepare shipper's declarations, packing, marking, and labeling for hazardous cargo including batteries, compressed gases, flammables, and Class 1 explosives where the routing and carrier permit.

Yes. We procure and manage full and part charters for outsized, urgent, or export-controlled cargo that cannot move on scheduled service. That runs from narrowbody freighters all the way up to Antonov An-124 heavy lift.

NVOCC stands for Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier. An NVOCC issues its own bills of lading and takes contractual responsibility for the cargo, but buys space from vessel operators rather than owning ships. NVOCCs operating in U.S. trades must be licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission. Forward Systems Group holds FMC license 024278NF.

A full container load means the shipment occupies an entire container, sealed at origin and opened at destination. A part container load shares a container with other consignments and is consolidated and deconsolidated at a container freight station. Full loads are generally preferred for controlled, high-value, or sensitive cargo because they limit handling and keep the consignment under a single seal.

Yes, provided the export authorization permits the routing. We verify every transshipment and call port against the license before booking, and we file the required AES/EEI records for the ocean movement.

Shippers and forwarders handling dangerous goods by air must hold current IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations training, renewed at least every 24 months. Ocean movements require IMDG Code training and U.S. road movements require 49 CFR HAZMAT training. Forward Systems Group maintains current certification across all three.

Yes. We move Class 1 explosives, ammunition, and ordnance under the applicable DDTC, ATF, and DOT authorizations, coordinating carrier acceptance, route approval, and secure escort where required.

Yes. We source UN-certified packaging and build custom export crates to specification in-house, including overpacks and cushioning engineered to the commodity.

Yes. Temperature-controlled storage is available at the Doral facility for components and commodities that cannot sit in ambient conditions. Tell us what the cargo is and the range it has to stay within, and we will confirm the arrangement before anything is received.

Yes. Defense articles awaiting an export authorization are held in access-controlled storage with documented custody, which is the position most export-controlled consignments need while a DSP-5 or a BIS licence is being worked. Forward Systems Group is DDTC-registered under M28606 and C-TPAT validated under account 12723076.

Yes. We provide inventory control, purchase order management, kitting, pick-pack, and outbound fulfillment, with reporting into the customer's own systems where that is required.

The facility is in Doral, roughly nine minutes from Miami International Airport and a short run from PortMiami. That is what allows cargo to be consolidated, held, and then tendered to a flight or a vessel on the same day.

White-glove art transportation covers custom crating built to the object, exclusive-use climate-controlled transport, trained art handlers, condition reporting at every transfer, and installation at destination. The artwork never shares a vehicle and is never handled by general freight staff.

Yes. We manage export and import customs clearance for artworks, including Temporary Importation under Bond and ATA carnets for touring exhibitions, so the work moves without incurring unnecessary duty.

ITAR compliance means meeting the requirements of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: registering with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls if you manufacture, export, or broker defense articles; obtaining an approved license or documented exemption before every export; screening end users; and maintaining records for five years. Violations carry civil penalties over one million dollars per violation and potential criminal liability.

ITAR covers defense articles and services on the United States Munitions List and is administered by the State Department. EAR covers dual-use and commercial items on the Commerce Control List and is administered by the Commerce Department. An item falls under one regime or the other, never both. Working out which one applies is called commodity jurisdiction.

Yes. Any U.S. person who manufactures, exports, temporarily imports, or brokers defense articles or defense services must register with DDTC under 22 CFR Part 122, and registration must be current at the time of export. Forward Systems Group holds DDTC registration M28606.

A DSP-61 is a license for the temporary import of unclassified defense articles into the United States. It is used when foreign-origin defense equipment transits U.S. territory on its way to a third country, or comes in for repair before being returned.

The Exporter of Record is the party legally responsible for a U.S. export: filing accurate Electronic Export Information, holding the required license or exemption, screening the parties, and retaining records for five years. It is normally the U.S. Principal Party in Interest, but in a routed export transaction a foreign buyer may appoint a U.S. agent to serve as EOR.

A routed export transaction is one where the foreign buyer, known as the Foreign Principal Party in Interest, takes responsibility for arranging transport out of the United States and authorizes a U.S. agent to facilitate the export. The authorization must be in writing, and it shifts specific filing responsibilities from the U.S. supplier to the appointed agent.

Yes. Forward Systems Group provides Exporter of Record services under its DDTC registration, including for foreign buyers without a U.S. legal presence and for USML-controlled cargo where the supplier is not itself registered.

Controlled Unclassified Information is government-created or government-owned information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls under law, regulation, or government-wide policy, but is not classified. In defense logistics, shipment routing, end-user identity, quantities, and technical data for controlled items are commonly designated CUI.

NIST Special Publication 800-171 is the standard defining security requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in nonfederal information systems. Revision 3 specifies 110 requirements across fourteen control families. DFARS clause 252.204-7012 makes compliance contractually binding for most DoD contractors and flows down to their subcontractors.

It applies to any subcontractor that processes, stores, or transmits Controlled Unclassified Information on behalf of a covered contractor. Because shipment documentation for defense programs routinely contains CUI, logistics providers are frequently in scope through DFARS flow-down.

C-TPAT is the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, a voluntary public-private program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Members implement and maintain documented supply chain security measures against CBP's minimum security criteria, and CBP validates those measures on site. In return, members receive reduced inspection rates and priority processing.

Cargo moving through a C-TPAT validated supply chain receives a lower risk score in CBP's targeting system, resulting in fewer examinations, shorter dwell times, and lower demurrage exposure. Members also receive priority processing when border operations resume after a disruption.

Yes. Forward Systems Group participates in C-TPAT under account number 12723076.

Email FSGsales@fsgmia.com or call the Doral office at 786-235-7188. For urgent and AOG movements outside office hours, call 786-877-9491.

Origin and destination, commodity description and part number, dimensions and weight, whether the item is USML or EAR controlled (or unknown), required delivery date, and the Incoterm if one has been agreed. If the classification is unknown, just say so. Working it out is part of the job.