Saudi Arabia has become a popular export destination for UK goods to be shipped to.  Mercator has recently seen a surge in enquiries and business for shipping from the UK to Saudi Arabia.  As such, we have experience in export shipments to Saudi Arabia from the UK.

The most popular mode of transport for shipping to Saudi Arabia we have seen is sea freight.  Most vessels calling at Damman and Jeddah operate from the UK sea freight ports of Southampton and Tilbury.  Typical sea freight transit shipping time is 28 days Damman, some fast services can get to Jeddah in about 11 days.

If you have a shipment ready to send to Saudi Arabia, there are a few things that are worth considering before you decide whether to send the cargo sea freight or air freight:

Another consideration is whether you need UK haulage to get your goods to the sea freight port or airport.  Generally if you are shipping a full container then customers ask us to arrange collection of the goods, but if you are sending a small load via air freight, you might want to deliver the shipment to our warehouse nearby the origin airport, where it can be packed ready for transit (do ask us about this service when you enquire).

When your shipment arrives in Saudi Arabia, there’s its onward journey to consider.  If you are selling the cargo to a customer, you may wish to arrange delivery to their door – with our contacts in Saudi Arabia we are able to arrange this for you, but some customers expect to collect the shipment from the port themselves.  It is worth checking with your customer what they expect or want you to take care of before any shipping arrangements are made.

Please get in contact to discuss shipping to Saudi Arabia and to obtain a quote, we are a freight forwarder with many years experience, and particular experience in exporting to Saudi Arabia from the UK – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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The shipping vessel Zim Rotterdam, made a stop at London Gateway last week. The vessel holds over 10,000 TEU (the equivalent of 20 foot shipping containers) and is said to be the largest ship to enter the River Thames. Situated on the north bank of the Thames, the UK’s new sea freight port isn’t meant to officially open until later this year.

The shipping vessel was on its transit from Asia, and was heading to Felixstowe. A fire on board prompted the unexpected stop at the new London sea freight port for repairs and to discharge its shipping container loads.

When the sea port London Gateway opens in November, it is predicted that the terminal will handle over 3.5 million TEU per year. This is almost on par with Felixstowe port, which handled 3.7 million TEU in 2012, which accounts for almost 40% of all container traffic in the UK.

London Gateway is expected to become a popular calling sea freight port for many shipping vessels for the UK because of its proximity to one of Europe’s largest logistics parks. Container traffic will be able to travel to here where there are options for warehousing, distribution and assembly, along with onward transit options (including sea, air and road freight). This idea aims to reduce unnecessary mileage of empty containers and reduce costs for distributors.

Mercator will be offering services into and out of London Gateway once the sea port has officially opened. We can arrange full sea freight options, or arrange for your cargo to travel to the port, or arrange for customs clearance and delivery via road or rail to you in the UK.

Call Mercator Cargo if you are looking for an experienced freight forwarder to handle your UK import or export via sea freight – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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If you are searching for a freight forwarder to ship your goods to New York, then look no further.  Mercator Cargo is a well-established freight forwarder that has been in operation for over 20 years.  We have a small, but expert team to help you ship your goods to New York, USA.  We regularly ship customers’ goods to New York from the UK, so are well placed to handle your shipment.

There are a few options when it comes to shipping to New York from the UK.  The first decision to make is whether your goods should transit via sea or air.  The most obvious difference is, of course, the time scales.  For example a typical shipment time from UK to New York is around 7 to 10 days from Southampton or Felixstowe Docks.  Whereas an air shipment to New York from the UK takes a matter of hours.

If your load to be shipped to New York is particularly big (i.e. 20 foot or 40 foot container), and not very urgent, then you might consider a shipment via sea freight (as this generally will be a better priced option compared to air freight depending on cargo size).  However, if you have an urgent shipment, or a particularly small shipment (i.e. a light pallet), then air freight might be more favourable.

Once your goods arrive in New York, they will need to be cleared through customs, this is a service we can also offer, in partnership with our agents based in New York.  We can then arrange for your shipment to be delivered to its final destination in the USA.

If you have some goods to be shipped from the UK to New York contact us today to discuss your requirements and obtain a quotation – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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As an experienced freight forwarder, Mercator Cargo handles regular air and sea freight shipments to Australia.  Generally, sea freight shipping to Australia can take up to 50 days, depending upon which port the vessel calls at.  Some vessels will call by several ports, whilst others will just stop at one or two, for example Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane, to name a few.

Our local partner in Australia has handled many shipments in conjunction with Mercator Cargo.  The benefit of having a freight forwarding point of contact in Australia is their local knowledge and abilities to arrange a ‘to door’ shipment once arrived in Australia.

Shipping to Sydney, for example, can be arranged whereby your cargo is loaded onto a vessel which calls at Sydney, to reduce trucking time.  Once your container shipment has arrived in Sydney, arrangements to deliver the cargo to its final destination can be implemented.

Australia is a vast country, and whereas, for example, if you are shipping goods into the UK, there isn’t a great difference if the vessel calls at Southampton or Felixstowe, the difference between Perth and Brisbane is vast.  It is best to arrange for your shipping to Australia to arrive at the port nearest the cargo’s final destination.

We can also arrange air freight shipping to Australia, arriving in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Adelaide.  Air freight takes 24 hours from leaving London to arriving in Australia.  Obviously air freight comes at a premium, so unless the shipment for Australia is urgent, or much smaller than a pallet or container, then sea freight tends to be the method of transit most choose.

Upon your shipments arrival in the Australian port, the cargo will be checked, along with the documents, packing list, and cleared through customs.  Depending upon what has been agreed with your buyer, there may be GST and duty to pay to clear the shipment through customs.

If you’re looking for someone to handle your shipping to Australia, then give us a call and speak to our exports department, where someone will be able to assist you – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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Using a freight forwarder to handle your import or export shipment might not be as costly as you think.

Firstly, freight forwarders have good contacts with various hauliers and shipping lines.  Freight forwarders understand their industry, and their suppliers.  Shopping around for the best price is standard practice here at Mercator Cargo, we obtain the best price for our customers.  Using a freight forwarder can have this advantage, if you consider a potential shipment, where would you start?  Would you ring around lots of suppliers to get the best price?  Would you know which supplier offers which route or service?  Mercator Cargo knows, and that’s why we are able to shop around for the most competitive price for you.

Would you know to ask suppliers if prices they gave you included this service, or that service?  A freight forwarder can help you in this aspect, the price given will be the price paid.  If you know your costs upfront, you can then work on your profit margins; how much do you need to sell this for to make a decent profit taking into account your shipping costs?

Finally, utilising a freight forwarder can prevent mistakes, thus saving money.  For example, if a document is not in the right place at the right time, your shipment may have to be held on quay, or in storage, which can be costly.  Putting your freight into trusting hands can alleviate this possibility of further costs incurred due to delays.

If you’re looking for a freight forwarder to take control of your shipping for you , then call us today to discuss your shipments – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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Mercator Cargo has been running for over twenty years now and is still run and managed by the same founding family.  Mr Paul (our MD) has been in the industry for almost forty years, and our imports and exports team have extensive knowledge of the freight forwarding industry.

Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder.  But what does this mean to you as the import or export customer?  Traditionally, independent freight forwarders have had the means and the advantage of offering their customers a high quality personal service.

An independent freight forwarding outfit has excellent capabilities of being flexible with their customers, and the ability to be agile and respond quickly to their customers’ need for convenience.  By having this valuable service, good rapport with customers, and formed links with other independent freight forwarders (via a global network), independent freight forwarders have the ability to offer just as comprehensive freight forwarding service, if not a better service than larger logistics companies.

The advantage of an independent freight forwarder being a part of a global network, is also something which can set apart one forwarder from another.  Mercator Cargo is a founding partner of the independent freight forwarder network Marco Polo Line.  The global network is made up of other independent freight forwarders from all around the world.  The advantage of being part of this network includes having personal contacts in almost every country in the world, local knowledge around the globe, ability to offer door-to-door services in most countries, and tried and tested worldwide partners.

Independent freight forwarders, such as Mercator Cargo, have traditional strengths of innovative and bespoke premium services, teamed with the added value of thorough knowledge of their clients businesses and service.

If you’re looking for a reliable service from an independent freight forwarder, then call us today to discuss your shipping needs – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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Shipping containers have been used since the 1950s when they were invented by an American trucking businessman.  Since then, freight forwarders, importers and exporters have used shipping containers for the transit of all kinds of goods.

Prior to freight forwarders using 40 foot or 20 foot containers, ships hulls were loaded manually by dock workers, box by box, piece by piece.  This is a time consuming job, and sometimes these big shipping liners spent more time at the docks than they did at sea.

Now, using shipping containers, freight forwarders can get their cargo off the shipping liners within hours, rather than weeks.  Their uniformed sizes mean that they can be easily transferred from ship to dockside, to truck, to train, and so on.

These rather simple developments in freight forwarding have dramatically decreased costs involved in importing and exporting goods.

If you have a full container load, or even a less than container load, of cargo to be exported or imported, then get in touch today to discuss our freight forwarding services available – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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If you are new to importing or exporting from the UK, you may be wondering what a freight forwarder does, what their role with your company should be, what they can offer, and what the responsibilities of the importer/exporter (i.e. you) versus the freight forwarder are.

To cut the jargon, the freight forwarder (the person or company that you appoint to handle your shipment) will do just that – they will handle your shipment for you. Freight forwarders oversee the worldwide movement of goods from country to country, and can offer services such as packing, documentation and customs clearance on behalf of exporters and importers.

Your freight forwarder should be able to offer any kind of level of service you require. For example, if you are completely new to importing and exporting your goods, you may wish your freight forwarder to arrange all aspects of your shipment. This might include a door-to-door delivery (i.e. arrange the collection of goods, and delivery of goods to the door for your chosen destination), insurance, customs clearance, and all services required to deliver goods from one country to the next. However, you may decide that you only wish for a delivery from door to port, or from port to door, and so on. Mercator can offer either a fully comprehensive freight forwarding service, or arrange smaller aspects of your shipment.

So what kind of role do you wish your freight forwarder to have with your company? Again, this entirely depends on your needs and the needs of your business. If you are a first time importer, or exporter, you may wish to make initial contact with your freight forwarder before committing to any international trade with other companies. Mercator Cargo can offer you advice on buying terms from abroad, provide quotes for exports from the UK so you can inform your buyers, and also advise what you can or cannot import from country to country. Our experienced team of freight forwarders can offer as much “hand holding” as you require.

What are your responsibilities, and what are our responsibilities? In a nut shell, our responsibilities are to get your goods to its destination for you as instructed, to inform you every step of the way of your shipment, and to provide reliable advice relating to your shipment. Your responsibilities as an importer or exporter vary from shipment to shipment.  You are required to declare your goods accurately (i.e. if a declaration is made on your behalf as instructed, and it is not accurate, you are liable for this, not the freight forwarder), therefore it is essential you advise your freight forwarder of the accurate nature of your goods.

If you think that you might need the services of a freight forwarder, then give us a call, we will be happy to discuss your freight forwarding needs with you – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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