Mercator regularly handles air freight from Japan to the UK on behalf of our customers. We were recently appointed to complete an import air freight from Japan of 2 pallets. Our customer had purchased the goods on an ex works (EXW) incoterm, and so we were asked to orchestrate the shipment from door to door.
Thanks to our founding membership of MarcoPoloLine (a global freight forwarder network), we were able to connect with our partner agent in Tokyo, who arranged directly with the seller of the goods the collection and delivery to the airline, along with air freight from Japan to London Heathrow.
The commercial goods being shipped from Japan to the UK were hazardous in nature and therefore required a MSDS (material safety data sheet) in order to be accepted by the airline for transit. A MSDS is a document which the manufacturer of the goods will be able to supply if you are dealing with hazardous goods for international transportation.
Once the two pallets of air freight from Japan arrived at London Heathrow, our import team handled the customs clearance and delivery to our customer door. In this instance there was only import VAT to pay on the goods which our customer requested to be filed under PVA (postponed VAT accounting).
If you have goods for shipping from Japan to the UK either by air or sea freight, get in touch with our import team who will be happy to assist you with a quote, please have the dimensions, weight, pick up and delivery postcodes on hand. You can contact the team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
Firstly, let’s recap what a freight forwarder is. A freight forwarder handles cargo on behalf of importers and exporters. A freight forwarder arranges transportation on behalf of companies, via sea, air or road freight.
Freight forwarders work directly with companies that are importing or exporting. They act as the intermediary between these “shippers” and the providers of the transport (shipping lines, airlines, hauliers etc). Companies like Mercator handle international transportation by sea freight, air freight and road freight. A freight forwarder may also have the ability to handle customs clearances in their own country (like Mercator handles UK customs clearances).
A freight forwarder is like an outsourced department working in conjunction with your business to handle your import and export shipping for you.
If you are looking for a new freight forwarder to help with your shipping, whether it is UK exports or UK imports, then get in touch with our team who will be glad to help you with a quote. Our team can be reached by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
Aside from utilising bio fuels or hybrid engines, shipping line Hapag Lloyd has come up with an alternative idea, designed to use wind power to assist propulsion, the concept has, you guessed it, sails. The project is a vehicle towards sustainable shipping.
The container ship is designed to hold 4,500 TEU and has 8 sails, with a total of 3,000 square meters of sail surface. The idea is still under development and testing, but it could offer an interesting alternative to electric, hybrid or alternative fuel vessels. The shipping container vessel would be mainly propelled by its engine, and aided in propulsion by the sails, depending on the weather conditions. It is hoped that given the right weather conditions, the sails might be able to propel the entire vessel without the aid of the engines.
The concept of sails on a large vessel is not unique, and has already been piloted thanks to a collaboration of technology companies.
Due to the recent attacks in the Red Sea on merchant containerships, the majority of shipping lines have made the decision to divert their routes to avoid the Suez Canal. This alternative route schedule affects vessels which carry import and export cargo to and from Europe, in particular from China.
The alternative route is around the Cape of Good Hope which adds on anything from 7 to 20 days extra transit time on shipments that would ordinarily utilise the Suez Canal. This means that a shipment from China to the UK now can take up to 50 days.
The most obvious knock-on-effect to global trade is the increase in transit time from the far east to the UK. There will also be further repercussions down the line, such as blank sailings (when a schedule is changed to not stop at some ports), issues with empty containers in the wrong places, increased demand for alternative shipping modes and routes (such as air freight if you cannot wait the extra transit time, or seeking alternative exports such as manufacturers in Turkey), and more immediately, an increase in costs due to surcharges and insurance rises.
The situation is changing all the time, and each individual shipping line is making their own decisions as to how to manage the situation. We will be contacting all our customers who have shipments on the water that are affected by these developments.
If you have a shipment that is ready to go from China, then get in touch with our team for a quote and the latest information regarding shipping times. Our team can be contacted by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
The MarcoPoloLine conference in Toronto, Canada was a successful event for UK based freight forwarder, Mercator. As founding members of the freight forwarding network, we have been in attendance for all 14 conferences since 2008, and this was the biggest event yet with over 200 attendees from across the globe.
Mark represented Mercator this year and conducted meetings with members from across the globe including South Korea, USA, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Poland, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Canada and Chile.
These events offer a great opportunity to meet the people that we deal with regularly in business, sometimes on a daily basis. It allows our team to form bonds with freight forwarders from all over the world, making our contacts more like work colleagues and friends.
Mercator’s relationships with other freight forwarders around the world allows us to offer our customers more comprehensive shipping services, whether it is a requirement for an EXW shipment for import into the UK, or a DAP export shipment out of the UK. Our connections benefit our customers, allowing just one point of contact here in the UK and a seamless service no matter where in the world your cargo is.
You can contact our team on (+44) 02392 756 575, email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or complete the form below and someone will be in touch.
You need to appoint a freight forwarder, but have no idea where to start looking? We have some hints and tips for you of things to look out for when navigating the world of freight forwarding.
This might seem obvious, but if you’re in the UK, appoint a forwarder who is also in the UK. It makes things much simpler – language, time zones, understanding how UK imports or exports work, etc.
This is a pretty standard one, but if you don’t know what to look for, you might miss it. Go for a freight forwarder who is a member of BIFA (British International Freight Association). Members of BIFA adhere to certain trading standards and have clear trading conditions protecting everyone involved.
A reputable forwarder will be a member of a worldwide network. This is beneficial to you as an importer or exporter because they can draw on local knowledge and assistance for your shipment no matter where the destination or origin. It also indicates that they are serious about establishing their business contacts throughout the world, you can benefit from these relationships.
A well-established company will have a proven track record, key connections within the freight industry, and the reach and experience required to handle international shipping effectively.
In order to be able to complete UK customs clearances in house, your freight forwarder will need to have the software, licences and subscriptions at the major UK sea freight ports. Having a forwarder who can complete their own customs clearances streamlines the process and ultimately puts the onus on them to complete them in a timely and accurate manner.
Give the company a call to see what their call handling is like, there is nothing more frustrating than being in a queue, or a call just ringing out when you urgently need to speak to someone.
Ensure you choose a freight forwarder with some consideration. If you choose wisely they will become an outsourced department for your company, helping you with your international shipments.
Mercator has been in business for over 30 years, all our staff are experienced in freight forwarding (all of whom have spent the majority of their careers in the industry). We are founding members of the freight network MarcoPoloLine and long standing members of BIFA (British International Freight Association). We have the knowledge, experience and connections to handle international shipments in a professional and efficient manner. We pride ourselves on our customer service on the belief that a happy customer will be a repeat customer.
Contact our team today for a quote for your international shipment: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or call (+44) 02392 756 575.
A shipment is cross trade when the route does not pass through the country that the seller is locally based in. Sometimes known as “triangular operations”, cross trade shipments are usually handled by a freight forwarder, who coordinates the logistics. Cross trade shipments can be transported by sea, air or road freight.
You are a UK based company, you have sold some goods which are manufactured in the USA to a company based in Europe. In some instances it would be inappropriate to import those goods from the USA into the UK, and then re-export them to Europe. Cross trade allows you to ship the goods direct from the USA in to Europe, saving time, money and emissions.
There is no rule to say you need a freight forwarder for your cross trade shipment. It is a good idea to appoint a freight forwarder, they will have the contacts at the origin and destination to assist you with your cross trade shipping. It is with these contacts that the shipment will be able to go ahead, and also you will benefit from the local knowledge of these other freight forwarders.
Look for a freight forwarder who has been in the market for some years, has official trade affiliations, is a member of a global network to ensure the reach and connections your business requires, and answers the phone when you call! (Nothing more frustrating than not being able to speak to a person when you would like to).
Mercator is a freight forwarder that has been assisting UK businesses with their shipping requirements since 1991. We are members of BIFA and FIATA (freight forwarding associations) and a founding member of MarcoPoloLine (a global freight network with over 350 members across the world). As to answering the phone, try us, we are in the office 9-5 Monday-Friday: (+44) 02392 756575.
If you need some help with a cross trade shipment, or would like a quote, please contact us either by calling: (+44) 02392 756575, email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk, or by completing the form below. We will be happy to assist you.
Freight forwarder Mercator was asked to arrange the export air freight of 40 crates of engineering equipment. The export freight was collected from door in the UK and delivered to the airline at London Heathrow airport. Mercator also handled the export customs clearance, ensuring all paperwork was present and correct, and the customs clearance had completed ahead of the scheduled departure.
The goods were delivered to the airline, ready for screening and to be loaded onto the aircraft, in this instance the shipment was air freighted to Qatar on multiple passenger aircraft flights. Once in Qatar, the export air freight continued its journey to Mumbai on one single freighter aircraft.
The UK exports a significant amount of engineering equipment and machinery around the world. Whether you have a consignment which is time sensitive and needs to transit via air freight for speed, or you have an oversized, out of gauge piece of machinery which needs extra care and attention when arranging the export sea freight, Mercator’s team is well placed to handle the process for you. We have been arranging UK imports and exports since founding in 1991. Our freight forwarding services cover all modes (air, sea & road freight) and all industries. We can even handle dangerous goods.
Contact our export freight team today for a quote or discuss your export shipping requirements, we will be glad to assist. Please email us Sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or telephone: (+44) 02392 756 575. Alternatively complete the form below and someone will be in touch shortly.
10, St George’s Business Centre,
St Georges Square,
Portsmouth, PO1 3EZ, UK
Mercator is a family-run, UK based independent freight forwarder, offering highly effective sea, road and air freight services around the world.
