Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder, based in the UK in Portsmouth. Having been running for over twenty years, with the same management in situ, Mercator has a wealth of experience in importing goods into the UK via various ports. As an independent business, still run and owned by the same family, we are able to offer our customers a comprehensive customer service, and offer different levels of freight forwarding services depending upon your requirements.
From some locations, your vessel may only call at one port in the UK, in which case, you do not need to worry about making a decision as to which port to use.
Depending on where you are importing from, you may choose to import your goods into the UK via the Port of Southampton. Located on the South Coast of England, with good transport links, it may be your preferred choice for your cargo to be unloaded into the UK.
We also operate the majority of our UK imports through Felixstowe and Tilbury (often preferred choices of container ports for deliveries further North). Both with excellent transport links, and capacities to handle a great deal of cargo on a daily basis.
Your choice of import container port in the UK may also take into account sailing times of the vessel your cargo is on. Some vessels will just call at one container port in the UK, whereas others may call at several. Which port they call at first, may be your choice of unloading if you wish to have your goods in the UK slightly sooner.
If you’re looking for an independent freight forwarder to handle your UK import, then call us today to discuss your requirements – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
A new container port is due to open later this year on the north bank of the River Thames. London Gateway is said to be the UK’s first deep water shipping port, and one of Europe’s largest centres for logistics.
As container ships grow in size, London Gateway will be an ideal choice when using these larger container liners for importing and exporting from the UK.
The port will increase the UK’s container handling capacities, and is aiming to be one of the most efficient ports in the UK. Alternative ports in the UK currently include Felixstowe, Southampton, Hull and Liverpool. The new container port will add 3.5 million TEU (equivalent 20 foot containers) to the UK’s container handling capacity.
Record-breaking cranes were recently delivered to the London Port. Five in total, these cranes will be able to handle the world’s largest container vessels. The cranes are said to be taller than the London Eye, and can reach further than is currently required when loading and unloading the largest of the container vessels currently sailing. This will ensure the port’s future, as container ships are becoming larger all the time. The cranes will be able to reach across 25 containers on the container ships, and will lift up to 80 tons at a time.
Container ships have currently grown to hold up to 18,000 TEU (compared with just 6,000 TEU, 50 years ago).
If you’re looking for a freight forwarder to handle your shipment from or to the UK, get in touch.
Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
It is advised that you appoint an experienced freight forwarder when you import goods from China, the Far East or the Indian-Subcontinent. It is quite a well-known issue that if you rely on your supplier to arrange the shipment when the goods arrive into the UK there are extra higher charges payable.
Why does this happen? When the supplier of the goods arranges the shipment to the UK, they will contact a UK based agent to accept the shipment. In return for this, the supplier will expect ‘remuneration in kind’ – these are extra charges, and ultimately it is the UK importer who will have to stump up the bill.
It is essential that if you wish to import goods from either China, the Far East or the Indian-Subcontinent, that you choose a reliable freight forwarder who can ‘take control of your cargo and charges’.
What does this mean in plain English? By nominating Mercator Cargo as your UK based freight forwarder to take the whole shipment from origin either under FOB (an INCO term ‘free on board’) or EX Work Terms, and avoiding CIF Terms (cost insurance freight – where the shipper pays/arranges the freight), in other words taking ‘full control of your shipment’ and letting us arrange the freight, there will not be any unexpected higher charges upon arrival.
For example, we recently shipped in some goods from Pakistan for a customer – for one of the containers we were given ‘control’ and we arranged the full shipment from the door in Pakistan, to the port, via ocean freight and onwards to the door in the UK. The same customer had another shipment from Pakistan of a similar size from the same supplier in the same origin, however they decided to allow their supplier to arrange the shipment under CIF Terms. Using this option, they incurred an invoice for the UK port charges and local UK delivery fees, not including ocean freight, which came to 75% of the invoice total of our full door-to-door shipment from Pakistan to the UK. In other words, they paid too much in charges for their shipment.
If you decide to appoint Mercator as your freight forwarder and give us ‘control’ of your cargo you could save yourself money. Don’t get ripped off by another option which might look cheaper, because in the long run, it is likely that it will not be cheaper. If you switch to FOB or EX Works and choose us to be your freight forwarder starting from at least the ocean freight, you can eliminate any ‘surprise’ charges and you could save your business money and avoid headaches when the cargo does not arrive on time, and costs you more than it should.
Contact Mercator before you agree on your buying terms. If you buy on CIF (cost insurance freight – where the shipper pays/arranges the freight) you are at risk of paying too much for the service you are receiving.
So give us a call to speak to a member of the imports team and discuss how we can take control of your import shipment and most importantly your charges so they don’t get out of hand – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder, based in the UK. Having been operating for over twenty years, we regularly arrange export shipments to the USA from the UK.
Direct sea freight shipments from the UK to the USA depart from a number of UK ports, including Liverpool, Southampton, Thamesport and Felixstowe. Each of these departure ports have direct sailings to different parts of the USA.
Sea freight transit times vary from 7 days sailing to New York, to 31 days sailing to Los Angeles via the Panama Canal.
There are daily departures for air freight direct to various airports in the USA, including New York, Chicago, Texas and Miami.
As founding members of the global network Marco Polo Line (MPL), we have contacts with various freight forwarders across the USA. These connections allow us to offer a comprehensive door-to-door service across the States.
For exports to the USA from the UK, documentation needs to be prepared no less than three days prior to vessel departures.
So if you’re looking for an experienced freight forwarder to handle your export shipment to the USA, then give us a call – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Are you exhibiting at the International Food and Drink Exhibition (IFE) this year?
Are you hoping to meet some new suppliers/buyers?
How would you feel if they were based outside the UK? Perhaps you have never dealt with imports or exports, you might feel this situation would be daunting, or you may have had difficulties in this area in the past.
Mercator Cargo is visiting IFE, represented by Paul (our MD) and (hopefully*) James (*his wife is expecting their first a few weeks following the exhibition – if their baby arrives early you may spot him as the man with the biggest grin on his face!).
Paul has been running Mercator Cargo for over twenty years and been in the freight forwarding industry for almost 40. The firm’s experiences in shipping food stuffs include coffee, noodles, sauces, jarred and canned goods, seeds, pastes, rice, oils, juices, flours, and food grains.
Paul’s son, James, joined the exports team in 2009, and has grown into his role, overseeing the majority of our complex food logistics (including peanuts, curry pastes, and rice).
Not only do the team at Mercator have the necessary experience to handle your food shipments, Paul and James have a genuine interest in food, especially world foods.
With personal contacts in almost every country in the world we are able to draw on local knowledge at your goods destination or origin.
If you would like James or Paul to darken your stand for 15 minutes during the exhibition, then please feel free to email us on sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk (this will arrive at both James and Paul’s inboxes).
James and Paul will be happy to answer any questions you might have about shipments. If we don’t know the answer to your question, James or Paul will endeavour to find you the correct answer. Paul’s motto is “there’s no such phrase as ‘it can’t be done'”.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Mercator Cargo is an experienced freight forwarder, arranging shipments from the UK to Dubai on a regular basis.
There are direct weekly sailings from Southampton and Tilbury for sea freight to Dubai. Transit times for Dubai via sea freight is approximately 20 days. For air freight shipments to Dubai, there are daily direct flights to Dubai airport.
Freight shipments for Abu Dhabi and Sharjah via sea freight will tranship at Dubai, adding approximately 7 days to the transit time (taking the total up to about 27 days). There are regular air freight departures from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Generally, for exports to Dubai and UAE, commercial invoices are required to be certified. As a freight forwarder, this is something that we can arrange for you as part of our freight forwarding service.
A Certificate of Origin is also required to be issued for exports to Dubai and UAE. These certificates come in two forms, EU or British Arabic Chamber of Commerce. We are also able to offer this as part of our freight forwarding service.
So if you’re looking for a freight forwarder to handle your export shipment to Dubai or the UAE, then give us a call – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
The biggest ever container ship is due to set sail on the waters in June this year. Rumoured to be taller than the 2012 Olympic Stadium and 400 metres long, it will be the largest vessel on the seas.
Named the Triple E, the new model of container ship will have holding capacity of 18,000 20 foot containers. Inside these 18,000 containers you could fit 863 million cans of baked beans, or 36,000 cars.
Currently, the largest container ship holds the equivalent of 12,500 20 foot containers. This is an increase in capacity of almost 50%. There are already discussions of an ever bigger vessel holding up to 30,000 containers.
The new Triple E ships are intended to run ocean freight services between Asia and Europe.
So what does this mean for the freight forwarding industry?
Bigger container ships are said to be more eco-friendly. Not only is technology becoming more advanced on these large container ships, but by carrying more cargo, the fuel footprint per tonne of cargo is reducing.
However, larger container ships bring their own problems, as ports are expected to either adapt to receive these bigger vessels, or the ships will call at other ports instead.
The Port of Felixstowe handles almost half of the UK’s container trade and has plans to increase its capacities by constructing a third rail terminal due to open later this year.
If you’re looking for a freight forwarder to handle your import or export sea freight, call us today – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
If you are looking for a freight forwarder to handle your import of curry paste into the UK, then look no further. As an experienced freight forwarder, Mercator has handled all kinds of cargo, including curry pastes as imports into the UK.
It is a wise decision to appoint a freight forwarder to handle your curry paste import, as it can be a complex matter.
It is important to check that the products you wish to import are allowed to enter the country, and to find out whether there are any restrictions or any particular documentation is required to import the curry paste into the UK. Before you purchase any goods, it is advised that you obtain a copy of full ingredients per product. If you choose us as your freight forwarder, you can then send the ingredients lists of the curry pastes to us, which we will get checked by UK Port Health. UK Port Health will be able to advise of any restrictions or additional documentation required based on the ingredients.
If you are considering shipping a less than container load (or LCL) via sea freight it can be complex, as there are restrictions as to what the curry pastes can share a container with, however it is possible. On the other hand, if you are looking to import a smaller load, air freight might be your chosen method of transportation.
So if you are looking to import curry pastes into the UK, using an experienced, UK based freight forwarder, then give us a call – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
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.
