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. 

What does a Freight Forwarder do?

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. 

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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.

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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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If you import into the UK or export from the UK, you are most likely to either have a freight forwarder, or will be looking to choose a freight forwarder.

Here are a few questions that might be important to consider before choosing your freight forwarder:

Does your freight forwarder have links to or experience in importing or exporting to your origin or destination countries?  Here at Mercator, we are part of a global network of independent freight forwarders.  This means we have a personal freight forwarding contact in virtually every country in the world, allowing us to draw on local knowledge that other freight forwarders may not have access to.

Does your freight forwarder have time to spend talking through options and processes?  As an independently run freight forwarding agent, Mercator’s experienced freight forwarders have the expertise and the time to deliver a first class service.  When you choose us as your freight forwarder, you will be assigned a personal contact, your logistics expert if you like.  This freight forwarder will be personally contactable via email and telephone, and will keep you updated with your shipment every step of the way.  It is not coincidence that our first customer back in 1991 is still our customer today.

Does your freight forwarder listen to your forwarding needs and the needs of your business?  We understand that it is important for your freight forwarder to be working with you.  This is why we will do our upmost to deliver your goods on time, and keep you in the loop throughout your shipments movements.

Can your freight forwarder cope with a complicated shipment?  As an independent freight forwarder, we have the time and the expertise to deal with complex shipments.  Whether you have an out of gauge cargo shipment, or a delicate load, Mercator Cargo can assist you.

If the above points are important to you and your business, why not give one of our freight forwarders a call to discuss how we can help your business.  Even if you’d like to just have a chat and get a quote, you are under no obligation to take up our services if you decide not to.

So to compare our service with your current freight forwarder, give us a call today – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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Two representatives of Mercator Cargo attended the Toy Fair at Olympia this year.  Amongst the very exciting new toys, we noticed how popular wooden toys are becoming again.  Suppliers of quality wooden toys can be in some fairly unusual parts of the world; with our extensive global network covering over 90 countries Mercator is well placed to help you import wooden toys into the UK.

There are several things to consider when importing wooden toys into the UK.  If the goods are being imported from outside the EU, it will be your responsibility (as the importer) to ensure that the wooden toys adhere to certain toy safety regulations here in the UK (such as the European Standard EN17).  Wooden toys imported into the UK will require a CE mark.  It is advised that this is organised prior to shipment as customs clearance may not allow the toys into the country without it.  If you are having toys made for you, then it is your responsibility to ensure that they can satisfactorily pass the tests required to make the toys safe for distribution and use in the UK.  Likewise, if you are buying from a manufacturer who already makes the goods, it would be advisable to have a sample sent to the UK so you can have the wooden toy tested in the UK.

If you already have CE marks in place, and are looking for a freight forwarder to assist you import wooden toys into the UK, then we can help!  With over twenty years of experience in the freight forwarding business, Mercator is large enough to cope, but small enough to care.  We pride ourselves on our personal service offered to all our customers.

If you decide to make us your freight forwarder of choice, then you will be assigned a personal contact here in the office.  This experienced freight forwarder will be able to answer your queries and provide advice on topics such as transport methods (i.e. sea freight, air freight or road freight), transit times, VAT and duty payable upon importing of your goods (if any), your responsibilities as an importer, and documentation.

Speak to one of our experienced team today to discuss your import of wooden toys into the UK – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

Request a Quote for Importing Toys into the UK

As we are now in 2013, you may be thinking of expanding your UK based manufacturing business.  Perhaps you have a product that is selling well in the UK, but you’re considering the global market place.  Freight forwarding might seem a daunting area for new exporters, but we’re here to help.

As experienced freight forwarders based in the UK, we can offer a comprehensive service to all our customers, both large and small.  As a family-run, independent freight forwarder, we are able to take the time to guide you through exporting your UK manufactured goods to the global market.

Mercator offers air, sea and road freight worldwide.  We are rather unique in that we are a founding member of a global network made up of other independent freight forwarders like us.  This allows us personal contacts in almost every country around the world, and invaluable, local knowledge.

Think you might need hand-holding the whole way?  No problem.  We are well versed in introducing the procedures to new exporters.

Need advice on different options?  Mercator can offer advice on ocean freight, air freight and road freight, including costings, transit times, and any local charges you may incur at your goods destination.

Mercator began trading over twenty years ago, and our first customer back in 1991 is still our customer today.

If you’re still wondering if we’re right for you, why not give us a call on 02392 756 575, or email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk, and either George or Jess will be in touch about your export freight.

 

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Gulftainer has won a bid to develop and run a new container port in Tripoli, Northern Lebanon.  An investment of $60 million will fund machinery for the new port, including three ship-to-shore gantry cranes, nine yard cranes and up-to-date technology to manage the yards and containers in the new port smoothly.

Once the port has been completed, it will be able to receive some of the largest container ships in the Eastern Mediterranean.  The new Port of Tripoli will alleviate some of the congestion at nearby Port of Beirut, and an alternative terminal to that of Tartous and Lakakia in Syria.

The new port will provide another route for imports and exports to Iraq from the Mediterranean Sea.  This will cut transit times from Europe to Iraq, allowing cargo to pass through the new Tripoli Port and travel via road to its destination in Iraq.  Currently the Umm Qasr Port (Iraq) and the Gulftainer Port in Tripoli (Lebanon) are not linked via rail, although it would only take 31km of track to link the two ports.

Call Mercator today to discuss your shipment to or from Lebanon – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

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Mercator can offer shipping services for abnormal loads and oversized cargo.  Examples of loads we are able to deal with include yachts, planes, locomotives, wind generators and propellers to name a few.

Cargo of this nature needs to be handled with care for loading and unloading and specially secured during transit by sea.  Mercator can arrange for your oversized load to be transported in the safest and efficient way.  With over twenty years of experience in the freight forwarding business, our team of freight forwarders have the knowledge and experience to be able to advise you about options when shipping your out of gauge (OOG) cargo.

Arranging for cargo which does not fit into a standard container requires experience and full understanding of possibilities when it comes to ocean freight.  Some freight services on offer include flat-rack, RoRo (roll-on, roll-off), timber beds, hiab/crane deliveries and low loaders.  With Mercator’s team of freight forwarders, we can assist you in arranging the safe transportation of your oversized cargo load.

Call us today to discuss your out of gauge (OOG) cargo shipment with details of rough dimensions and weight – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.

 

Request a Quote for Shipping Out of Gauge Cargo