Mercator’s export team recently managed a shipment for sea freight to USA, moving a 40’ high cube container from a customer’s premises in the UK through London Gateway port and on to Charleston, USA. The movement was handled on a CFR (cost and freight) basis, with our team arranging everything from collection at origin through to landing at Charleston port in the USA, at which point (under CFR incoterms) the responsibility and risk transferred from the UK exporter to the US importer.
The process began at the client’s door in the UK, where the container was positioned for loading. Once packed and sealed, we arranged for the container to be transported to London Gateway, ready for export sea freight to USA.
UK export customs clearance was completed in-house utilising our specialist software and direct links to London Gateway port, with all documentation checked and submitted to ensure compliance. As with all sea freight to USA movements, attention to detail at this stage is essential. Our team also arranged the verified gross mass (VGM), allowing the container to be accepted for loading without delay.
Routing via London Gateway provided a reliable and efficient departure point for this sea freight to USA shipment. With regular direct transatlantic services available, the container was loaded onto the scheduled vessel and departed as planned. Careful selection of the sailing ensured a fast crossing, with a port-to-port transit time of 10 days into Charleston.
For many clients, transit time plays a key role when choosing sea freight to USA, and this shipment demonstrates how ocean freight can offer both reliability and competitiveness when planned correctly. Particularly when shipping to the East Coast of the USA, there are many options for shipping lines and routings, with some sailings taking as little as 7 days.
From initial collection through to departure, this shipment highlights the benefit of a fully managed approach for sea freight to USA by an experienced freight forwarder. With our team coordinating each stage of the movement – transport, documentation, compliance and sea freight to USA – we were able to deliver a smooth and predictable service.
If you have a shipment for sea freight to USA, whether it is a full container load or a single pallet for LCL (less than container load) shipping, get in touch with our team who will be glad to provide you with a quote. We can handle shipments to the USA on all incoterms, including DDP (delivery duty paid – a full door to door service) thanks to our strong connections with our US freight forwarding partner agent based in Chicago and New York.
To request a quote from our team, you can call us on (+44) 02392 756 575, email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or complete the form below and we will be in touch.
UK based freight forwarder Mercator has been handling full container load FCL to USA shipments since the company was founded in the early 1990s. Since then, our team has regularly handled shipments for FCL to USA from the UK, from medical equipment, to dried food products, to car parts and machinery.
This particular FCL to USA shipment our export team handled was direct from the UK manufacturer, consisting of engineering components. The UK exporter sold their goods to their customer in the US on CIF (cost, insurance and freight) incoterm.
As a UK exporter, selling on CIF means that you are responsible for the cargo from your door through to the port in the US. This includes loading the 40′ shipping container, delivery to the port in the UK, export customs clearance, marine insurance and sea freight to the US. All of these things Mercator is able to handle for you.
The routing for this particular shipment to the US was from London Gateway port to Charleston in the US. Typically, transit time from the UK to the East Coast of the US is approximately 10 days port to port, depending upon routing and scheduled port of calls.
Once the shipping container arrived in the US at the agreed port, the risk and responsibility transferred to the US importer. Thanks to our founding membership of a freight forwarding network, MarcoPoloLine, we have long-standing connections with similar sized freight forwarders based in the US, who can provide coverage of the whole of the US. Meaning that if you sell on a term such as DAP (delivered at place) or DDP (delivery duty paid), we can handle the whole process for you in conjunction with reputable forwarders based locally.
If you are looking for a reputable freight forwarder to handle your FCL to USA shipments from the UK, get in touch with our team who will be able to put a quote together for you. We can handle any size of cargo, from a single pallet on LCL, through to multiple FCLs, and even oversized cargo to the US requiring specialist equipment. You can get in touch with our team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or by completing the form below and we will be in touch.
UK based freight forwarder Mercator recently was appointed to assist with out of gauge shipping to USA on behalf of a UK manufacturer of machinery. The exporter sold the machinery to their customer in the US on CFR (cost and freight) incoterm, meaning they were responsible for the out of gauge shipping to USA from their door to the port in the US.
Mercator’s export team liaised with the loading site to position the flat rack for loading and lashing for sea worthiness, including securing tarpaulin sheeting to protect the machinery from the elements whilst in transit.
Once the machinery was loaded onto the 20’ flat rack, we transported it to Southampton port, completed VGM (verified gross mass) declaration to the shipping line, UK export customs clearance, and pre-filing AMS in the US. Our team also arranged for the sea freight to Charleston, which had a transit time of 10 days port to port.
Once the out of gauge shipping to USA arrived at Charleston, the risk and responsibility transferred to the US buyer, who arranged the US-side clearance and delivery locally.
Thanks to our founding membership of a global network of freight forwarders, we have long-standing connections with reliable forwarders in the US, so if you required a full “to door” service, this is something our team can assist you with. No matter whether you need a delivery to the West or East coast, or somewhere in between, we have the coverage to be your one point of contact for your shipping needs.
Our export team regularly handles special equipment for sea freight, with out of gauge shipping to USA being one of our regular trade routes. So if you are looking for a quote for out of gauge shipping to USA, whether you need a 40’ flat rack, or an open top container, get in touch with our team who will be happy to assist you. You can contact our team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and we will be in touch.
Freight forwarder Mercator recently arranged a full container load to USA from the UK on behalf of a UK exporter.
The full container load to USA was a 40’ high cube, benefitting from the maximum floor space that a 40’ offers with the addition of extra headroom, ideal for cargo which can be stacked. Our customer, the UK exporter, appointed us to help them with the cargo which was sold on FOB (free on board) incoterm, which means the seller is responsible for the cost and risk of the cargo up to when it is loaded onto the sea freight vessel.
Therefore, FOB incoterm makes the seller responsible for export customs, haulage of the goods to the port, handling fees from the shipping line, VGM, and any applicable port fees. Once the full container load to USA was loaded onto the vessel for export to the USA, the responsibility and risk transferred to the importer in the USA.
This full container load to USA was routed from Felixstowe to Boston. There are lots of options for routing and transit times for the USA from the UK. Typically for a port such as Boston on the East Coast, port to port transit time is around 20 days. There are much quicker direct routes to ports such as New York, taking 7-10 days. The transit time will be affected by ports of call on route and any transhipping if applicable.
If you have a full container load to USA from the UK to ship, get in touch with our team who will be able to put together a quote for you. To get a quote, you can contact us by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and we will be in touch.
Mercator is a UK based freight forwarder handling shipments to the USA regularly. Our export freight forwarder team was recently tasked with this 40’ shipping container to the USA.
Working on behalf of the UK exporter, Mercator arranged the delivery of the shipping container to the export site for loading, haulage to London Gateway port, marine insurance, VGM (verified gross mass), UK export customs and sea freight to Charleston, USA. As the UK exporter sold the goods to their US customer on CIF incoterm (cost, insurance & freight), their responsibility for the shipment ceased once the shipping container landed at Charleston port in the USA, at which point the paperwork and shipment was handed over to the freight forwarder in the USA (as appointed by the US importer).
Sea freight to the USA can take as little as 7 days to New York (port to port), and can go up to 30 days if shipping to the West Coast – passing through the Panama Canal. This particular route, from London Gateway, UK to Charleston, USA, takes around 10 days port to port. If the consignment is a full container load, then you can add just a few days either side of the transit time for cut-off times set by the shipping line and relevant customs checks and submissions. For LCL to the USA, you could be adding up to a week either side for loading, unloading, customs and handling by the warehouses.
If you are looking to appoint a freight forwarder to the USA to handle your exports, then get in touch with our team for a quote. Whether your shipment is a simple FOB (free on board) shipment, or all the way to door in the USA (on DAP or DDP terms), we can handle the whole thing for you. We have a strong relationship with our partner freight forwarder in the USA, who we will liaise with for you to get your shipment delivered as to your requirements with minimal hassle.
You contact the team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and we will be in touch.
As the UK’s export market grows, first time exporters are looking to the States for business opportunities. Shipping goods to the USA from the UK has many benefits to a growing company. Obviously the biggest impact exporting has on a small to medium business is the growth in revenue and increased production as a result of demand for the goods.
There are also specific benefits to trading with the USA:
We are a family-run and managed shipping agent, our team of experienced export freight forwarders deal with shipping to the USA on a daily basis. Whether your goods require transit via sea or air freight, we can offer a comprehensive freight forwarding service for your shipping to the USA.
Give the export team a call today to discuss your freight forwarding needs for shipping to the USA, we can provide you with a quotation and advice relating to your shipment with us – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
The Port of Los Angeles on the West cost of America is the country’s busiest container port. A new project is underway to improve rail links at the container port. The developments will create new jobs and allow for more straight forward routes out of the port.
The container port’s new and improved rail links aim to decrease its carbon footprint, whilst offering a more efficient service to transport containers to and from the freight forwarding port.
The improved rail links are intended to reduce congestion on the roads to and from the container port. The total cost of the rail improvements are estimated to be in the region of $138 million.
The benefits are anticipated to outweigh this cost, making the area a nicer place to work, live and do business in.
It is envisaged that the development will be complete in the middle of 2014.
Mercator can arrange shipments to the USA via the Port of Los Angeles. Sea freight transit time to Los Angeles from a UK port is approximately 31 days. Ocean freight from the UK to the Port of Los Angeles sails via the Panama Canal.
As an experienced freight forwarder we can arrange your shipment to or from the Port of Los Angeles.
To discuss your ocean freight shipment to Los Angeles with an experienced freight forwarder give us a call – 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.
