UK-based freight forwarder, Mercator, regularly handles freight between the UK and the USA. One of our customers recently requested a service for pallet shipping from the USA to the UK. This particular routing was shipping from Los Angeles, USA to Southampton, UK. The transit time port to port was 40 days.
The UK importer purchased the goods from the USA on a free on board (FOB) incoterm. Using a FOB term means that as the UK importer, you are responsible and bear the risk of the transit once the goods have been loaded on the vessel for export. In this example, the US shipper (the supplier of the goods) arranged for the freight to be transported to the port in Los Angeles, export paperwork completed and loaded into a shared container (LCL) for shipping to the UK.
Once the freight was on the vessel, the responsibilities and risk passed to the UK importer who was then responsible for the sea freight to the UK, UK customs, any import VAT and duties payable (applicable for some tariffs), and transit to door.
Mercator handled the process of pallet shipping from the USA to the UK for the UK importer. Our import team settled the LCL freight, completed UK customs clearance at Southampton port, liaising with the depot as to unloading of the pallets from the shared shipping container, and finally, delivery of the 3 pallets to the UK importer’s door.
If you have a shipment from the USA for import into the UK, no matter which incoterm you have based your purchase on, Mercator can handle your shipping for you. Whether you have a single pallet or several full container loads, our team will be able to assist you. Your shipment will be assigned to one of our import team who will be your single point of contact throughout the process. If you would like to request a quote for shipping from the USA to the UK, please get in touch by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
Mercator has recently seen an increase in import traffic of shipping from the USA to the UK. If you have freight to ship from the USA to the UK then there are a few decisions you need to make before arranging the shipment.
The main decision is whether you want to use a sea or air freight service from the USA. The biggest difference is, of course, time (and cost). If you’re short on time and can afford it, then you might wish to choose air freight from the USA to the UK. Likewise, if your consignment is of significant value or particularly delicate then air freight might be your first choice. However, if you do not have any shipping time constraints and you want to save yourself some money, then you could choose a sea freight shipping package. The location in the USA of your shipment will affect the sea freight shipping transit time. Sea freight shipping times from the USA to the UK vary from anything from 7 days from New York, up to over 30 days from Los Angeles (which transits via the Panama Canal).
Mercator can tailor a bespoke freight package for your shipment from the USA to the UK. Our UK import team can arrange all or part of the shipping for you. For example, if you have bought a large machine just outside New York and the terms you have bought it means that you need to take care of all aspects of the shipping yourself, then our team can arrange for collection in the USA and packing into a container, transit to the New York sea port, sea freight to the UK, customs clearance in the UK, and onward delivery to your door in the UK. If however, you have bought a car (for example) which includes all freight to the port in the UK, then our shipping team can arrange for clearance through UK customs and onward delivery to your door in the UK.
Thanks to our membership of the worldwide freight forwarding network MarcoPoloLine (MPL), we have contacts in several offices across the USA who can assist with the aspects of your shipment in the USA for you. These contacts are tried and tested, so you can be sure that your cargo is in safe hands.
So if you have a shipment to arrange from the USA to the UK, whether it’s foodstuffs which packs onto one pallet, or a whole 40 foot shipping container, our team has the experience, knowledge and local US contacts to get your shipment from the USA to the UK on time and in budget.
Give us a call today to discuss your shipping from the USA to the UK +44 2392 756 575, or you can email on 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.
