Freight forwarder Mercator’s import team was recently appointed to handle FCL shipping from Japan for one of our UK based customers. Due to the volume of cargo – 9 pallets – our customer opted to ship the goods via a 20’ shipping container from Japan to the UK.
The goods were purchased in Japan on a FOB (free on board) incoterm, which means that the UK importer was responsible for the shipment from the point at which the shipping container was loaded on to the vessel in Japan. The exporter in Japan handled the export customs, loading of the container and transport to the vessel.
Our team was appointed to deal with the sea freight for FCL shipping from Japan, the UK customs clearance, landing charges in the UK, and delivery to the importer’s door in the UK. Due to restrictions at the delivery site, our team arranged for the 20′ container to be “devanned” and delivered on a smaller vehicle with a tail lift.
There is a trade deal in place between the UK and Japan – The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. As an importer this might mean that the commodity you are importing could qualify for preferential import duty rates. In order to check this, you can enter the commodity code into the UK trade tariff and select Japan from the drop down country list. Typically you’ll require simply a statement on origin on the commercial invoice, our import team will be able to advise you further including the specific wording that is required.
Mercator has “badges” at the major sea freight ports in the UK, allowing us to complete our own customs clearances, providing our customers with a speedy and accurate service. Thanks to our AEO status, our customers can benefit from our vetted processes and compliance.
Transit times from Japan to the UK via sea freight are typically 55-60 days. You may not realise, but FCL shipping from Japan is actually slightly faster than LCL shipping. This is due to the loading and unpack times at origin and destination. Time added either side to an LCL shipment could be up to 4 days, sometimes even a week. A 20’ container can hold 10-11 pallets, so if you have a shipment of 8 or 9 pallets, selecting FCL might not only be quicker, but can also sometimes be more cost effective.
Get in touch with our import team if you are looking for a quote for FCL shipping from Japan, we will be glad to help. Get in touch with our team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and we will be in touch.
