Vietnam is an increasingly important sourcing market for UK importers, supplying everything from furniture and textiles to consumer products and manufacturing components. Mercator’s import team recently handled a sea freight from Vietnam shipment involving a full 40′ high cube container moving from Ho Chi Minh City to the UK.
The shipment was purchased on FOB (Free On Board) incoterm, meaning the supplier was responsible for delivering the container to the port of export and loading onto the vessel, while the UK buyer was responsible for the sea freight from Vietnam and the rest of the journey to their door in the UK.
Once the container was loaded onto the vessel in Ho Chi Minh City and responsibility and risk transferred to the UK importer, Mercator took control of the shipment, arranging the sea freight from Vietnam to the UK and coordinating the import process through to final delivery.
For larger consignments, a full container load (FCL) often provides the most cost-effective and secure shipping solution. Utilising a high cube container adds roughly 30cm of extra head height, equating to an extra 8cbm of space. This is ideal for lightweight goods which can be packed “to the rafters” or for taller items.
Mercator is AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) accredited, awarded by HMRC, so when you appoint Mercator to handle your UK customs clearance, you can rest assured that you are dealing with a company which has been proven to uphold certain standards in tax and customs compliance, customs record keeping, practical standards of competence, and financial security. A practical benefit being efficient and compliant customs controls and procedures for both imports and exports.
The commodity in this shipment was eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The goods qualified for preference and were supported by the appropriate origin documentation, allowing the importer to claim preferential treatment at the point of import (supported by our team who undergo regular updates to ensure compliance).
Once the container arrived in the UK, our team arranged import customs clearance and managed the formalities required for the cargo to be released. Following customs clearance, the container was collected from the port and delivered directly to the customer’s premises in the UK.
For many importers, understanding and utilising available trade agreements can have a substantial impact on overall landed costs. When managed correctly, sea freight shipping from Vietnam can offer not only competitive freight rates but also valuable customs duty savings.
If you have a shipment for sea freight from Vietnam (or even air freight) get in touch with our team who will be happy to provide you with a quote. Whether it is from door in Vietnam, which we can arrange in conjunction with our agent in Ho Chi Minh, or from port in the UK, and anything in between, we can assist you with your sea freight from Vietnam. You can get in touch with our team to request a quote by calling us on (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or by completing the form below and we will be in touch.
