One of our regular customers approached our team to get together a quote and freight service for full container shipping to the USA. They required a full 40’ container to be loaded in Peterborough, UK and shipped to Charleston in the USA. Once our export team had checked around with different shipping lines for the best route, price and next available departure date, we presented the offer to our customer.
The particular shipping line selected offered a good balance of direct routing across the Atlantic Ocean, space available on the next sailing and a fair cost. Once we had the go ahead, our freight team liaised with the loading point to arrange the collection of the goods in good time to reach the next sea freight sailing to the USA from London Gateway port.
The loaded container was delivered to London Gateway port, ready for loading on to the departing vessel. Our team handled the export customs clearance, VGM, pickup by the haulier and sea freight to the USA.
This particular route from the UK to Charleston, USA has a transit time of 10 days port to port. When arranging collection in advance of a sea freight export, you need to take in to account the shipping line’s cut off dates when the shipping container needs to be at the port of export. Similarly, once the container has arrived in the USA, you’ll have to factor in time for unloading of the vessel, customs clearance and delivery to door.
If you have a sea freight shipment to the USA, whether it is full or part container load, get in touch with our export team who will be able to put together a quote for you. 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.
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.
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.
Mercator was recently instructed to handle the export air freight to Japan of some UK manufactured wooden furniture.
The UK exporter sold the items on an EXW (Ex Work) incoterm, meaning the importer in Japan was responsible for the cost and risk of the full journey from the door in the UK through to their door in Japan.
In partnership with our agent in Japan (thanks to our founding membership of the freight forwarder network MarcoPoloLine), we arranged the pick up of the 6 crates from the UK exporter’s door in Hungerford, delivered the goods to the airline at Heathrow, and secured space on the next flight to Tokyo. Once the flight arrived in Japan, our local agent dealt with the customs clearance and onward delivery to door in Tokyo.
Air freight is chargeable by either gross weight or volumetric weight – whichever is greater. This means that if you have a very heavy shipment it is likely that a cost per kilo will be based on the actual weight. Whereas if you have a bulky shipment (such as this air freight to Japan case study) then volumetric weight will be used.
If you have a shipment of air freight to Japan, then get in touch with our export team who will be glad to provide you with a quote. Our team also handles sea freight to Japan, and we regularly complete import shipments from Japan, including customs clearance and delivery. You can call our team on (+44) 02392 756 575, email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or complete the form below and someone will be in touch.
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.
You need to appoint a freight forwarder, but have no idea where to start looking? We have some hints and tips for you of things to look out for when navigating the world of freight forwarding.
This might seem obvious, but if you’re in the UK, appoint a forwarder who is also in the UK. It makes things much simpler – language, time zones, understanding how UK imports or exports work, etc.
This is a pretty standard one, but if you don’t know what to look for, you might miss it. Go for a freight forwarder who is a member of BIFA (British International Freight Association). Members of BIFA adhere to certain trading standards and have clear trading conditions protecting everyone involved.
A reputable forwarder will be a member of a worldwide network. This is beneficial to you as an importer or exporter because they can draw on local knowledge and assistance for your shipment no matter where the destination or origin. It also indicates that they are serious about establishing their business contacts throughout the world, you can benefit from these relationships.
A well-established company will have a proven track record, key connections within the freight industry, and the reach and experience required to handle international shipping effectively.
In order to be able to complete UK customs clearances in house, your freight forwarder will need to have the software, licences and subscriptions at the major UK sea freight ports. Having a forwarder who can complete their own customs clearances streamlines the process and ultimately puts the onus on them to complete them in a timely and accurate manner.
Give the company a call to see what their call handling is like, there is nothing more frustrating than being in a queue, or a call just ringing out when you urgently need to speak to someone.
Ensure you choose a freight forwarder with some consideration. If you choose wisely they will become an outsourced department for your company, helping you with your international shipments.
Mercator has been in business for over 30 years, all our staff are experienced in freight forwarding (all of whom have spent the majority of their careers in the industry). We are founding members of the freight network MarcoPoloLine and long standing members of BIFA (British International Freight Association). We have the knowledge, experience and connections to handle international shipments in a professional and efficient manner. We pride ourselves on our customer service on the belief that a happy customer will be a repeat customer.
Contact our team today for a quote for your international shipment: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or call (+44) 02392 756 575.
An Incoterm is a globally recognised set of commercial terms that apply to sales and purchase of goods overseas. Simply put, agreeing an Incoterm means all parties involved in the transaction understand their responsibilities to organise and pay for the shipment of the goods and whose risk the transportation is at any given time during the shipping.
At Mercator, these are the 5 Incoterms that we see most frequently when handling international shipments for our clients.
The buyer is responsible for the transportation costs and risk from the seller’s location to the final destination.
The seller takes responsibility for costs and risk involved for the shipment up until the goods are loaded onto a vessel at the named port at origin. The buyer is responsible for cost and risk of the shipment to the destination.
The seller pays the costs and freight to ship the goods to the destination port overseas. The buyer is then responsible for the costs and risk from then on.
As CFR (above), but the seller also obtains and pays for the marine insurance.
The seller organises the carriage and delivery of the goods, to be unloaded at the agreed place. The seller arranges the unloading of the goods at the agreed place. The seller also must organise the customs clearance at the importing country, and cover any customs duties and taxes.
This used to be referred to as DAT (Delivered at Terminal), however delivery can happen anywhere, not just at a terminal, so the term was updated in the Incoterms 2020.
There are 11 Incoterms, so if you cannot see the one you are looking for, have a look at this post here about Incoterms 2020.
If you are looking for a reputable freight forwarder to handle your international shipments, please get in touch for a quote. Our team will be happy to help you. Please email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or call (+44) 02392 756 575.
This checklist applies to import shipping into the UK. If you are unsure of what you are doing at any stage, you ought to seek clarification from your appointed UK freight forwarder – they are the experts.
This matters because an INCOTERM will set out who is responsible for the risk, organising and paying for which leg of the journey of your shipment. We could talk all day about this topic, see this post for more information if INCOTERM means nothing to you.
Now you have your buying term organised for your shipping, you have to decide whether your shipment should go via sea, air or road freight. Obviously the main difference between air and sea is transit time. If your shipment is urgent enough to warrant paying the extra, then opt for air freight. If you are lucky enough to have some time, or if your shipment is particularly bulky or heavy, sea or road freight are good options. You may think your shipment might be too small for sea freight – how will you fill a shipping container? That’s where LCL (less than container load) (or LTL if you are using road) shipping comes in. Your shipment is consolidated with lots of other shipments destined for the UK and loaded into one shared container. Discuss your transit options with your freight forwarder if you are still undecided, or call our team, we handle air freight and full and part container sea freight shipping.
In order to get an accurate quote for your import shipping you need to make sure the size and weight of your shipment are correct. Discrepancies can cause delays or changes in cost, particularly if you are shipping via LCL (less than container load) or air freight.
General rule of thumb is to ship your goods to your nearest port (or airport). This will keep costs down once your shipment has arrived and you need to organise the onward delivery to your door. Most sea freight routes have options for multiple UK ports, some are more limited. If you end up importing into a port a distance away from your UK base, your freight forwarder can arrange for part of your delivery leg to be made by rail (keeping costs and emissions down), this is only an option if you are importing a full container load. Our import team are well versed at balancing road and rail delivery options, contact them to discuss your requirements (or complete the form below).
Now we’re thinking about what to do once your shipment has arrived into the UK. Next up is customs clearance. You’ll ideally need a freight forwarder to complete the customs clearance of your import shipment. Mercator handles customs clearances at multiple UK ports and airports, we can also handle the onward delivery to your door, so complete the form below and we can put a quote together for you.
Speaking of customs clearance, you’ll need to get some paperwork together so that your freight forwarder can do this accurately on your behalf. Make sure you have a copy of the transport document (sea freight: bill of lading; air freight: airway bill; road freight: CMR), commercial invoice, commodity codes (usually on the commercial invoice), the INCOTERM, value of the shipment and the freight, UK port of arrival and your company’s EORI number. This looks like a long list, you should have all of this already, but you will need to make sure your freight forwarder has copies too to ensure smooth customs clearance and delivery.
That could be dangerous goods, or something that needs control when it arrives in the UK, i.e. foodstuffs. You’ll need to make sure your freight forwarder knows all of this before the shipment starts its journey, especially if it is dangerous goods. Dangerous goods need special handling and notifications. Not all freight forwarders can handle dangerous goods, make sure yours can – like Mercator!
Lastly, check your commodity codes and ensure you are aware of the levels of import VAT and/or duty you will be required to pay – you can have a look at the UK tariff here. Check with your accountant if you can make use of Postpone VAT Accounting (PVA), and find out whether you can reclaim any import VAT paid to HMRC. Appoint a freight forwarder who can handle payments to HMRC on your behalf, this will take out another level of administration for you.
If you need a freight forwarder to handle your import shipping to the UK, then get in touch with Mercator. We have been in the business for over 30 years and in that time helped hundreds of companies with their import shipping. Our expert import team have the knowledge and tools to make sure your import shipping is completed smoothly and simply. Don’t get in a muddle with it, just make sure you find an expert who can help you. Our team will be happy to assist: (+44) 02392 756 575; sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk; or complete the form below.
A shipment is cross trade when the route does not pass through the country that the seller is locally based in. Sometimes known as “triangular operations”, cross trade shipments are usually handled by a freight forwarder, who coordinates the logistics. Cross trade shipments can be transported by sea, air or road freight.
You are a UK based company, you have sold some goods which are manufactured in the USA to a company based in Europe. In some instances it would be inappropriate to import those goods from the USA into the UK, and then re-export them to Europe. Cross trade allows you to ship the goods direct from the USA in to Europe, saving time, money and emissions.
There is no rule to say you need a freight forwarder for your cross trade shipment. It is a good idea to appoint a freight forwarder, they will have the contacts at the origin and destination to assist you with your cross trade shipping. It is with these contacts that the shipment will be able to go ahead, and also you will benefit from the local knowledge of these other freight forwarders.
Look for a freight forwarder who has been in the market for some years, has official trade affiliations, is a member of a global network to ensure the reach and connections your business requires, and answers the phone when you call! (Nothing more frustrating than not being able to speak to a person when you would like to).
Mercator is a freight forwarder that has been assisting UK businesses with their shipping requirements since 1991. We are members of BIFA and FIATA (freight forwarding associations) and a founding member of MarcoPoloLine (a global freight network with over 350 members across the world). As to answering the phone, try us, we are in the office 9-5 Monday-Friday: (+44) 02392 756575.
If you need some help with a cross trade shipment, or would like a quote, please contact us either by calling: (+44) 02392 756575, email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk, or by completing the form below. We will be happy to assist you.
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.
