UK based freight forwarder Mercator has an import team who regularly handle sea freight from South Korea to the UK. We were recently instructed to arrange this FOB shipment which included the sea freight of a full shipping container Busan through to Southampton port and onwards to the importer’s door.
In conjunction with our partner agent based in Seoul, we arranged the sea freight from South Korea to the UK. Once the container arrived in the UK, our import team completed the UK customs clearance, devann and delivery to the importer’s door on trucks with tail lifts due to restrictions at the unloading site.
There are weekly sailings from the major ports in South Korea: Busan, Incheon and Pyeongtaek, calling at various ports in the UK. Sailings of sea freight from South Korea to the UK ordinarily take around 35-40 days, however given the Suez Canal diversions, schedules are taking up to 55 days port to port.
If you have a shipment from South Korea to the UK, whether it is a full container, a single pallet for LCL or you wish to utilise air freight, then get in touch with our import team who will be glad to provide you with a quote. You can get in touch with our team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
Mercator was asked by a UK based importer to handle their import shipping from China of a 20’ shipping container of silicone tote bags. The UK importer purchased the goods on an Ex Works (EXW) term, which meant that the UK importer was responsible for arranging the full shipment from door in China to their door in the UK.
In conjunction with our partner agent based in Shanghai (thanks to our membership of the freight forwarding network MarcoPoloLine), Mercator’s import team arranged for the goods to be picked up from the manufacturer who is based in Shenzhen and for export customs in China to be completed. Once the goods were at the quay in Shenzhen, the shipping container was booked onto the next vessel for shipping from China to the UK.
There are several weekly departures for sea freight from China to the UK to most of the major UK ports. Transit times vary for shipping from China to the UK, depending upon departure port, arrival port, routing, etc. Generally, sea freight from China to the UK is 25-40 days port to port (this does not take into account any exceptional circumstances, such as the Red Sea diversions). Once the shipping container arrived in the UK, our import team completed the UK customs clearance and arranged the delivery to the customer’s door.
If you have goods which you have purchased, or you are looking to purchase for sea freight from China to the UK, please get in touch with our team who will be able to provide you with a quote. We can handle all Incoterms, any size of shipment from single pallets LCL to multiple containers. You can contact the team by calling (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or completing the form below and someone will be in touch.
The UK Government has been working on a potential new trade deal with South Korea. The consultation period ran from December 2022 to February 2023. A new UK South Korea trade deal would replace the existing deal which currently mirrors the deal the EU signed in 2011. The UK’s continuity free trade agreement was signed in 2020 post-Brexit.
South Korea is the one of the largest economies in the world and is the UK’s 21st largest export market. South Korea accounts for 1.1% of UK exports.
Currently there are preferential tariffs on some commodities for import from South Korea, to check your commodity codes, enter them here and select South Korea, the result will display whether there is a tariff preference.
If you have a shipment to or from South Korea and would like a quote, whether it is sea or air freight contact our team either by calling the office on (+44) 02392 756 575, emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk, or by completing the form below and someone will be in touch with you.
The amount of import VAT and duty payable upon clearance into the UK is dependent on three factors. Firstly the percentage of import VAT and/or duty is dictated by the commodity code (sometimes also known as a tariff code) that the goods are being declared to UK Customs as.
The percentage for import duty is applied to the amount for freight, insurance (if any) and the value of the goods. The percentage for import VAT is applied to the CIF value, plus the duty amount, and a minimal amount added as an adjustment (known as a VAT adjustment charge). This calculation is dictated by HMRC. If you are feeling lost, do not worry, your customs clearance agent will do all the sums for you.
Generally, your supplier overseas will provide you with the tariff code for your import goods. If it is not on the commercial invoice, then you can ask them to provide it. Alternatively you can classify the goods using HMRC’s tariff.
This can also be checked on HMRC’s online tariff, simply enter the commodity code and the country that you are importing from. If there are special tariffs applicable due to a trade deal with that country (such as the UK-Australia and New Zealand trade deal), then the online tariff will reflect this.
If you are looking for a UK based customs clearance agent to handle a one-off clearance, or regular customs clearances for your company, then contact our import department. We will be glad to provide you with a quote for customs clearance, and onward delivery if required. Mercator has been in business for over 30 years, we have badges at the major ports which means we handle the clearances in house. Our import department are furnished with the latest software, up to date knowledge and relevant experience to handle customs clearances efficiently and accurately on behalf of our customers.
You can contact our import department by emailing sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk, calling (+44) 02392 756 575 (we are here 9-5 Monday-Friday), or complete the form below and someone will be in touch.
At Mercator Cargo we closely monitor worldwide manufacturing and sourcing trends. The recent increase in trade from Vietnam shows the move away from China to other countries, demonstrating the region as one potential new area for traders and manufacturers looking to source cheap, reliable products.
This, of course, is nothing new – like the move away from Europe to China which has prevailed in the previous decades, driven by the increase in the standard of living in China which has increased labour costs driving up manufacturing costs.
The latest move by the USA President, Donald Trump, to increase tariff/duty rates on goods from China will add further pressure to the Chinese manufacturing community. Many US Companies are looking to source goods from outside of China. It makes sense for the rest of the world to follow this trend and begin to look elsewhere, facilities manufacturing goods for the USA will also be able to manage the production of goods for the EU and the rest of the world.
We have excellent partners in Vietnam who not only can provide us with low freight rates for both air and sea, but who can also assist in finding trusted, reliable partners for your manufacturing and sourcing needs. We can also bolt on added services such as warehousing and consolidation.
As Vietnam, and other Asian countries continue to grow we forecast these markets will be the “new” China in a few years’ time, and we are excited to be at the forefront of this new era.
Make sure that you choose a well-established and reputable freight forwarder who has direct connections locally in Vietnam. If you would like to discuss any aspect of shipping or supply chain from Vietnam or you would like a quotation, then get in touch: +44 2392 756 575 or email sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk
Shipping to the UK can be a relatively straight forward experience as long as you follow a set of golden rules:
Make enquiries before you commit to buying goods
There are a few things that you need to make sure you know before buying goods overseas to ship to the UK. Firstly it is a good idea to make preliminary enquiries with a UK shipping agent (like Mercator) who will be able to assist you with the rate of UK import VAT/duty that is applicable (if any). The rate will depend on a few factors including country of origin and the nature of the goods. This is cost that you should take into account when shipping goods to the UK.
Make sure you understand your buying terms
It is important that you understand your buying terms with your supplier. Incoterms are a set of rules which set out the responsibilities of the buyer and the seller when it comes to international trade and shipping. The most commonly used terms are DAP ‘Delivered at Place’; FOB ‘Free on Board’ and DDP ‘Delivered Duty Paid’. You’ll need to factor in this when working out your sums: for example, if you are buying EXW ‘Ex Works’ where the buyer is pretty much responsible for the whole shipping including pick up, sea/air freight, customs clearance and local duties etc, there will be costs to pay on top of just buying your goods. Compare this with buying DDP ‘Delivered Duty Paid’ where the seller covers the majority of the shipping costs.
If you are new to international trade, then it is worth discussing this with your nominated shipping agent, who will be able to assist you. Our team at Mercator have a great deal of experience with import shipping to the UK and different Incoterms, so do get in touch for assistance (+44 2392 756 575).
Appoint a reputable UK freight agent
Appointing a freight agent in the UK (such as Mercator) will save you a lot of headaches. They can handle any aspect of your shipment to the UK that you want them to handle. Mercator’s services include all elements of shipping from collection at your goods origin, through sea/air freight to the UK, UK customs clearance, payments to HMRC for VAT/Duty and delivery to your door in the UK.
If you have a shipping consignment for the UK then do not hesitate to get in touch. We have over 20 years’ experience in the industry. We are members of the UK’s freight forwarding trade association which means we have certain regulations and conditions of trade we have to adhere to which protects our customers. We are also founding members of a worldwide shipping agent network, with members in over 90 countries. Our membership allows us personal contacts across the globe and valuable local knowledge in your goods origin country (this can be from local export customs, through to arranging a pick-up overseas and delivery to the port of departure).
If you would like to make a start on your shipping consignment to the UK, then do get in touch, one of our import shipping team will be happy to assist and get the ball rolling, sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk or call +44 2392 756 575
If you have not imported goods into the UK before, you may be wondering how import VAT and duty works.
How much VAT and duty will I need to pay?
HMRC uses a ‘tariff’ to determine the rate (a percentage) of VAT and duty that needs to be paid on customs clearance. This means that the rate is dependent upon what your goods are, and their worth. Take a look here: https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff. Our team of freight forwarders will classify your goods when we handle your shipment and/or customs clearance, calculate the amount payable, and handle payments to HMRC (if required).
Who is responsible for paying for the VAT and duty?
You, as the importer, are responsible for settling any VAT and duty payable upon your goods arrival in the UK. Your goods will not be released from customs until this is settled. Most of our customers opt to use us to clear their import through customs. Our standard procedure is to calculate the rate of VAT and duty payable, an invoice is raised for this amount, once funds from our customer has cleared into our account, we forward the payment to HMRC with the necessary release instructions. Customs clearance is required for both air and sea imports.
Can I claim back VAT and duty?
If you are VAT registered, then you should be able to claim back any import VAT (not duty). To import into the UK you will require an EORI number (Economic Operator Registration and Identification). This is a straight forward process of filling in a form, you should receive your EORI number within a week. We can assist you with this if required.
Give us a call to discuss Mercator Cargo handling your shipment, or UK customs clearance and delivery. Our team of freight forwarders deal with UK clearance and delivery, and international shipping on a daily basis – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Shipping containers have been used since the 1950s when they were invented by an American trucking businessman. Since then, freight forwarders, importers and exporters have used shipping containers for the transit of all kinds of goods.
Prior to freight forwarders using 40 foot or 20 foot containers, ships hulls were loaded manually by dock workers, box by box, piece by piece. This is a time consuming job, and sometimes these big shipping liners spent more time at the docks than they did at sea.
Now, using shipping containers, freight forwarders can get their cargo off the shipping liners within hours, rather than weeks. Their uniformed sizes mean that they can be easily transferred from ship to dockside, to truck, to train, and so on.
These rather simple developments in freight forwarding have dramatically decreased costs involved in importing and exporting goods.
If you have a full container load, or even a less than container load, of cargo to be exported or imported, then get in touch today to discuss our freight forwarding services available – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: 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.
