Mercator regularly handles air freight from Japan to the UK on behalf of our customers. We were recently appointed to complete an import air freight from Japan of 2 pallets. Our customer had purchased the goods on an ex works (EXW) incoterm, and so we were asked to orchestrate the shipment from door to door.
Thanks to our founding membership of MarcoPoloLine (a global freight forwarder network), we were able to connect with our partner agent in Tokyo, who arranged directly with the seller of the goods the collection and delivery to the airline, along with air freight from Japan to London Heathrow.
The commercial goods being shipped from Japan to the UK were hazardous in nature and therefore required a MSDS (material safety data sheet) in order to be accepted by the airline for transit. A MSDS is a document which the manufacturer of the goods will be able to supply if you are dealing with hazardous goods for international transportation.
Once the two pallets of air freight from Japan arrived at London Heathrow, our import team handled the customs clearance and delivery to our customer door. In this instance there was only import VAT to pay on the goods which our customer requested to be filed under PVA (postponed VAT accounting).
If you have goods for shipping from Japan to the UK either by air or sea freight, get in touch with our import team who will be happy to assist you with a quote, please have the dimensions, weight, pick up and delivery postcodes on hand. 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.
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.
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.
If you are new to importing or exporting from the UK, you may be wondering what a freight forwarder does, what their role with your company should be, what they can offer, and what the responsibilities of the importer/exporter (i.e. you) versus the freight forwarder are.
To cut the jargon, the freight forwarder (the person or company that you appoint to handle your shipment) will do just that – they will handle your shipment for you. Freight forwarders oversee the worldwide movement of goods from country to country, and can offer services such as packing, documentation and customs clearance on behalf of exporters and importers.
Your freight forwarder should be able to offer any kind of level of service you require. For example, if you are completely new to importing and exporting your goods, you may wish your freight forwarder to arrange all aspects of your shipment. This might include a door-to-door delivery (i.e. arrange the collection of goods, and delivery of goods to the door for your chosen destination), insurance, customs clearance, and all services required to deliver goods from one country to the next. However, you may decide that you only wish for a delivery from door to port, or from port to door, and so on. Mercator can offer either a fully comprehensive freight forwarding service, or arrange smaller aspects of your shipment.
So what kind of role do you wish your freight forwarder to have with your company? Again, this entirely depends on your needs and the needs of your business. If you are a first time importer, or exporter, you may wish to make initial contact with your freight forwarder before committing to any international trade with other companies. Mercator Cargo can offer you advice on buying terms from abroad, provide quotes for exports from the UK so you can inform your buyers, and also advise what you can or cannot import from country to country. Our experienced team of freight forwarders can offer as much “hand holding” as you require.
What are your responsibilities, and what are our responsibilities? In a nut shell, our responsibilities are to get your goods to its destination for you as instructed, to inform you every step of the way of your shipment, and to provide reliable advice relating to your shipment. Your responsibilities as an importer or exporter vary from shipment to shipment. You are required to declare your goods accurately (i.e. if a declaration is made on your behalf as instructed, and it is not accurate, you are liable for this, not the freight forwarder), therefore it is essential you advise your freight forwarder of the accurate nature of your goods.
If you think that you might need the services of a freight forwarder, then give us a call, we will be happy to discuss your freight forwarding needs with you – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
This week sees the UK’s ‘Export Week’; a government launched series of events around the UK to promote exporting to small businesses.
The aim of ‘Export Week’ is to increase the number of small businesses that currently export. The national target set by the government is for 100,000 more businesses exporting over the next 5 years.
This would increase the number of UK manufacturers that export from 20% to 25%, and add to the UK economy an estimated £36 billion.
UK businesses can see an increase in up to 34% of productivity when they start exporting, so if you have the opportunity to export – it’s a no-brainer!
Small businesses might be daunted by the prospect of exporting from the UK, however, it is becoming increasingly more evident that smaller businesses can also win international business.
Of course, larger firms may already have trained staff in exporting their goods, and may even have dedicated staff for this purpose.
Smaller firms need not fear; this is where a freight forwarder can step in. By appointing a freight forwarder to handle their export shipment, the whole process can be taken care of. By appointing an experienced freight forwarder (such as Mercator Cargo) the weight can be lifted off your shoulders and you can be safe in the knowledge that your cargo is in expert hands.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder who prides itself on offering a personal service. With a team of experienced freight forwarders at hand, we can offer a “hand holding” service if needs be, and can offer advice at every step along the way.
So if you’re considering exporting your goods from the UK, give Mercator Cargo a call today to discuss your export shipment – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
If you import into the UK or export from the UK, you are most likely to either have a freight forwarder, or will be looking to choose a freight forwarder.
Here are a few questions that might be important to consider before choosing your freight forwarder:
Does your freight forwarder have links to or experience in importing or exporting to your origin or destination countries? Here at Mercator, we are part of a global network of independent freight forwarders. This means we have a personal freight forwarding contact in virtually every country in the world, allowing us to draw on local knowledge that other freight forwarders may not have access to.
Does your freight forwarder have time to spend talking through options and processes? As an independently run freight forwarding agent, Mercator’s experienced freight forwarders have the expertise and the time to deliver a first class service. When you choose us as your freight forwarder, you will be assigned a personal contact, your logistics expert if you like. This freight forwarder will be personally contactable via email and telephone, and will keep you updated with your shipment every step of the way. It is not coincidence that our first customer back in 1991 is still our customer today.
Does your freight forwarder listen to your forwarding needs and the needs of your business? We understand that it is important for your freight forwarder to be working with you. This is why we will do our upmost to deliver your goods on time, and keep you in the loop throughout your shipments movements.
Can your freight forwarder cope with a complicated shipment? As an independent freight forwarder, we have the time and the expertise to deal with complex shipments. Whether you have an out of gauge cargo shipment, or a delicate load, Mercator Cargo can assist you.
If the above points are important to you and your business, why not give one of our freight forwarders a call to discuss how we can help your business. Even if you’d like to just have a chat and get a quote, you are under no obligation to take up our services if you decide not to.
So to compare our service with your current freight forwarder, give us a call today – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Are you about to embark on importing goods into the UK for the first time? Perhaps you are importing goods into the UK from a manufacturer abroad to sell on in the UK. Or you might be getting bespoke goods manufactured abroad and importing in them into the UK for distribution. Either way, you are probably looking for a freight forwarding partner. Look no further, Mercator Cargo is an experienced freight forwarder and we can help with your import logistics.
Importing goods into the UK might seem like a scary notion. And it may well be if you have not done this before. That is why it is a wise decision to look for a freight forwarding partner to arrange your import for you. At Mercator we offer a wide range of freight forwarding services for imports, from just arranging a sea freight shipment, to a full service of door-to-door deliveries and all necessaries when importing, such as customs clearance, VAT and duty payments, and documentation.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder based in the UK. Founded in 1991, we are still run and owned by the same family. We have a highly experienced import department made up of freight forwarders, all with different experiences and knowledge. As we are independently run, we can offer a full ‘hand holding’ service, and advise on all matters related to importing goods into the UK.
So if you are unsure of what you are doing when it comes to importing into the UK and want to be guided through by the experts, then give us a call today and ask for the imports department – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Two representatives of Mercator Cargo attended the Toy Fair at Olympia this year. Amongst the very exciting new toys, we noticed how popular wooden toys are becoming again. Suppliers of quality wooden toys can be in some fairly unusual parts of the world; with our extensive global network covering over 90 countries Mercator is well placed to help you import wooden toys into the UK.
There are several things to consider when importing wooden toys into the UK. If the goods are being imported from outside the EU, it will be your responsibility (as the importer) to ensure that the wooden toys adhere to certain toy safety regulations here in the UK (such as the European Standard EN17). Wooden toys imported into the UK will require a CE mark. It is advised that this is organised prior to shipment as customs clearance may not allow the toys into the country without it. If you are having toys made for you, then it is your responsibility to ensure that they can satisfactorily pass the tests required to make the toys safe for distribution and use in the UK. Likewise, if you are buying from a manufacturer who already makes the goods, it would be advisable to have a sample sent to the UK so you can have the wooden toy tested in the UK.
If you already have CE marks in place, and are looking for a freight forwarder to assist you import wooden toys into the UK, then we can help! With over twenty years of experience in the freight forwarding business, Mercator is large enough to cope, but small enough to care. We pride ourselves on our personal service offered to all our customers.
If you decide to make us your freight forwarder of choice, then you will be assigned a personal contact here in the office. This experienced freight forwarder will be able to answer your queries and provide advice on topics such as transport methods (i.e. sea freight, air freight or road freight), transit times, VAT and duty payable upon importing of your goods (if any), your responsibilities as an importer, and documentation.
Speak to one of our experienced team today to discuss your import of wooden toys into the UK – 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.
