We’re already halfway through March, the year is in full swing and as promised, a lot has been happening in the world of international trade. A week ago, Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget, possibly his last as Chancellor. He reiterated what most of us know, this last year has been a tough one for all but there are signs of recovery, and according to Mr Hunt, Britain will recover better and more quickly than many other countries and key trading partners of the UK including Germany, France, Italy and the US. As record numbers of UK haulage firms collapsed last year and with many UK haul ..read more

Our 8 indispensable tips to be CDS (Customs Declaration Service) export ready! In many cases, we will no longer be allowed to make export declarations on CHIEF from 31st March 2024. As an exporter, there is some preparation which you must complete beforehand. Below are the eight essential steps to take to ensure you’ll be ready for a seamless migration to CDS. 1 – Register for the CDS If you are a regular importer, you’ll already have registered to use the Customs Declaration Service. If you only export, you can register quickly online using the following link. Get Access to the Customs ..read more

Welcome to insights for Freight Industry February 2024 In December, my colleague Peter and I flew into Mumbai to visit the India International Cargo Show, one of the biggest logistics fairs on the Indian subcontinent and where many of our agents from across India were exhibiting. It was the perfect opportunity to meet them under one roof – India is so vast that even with the best logistical ability (and contacts!), we’d struggle to see them all in one week.   The depth of trade both ways between the UK and India is already considerable, but with the impending Free Trade Agreement ..read more

Happy New Year and welcome to this, the first edition of Espace’s Industry Insights. For those not familiar I am Geoff Yates, Commercial Director at Espace with over 20 years in the industry, i’ll be posting every month with views and opinions of the shipping industry – essential to everyone who trades internationally. When I originally drafted this post, my main focus was to be on elections in the UK, US, EU and India and with customs and policy changes due throughout this and coming years. However, there are more pressing world events which are and will be affecting us all significantly ..read more

New Import Controls Come Into Play On January 31st At the end of this month changes are happening regarding import controls, please keep this in mind to avoid disruption to your supply chain going forward for certain foods. This mostly affects animal and plant products imported from the EU. From January 31st 2024 A new health certification on imports from the EU deemed medium-risk. This includes animal products, plants and plant products. A new health certification on imports from the EU deemed high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin. New checks when moving Irish goods ..read more

The Espace Christmas Survival Guide As holiday season is fast approaching here at Espace HQ we’re gearing up to peak Christmas freight movement. Every year, it feels like Christmas comes around faster and often catches you off-guard in your supply chain planning.  Here are our top tips on how to get your freight ready for the festive season. Start Planning Now! Use the next month to plan and act wisely, whilst events won’t always unfold the way you expect, having a rough plan now can help you to stay on track. Understand your volumes and delivery deadlines so that you can choose the rig ..read more

As experienced freight forwarders, the smooth movement of goods across borders has been our constant goal for more than 20 years. While numerous factors influence the efficiency of cargo movement, one often underestimated factor that can significantly impact the industry is the occurrence of national holidays in different countries. Each country has its own set of national holidays celebrated in different ways that can create hurdles for exporters and importers, who could potentially get caught out by their cargo being in the middle of a non-working holiday. In this email, we’ll explore the ..read more

Starting today November 6th to November 10th The UK Government today will again be hosting International Trade Week, a week of webinars and events to promote global trade opportunities for UK businesses to learn more about and take advantage of export opportunities around the world. What will be on the agenda? The week will host webinars focused on giving advice on exporting goods to several countries around the globe, from France to Uzbekistan to India. The events will also look into specific industries for the unique challenges and opportunities they face. There will even be a webinar on the ..read more

Russian Steel Ban The sanction imposing the ban on imports of Russian steel and iron processed in a third country went live on 30th September, 2023. Both the EU & UK governments now require evidence that all steel products of all origins do not contain material of Russian origin. Exporters and importers will be required to comply with the ban and will be asked to prove their compliance. Upon entry, any iron and steel product targeted (HS codes beginning with 72 and 73), importers will need to provide evidence that the goods they import do not contain any Russian origin sanctioned iron or ..read more

Espace will be exhibiting at the SMMT Electrified event next week! SMMT Electrified runs from 09:00 – 17:00 GMT at the QEII Centre, London. Have you got your ticket? If so we’d love to chat to you on the day. Espace are committed to supporting SMMT members with effective and sustainable customs and logistics solutions. Why not come and see if we can support you? The post Exhibiting at SMMT Electrified appeared first on Espace Freight Forwarders ..read more