Import to the UK in a Post-Brexit World | Goldstar: Beyond Haulage

We all know the challenges faced by businesses importing Goods to the UK today. Goldstar Transport are supporting hundreds of customers with Freight forwarding and customs entry solutions.

Covid-19, Brexit, and finally the Suez Canal blockage put an enormous strain on the transport industry, the likes of which has never been seen, at least by those of us who are alive today.

Here at Goldstar, we are proud of our record. We maintained our supply chain network within the UK and utilised our transport network within Europe and the UK for vessels that arrived into Europe and on rail from China, allowing our customers to continue to receive their Goods in the same timeframes they are accustomed to.

We asked Forwarding Manager Mark Sailes how he and his team navigated this perfect storm – coming out on top despite everything 2020 threw at our industry.

“While it’s been all change on the outside, the people on the ground in the transport industry remain the same. These are connections forged over years of working in the industry together. In a time when no one’s got any guarantees left, these relationships are worth their weight to get the job done right”.

The EU is well established as Britain’s single-largest trading partner. Prior to Brexit, the overwhelming majority of Goods didn’t require transit forms, allowing them to be shipped to the bloc with minimal disruption.

Now many firms are facing long delays due to incorrect or missing paperwork.

With businesses waiting upwards of a month for their Goods to make it across the border in some cases, Mark and his Freight Forwarding team at our Tilbury Depot are on it – with the contacts and capacity to get loads through in as little as 5 days.

Importing goods into the UK

It’s not just rail or container haulage throughout Europe either. So, where do you start?

Mark says:

“We’ve had customers come to us with nothing more than the contact name of their supplier in Malaysia. All they know is that their Goods will be ready in two weeks’ time. We’ll contact our agent in Malaysia, work out the details, then tell the customer the guide time and rate”.

You’ll probably have heard a lot about T1 documents in the news since Brexit. The UK Government website has this to say:

“Goods destined for a specific European Union destination arriving into a UK sea port from outside the European Union do not have to be customs cleared and duty paid on arrival at the UK port if a T1 document is in place. Instead, the Goods would be customs cleared in the country of destination with any import duties and taxes being paid at the local rates applicable there rather than the UK.”

Clear? Well, it is to us, but we are the experts.

Why you need a T1 Document for import and export post-Brexit

Let’s explain in real life terms. Not everyone knows, but Goods shipped from outside the EU don’t always ship directly into the UK – they will almost always head to a European Union destination first before onward travel to a UK port.

This is where you can reduce the transit times and costs savings can be made. By taking control of the cargo at that point.

The T1 document ensures the free movement of goods within the European Union so they can move to the UK where they will be customs cleared. So, if you’re importing Goods from the UAE, they may well be destined for the Port of Rotterdam first. The Goods must have a T1 issued on arrival in Rotterdam which then allows any import duties and taxes to be paid within the UK when you have taken control of the goods in the European Union instead.

There are many other factors to consider when dealing with supply chains abroad too. Transit time and costs can be impacted by things you’d never consider in the UK, not just location or shipment size, but season, political factors and (our favourites) National holidays are just a few of the obstacles we deal with on a daily basis.

We are able to handle this process from every European Port, most notably; Duisburg, Zeebrugge, Liege, Hamburg, Cologne, Cuxhaven, Le Harve, and Rotterdam

Freight Forwarding specialists for UK imports

Goldstar’s freight forwarding team are professional fixers. Yes, you read that right. Anything you don’t know how to handle in import or export, simply get in touch and they’ll make it happen.

Mark says:

“People often just don’t have a trusted point of contact to talk them through the process and tell them what to do, that’s where we come in. There is nothing we cannot do”

Our speciality is our network in Europe, but Goldstar handles loads from all over the globe. It’s common the customer isn’t aware about the shipping (inco) terms when it comes to supply chain logistics, so things can get complicated quickly unless you know what you’re doing.

Figs from Turkey, Fireworks from China. Often all the company will have is paperwork, they’ll pass it to us and we’ll have to track it, monitor it and complete all the necessary procedures required by law to ensure it gets to the right place at the right time.

You agree on the price and the timeframe, we’ll do the rest. It’s that simple.

As the last eighteen months move into the rear-view mirror, there is now very little that could faze our experts in the road haulage industry.

If you’re interested in how Goldstar can support your business, you can find out more on our European Services page or get in touch with Mark and his team at Tilbury via forwarding@goldstartransport.co.uk or call the team on 01375 487676.