November Newsletter

Welcome

Welcome to the latest issue of our newsletter. If you have plans to grow your business by trading with overseas suppliers or buyers, we have a few suggestions for you. If you're in the motor trade, or interested in importing specialist cars, take a look at our Q&A and pick up a few tips from our article on importing parts and accessories.

At Customs Clearance Ltd, our aim is always to give you the confidence that when you entrust your consignments to us, whether simply to clear customs or to move them around the globe, they're in good hands. Always aiming to provide the best service we can, we're taking on new staff at Customs Clearance - two additional personnel in our Customer Services team and a dedicated sea freight specialist.

So remember, for any customs and importation issues, or if you have any specific queries relating to sea freight, call our friendly, approachable and newly expanded Customer Services team on +44 (0)20 8231 0900 your first port of call.

In this issue

Growing your business whilst staying in control of overheads
Q&A - Everything you wanted to know about importing, but were afraid to ask!
Attention the Motor Trade! Importing parts and accessories
Stop Press - SAD Harmonisation
Riding Home on a Magic Carpet

Growing your business whilst staying in control of overheads

It's not hard to see that if you are able to expand the market for your products beyond the UK, your business could grow exponentially. In order to sell abroad, people need to see you and what you offer, and be able to negotiate, ideally face-to-face. So for starters, you need to be prepared to jump on a plane on a reasonably regular basis, to 'press the flesh', make your deals and promote your business to the overseas buyers. All well and good.

Once you have overseas interest though, in order to be confident in placing their orders with you, your prospective foreign buyers need to be assured they can get access to a ready supply of your products. And that's where the problems can start. For in order to service an expanded market, you'll need a few things in place - before you start taking orders you can't fulfil:

Increased manufacturing capacity - expanding production cost-effectively could lead you to venture overseas for more cost-effective processes or raw materials. That means could be moving goods across the globe on a very regular basis. More warehouse space - maybe a whole new site - for raw materials and/or stock ready for sale. That comes with increased rent and rates and higher utilities costs.

Increased headcount - more staff to manage your new space and move larger volumes of product around, to pick, pack and ship your higher order volumes.

Tighter administrative processes - more staff could mean you need formal HR support where you didn't before; there may be additional legal obligations and employment regulations to which you will be required to conform; there will be additional tax and national insurance burdens; you'll need some in-house import/export expertise.

More money! - All this could mean you need to go cap-in-hand to the bank for a business loan or an increase to your overdraft facilities.

It's fair to say that businesses do this all the time, but it takes courage to make the big step-changes that are required to significantly expand your reach and a lot has to go your way in the process. It's a daunting prospect. It's risky and it's stressful.

But there is another, easier, way to do things:

Customs Clearance Ltd provides a range of services to help your business grow. Use these services and you could save tens of thousands of pounds - and your sanity!

Customs Clearance: Clearing goods through customs takes time - valuable time you may not have. We processes hundreds of shipments every day. What could take the inexperienced person all day to achieve, we can accomplish in a few minutes. We pay the charges, arrange for pick-up and delivery and invoice on completion. We take care of import licences.

Transport and logistics: We can move your shipments in and out of the UK by air, sea or road. We provide for everything from same day and overnight collection and delivery, to transportation by sea container or air freight; Across the UK, Europe and the world, we move everything from small packages to large consolidated cargo shipments.

Storage and break-bulk: We have an ERTS bonded warehouse facility which allows us to store your consolidated shipment, handle the customs clearance, break your shipment down into individual consignments and onward ship to multiple destinations. This helps to minimise your storage requirements and means that you can negotiate advantageous handling, clearance, storage and delivery charges with customers individually.

Expertise: Our experienced staff can handle all your importation, taxation and clearance procedures, and offer tailored solutions to individual customer needs. What's more, when you need to show a strong hand in your commercial import/export dealings, Customs Clearance specialists are available to assist - at business meetings, or at trade shows and exhibitions, for example. They will even contact your prospective customers or suppliers on the phone or in person, on your behalf, to handle their questions about your own importation procedures.

So before you start mapping out your plans and business objectives for 2008 and beyond, call Rudee or Brian on +44 (0)20 8231 0900 to find out how we can help you achieve your global business expansion goals.

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Q&A - Everything you wanted to know about importing, but were afraid to ask!

Each issue, we answer in brief one or two of your more specific customs and importation questions.

Q: I fancy treating myself to one of those old classic cars from America - but how do I go about getting it into the UK?

A: Whether it's a workaday pick-up truck or a classic 50's Chevy, the same process applies. First you need to find the dealer or vehicle importer in the USA who has the car you want. Then ideally, make sure you actually see the vehicle in question, so you're sure there aren't going to be any 'surprises' when it arrives. Your negotiation on the price needs to allow for the fact that you will be paying tax and duties in importation - so find out what these will add up to and leave room for them in your budget.

Once it's paid for, you will need to arrange for movement and delivery of the vehicle to a shipping agent, who will handle the process of exporting from the USA to the UK.

When it arrives in the UK, duties and taxes become payable at the port of entry. Here's where you might need Customs Clearance Ltd to smooth the passage for you and take care of the paperwork.

Once your vehicle has cleared customs, it must be safely moved to a designated address or garage for safe-keeping, as you won't be able to use it or drive it until it has been SVA tested by the Department of Transport. At this point you may be advised to make certain changes to the vehicle. Complying with any requirements and successfully passing the SVA test will result in the issue of an MoT certificate, which will allow you to register the vehicle and obtain your Road Fund Licence and, of course, your insurance - and at last you will be roadworthy and ready to go.

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Attention the Motor Trade! Importing parts and accessories

Are you a specialist motor trader, classic/specialist vehicle owner, or coachbuilder? Do you supply vehicles, parts or accessories in the UK that need to be imported from abroad? Do you own a unique vehicle that needs parts and supplies from abroad? Do you restore transatlantic classic cars? If so, Customs Clearance Ltd could be making your life a little easier. Here we take you on a journey through the importation process.

There are several types of specialist motor vehicles on-the-road in the UK, many of which have been sourced from the USA. Quite apart from getting them into the UK (see our Q&a,p;A, above), dealers, restorers and owners will have ongoing issues getting hold of accessories and the parts and materials needed to maintain their vehicles. Some need special oils, nuts, bolts and other fastenings not available in the UK. When enhancing your vehicle, or when repairs become necessary, things like lights, wheel trims, mirrors and other components can't easily be found in Europe - they need to be imported.

Our experience is that USA-based vendors can sometimes be reluctant to offer international delivery services - and here's where Customs Clearance Ltd can help.

We can pick up the job right from the moment you pay for your goods, and deliver your purchases direct to your door. One call is all it takes. We contact the vendor on your behalf and make the pick-up from their premises. We handle transport to the airport and flights to the UK. We take care of the export customs clearance, and the import customs clearance in the UK, completing forms, paying duty, VAT and customs fees on your behalf. Then we transport your goods to your selected destination. Simple!

Call Customs Clearance Limited and you will be asked for the following information:

• Size/dimensions of the consignment
• Weight of the consignment
• Contents of the consignment and their value
• Full pick-up address including zip code and named contact
• Full destination address including postcode and named contact

We'll also need to know your service requirement - how quickly do you want your shipment back in the UK - so we can select the best mode of transportation to meet your objective. Then we work out a price for the service (each job is different!), give you a quote, and if you're happy with this, we take it from there.

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Stop Press - SAD Harmonisation

Don't forget - the clock is ticking on SAD Harmonisation. The 3-month transition and dual-running period ends in on 1st January 2008 and from that point onwards, you won't be able to use the old system at all. It's a complex issue, so if you have any questions as to how SAD Harmonisation may impact your business, don't hesitate, call our Customer Services Team on +44 (0)20 8231 0900.

Click here to access further information on SAD Harmonisation from HMRC.

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Riding Home on a Magic Carpet

We continue our series of 'coffee break' stories for you. Enjoy!

It was a blissed-out week in early October - still regarded as late summer on the Aegean coast. The season has already ended for some in this tiny Turkish fishing village, but I love it. I'm a creature of habit, and I come the same time every year for a wind-down after the September year-end at work (why September? I'll never know), and before the Christmas rush. My favourite apartment, overlooking the beach, booked months in advance - it gives you something to look forward to. This year I'm on my own - but that's not so bad. It's a safe and friendly place, and the locals really look after their returning guests. You get the chat-up lines too and the odd few drinks arriving out of nowhere - there's no harm in any of it.

The weather this time of year is still hot as you like during the day, cool and comfortable in the evenings. The tourists have mostly gone home; the streets are quiet and the bars are winding up for the season. Nobody is pressing their apple tea on you, throwing leather jackets over your shoulders and promising, "for you, pretty lady, special price"... … except at the carpet factory...

For one day each week - just the one - I venture further than the beach. This year, it was a trip to the local carpet factory. Now, when I say 'carpet factory', don't imagine for one minute that this is some aircraft hangar rattling with machinery, people clocking on at the door. No, this one was no more than a dozen local women, working by hand on old wooden looms, outside under the shade of a simple straw roof, and 'supervised' by a small contingent of hookah smoking men sitting on a couple of old benches under an olive tree. The women worked intently, focused on their weave. Their fingers old and hard, yet so dexterous. It was amazing to watch them painstakingly built their magnificent carpets, thread by thread. You get mesmerised by it, standing there in the late summer sunshine, listening to the click-clack, click-clack of the looms.

Then, of course, comes the sell. You're gently relaxed, perhaps a little off-guard by then. Everybody is so hospitable, and you can't at this stage refuse the ubiquitous apple tea. You move inside and realise the show is about to start, and you have no chance of escape until it's done - well, it would be rude, wouldn't it? (It's a bit like Disneyland, where you can't get out except by passing through the souvenir shop...).

So you give in to it. Layer after layer of magnificent carpets get swirled, twirled, unfurled and shaken out in front of you with a flourish. It's drama, and it's clever - they're made to look like they're floating to the ground, like magic. From small fireside rugs to massive room-sized spreads, from classic patterns and centuries-old colours to contemporary shades and designs - there really was something for everyone.

Indeed. Being a shopaholic, there was something for me too. No modest fireside rug either - I saw the very carpet I needed to turn my boring bedroom into an exotic sanctuary. A full 16 feet by 12 of intricate stitching, rich burgundy, deep blues and shot though with threads of copper and gold. Magnificent. The young Turk must have seen my eyes light up - he knew he was going to reel me in.

Of course you have to haggle, whether you want to or not - they expect it and they're even disappointed if you don't join in the fun. So I gave it my best shot. When I heard his price, I pretty much knew what I'd end up paying, but it took a full half-hour and another couple of apple teas before we got there. Now it's paid for and I'm assured it will be rolled and dispatched the very next day - far too big for me to carry home, it had to get shipped. I completed the paperwork, paid the shipping fee (darn, I'd forgotten about that!), and headed back to the beach to catch the last rays of the setting sun. Days later and following the inevitably tedious homebound journey, I'm back in my boring bedroom, waiting for it to be transformed by my new 'magic carpet'.

I was told it would arrive in a few days, and sure enough, it did. Sort of. Actually, it didn't arrive at my door, it arrived at the airline's facility at the airport. I get a call at work - it's official. Have I got a customs broker? "A what?", I say. Apparently there's more paperwork to fill in before I can get my carpet. Not only that, there's more money to pay - duty. That's another thing I forgot to allow for in the heat of the afternoon sun. I have no idea what to do next.

I can't get to the airport for several days and even if I could, I get the feeling it would tie me up for hours. The airline official is clearly used to this - he stops just short of patronising me before offering me the names of a couple of customs clearance specialists.

So I call the name at the top of the list. Amazingly, one call is all it took, and suddenly my life got a lot simpler. Friendly and professional, all they needed were the shipping details and the reference number the airline official had given me, and they were on the case. And the very next day, I had my 'magic carpet' - the first step on the way to my exotic boudoir.

Now, does anyone know a good interior designer?

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