May 2009

Welcome

Welcome to CCL’s May 2009 newsletter.

It’s been a busy month for Customs Clearance Ltd – not long back from the WWPC Convention, we were off to Triangle Munich, which proved to be a superb networking opportunity. Sadly, one of our team is moving on this month. Karin Norling is leaving CCL and returning to her homeland, Sweden. Karin is going back into full time education, to fulfil her lifelong ambition to become a scientist. Good luck and bon voyage, Karin, you’ll be missed by everyone at CCL.

We’re getting great feedback on our newsletters and especially our cheeky Coffee Break Stories. Alessandra Busatta of D T Gruelle in the USA (www.dtgruelle.com) tells us she enjoys our newsletter and reflected on the great networking that went on at the WWPC convention. Dan Wheeler of LinC Group (www.lincgroup.co.uk) (formerly Wright Kerr Tyson) had some great feedback on the last issue and some suggestions we’re definitely going to run with – Dan, take a look at our Coffee Break Story this month too.... Aimee Rono of Dextrans Worldwide Philippines Inc (www.dextransgroup.com) also enjoyed last month’s issue.

Triangle Munich was a good networking event for CCL. We caught up with old faces and met new contacts too. We connected with John Archer of Australasian Mail Services (www.amservices.net.au) and Iain McLure and Carlos Barbosa of Spring Global Mail (www.springglobalmail.com). Iain tells us he’s a big fan of the newsletter and loves the Coffee Break Stories. He says he knows what the punch-line will be (surely not!) but always reads to the very last word just to make sure we don’t try and catch him out. Carlos was dismayed he wasn’t on our distribution list – you are now, Carlos! This is the effect our newsletter has – we can’t help but smile.

Thanks all, for your great feedback. Anybody else want a mention and a link to their web site? Just say something nice about us. Drop it into an email – that’s all it takes. Our newsletter goes worldwide to over 1,000 subscribers involved in import/export.

This month we’re reviewing an important issue we brought up only last month – HMRC’s ‘three strikes’ rule concerning the Low Value Bulking Concession. They’re serious about it and we are too. We’ll be at a couple more events in the coming weeks – see below for details. We’re also highlighting CCL’s added value mail services this month.

One last thing – we’ve mentioned it before, but if you’ve ever considered branching out, we have an opportunity we’d like to discuss with you. Check out our web site here, then call Rudee or Brian for a confidential chat.

Enjoy the rest of this issue and don’t forget, for any customs and importation queries, make our friendly and approachable Customer Services team on +44 (0)20 8231 0900 your first port of call.

In this issue

"Three strikes and you're out" - It's Serious
What else can CCL do for You?
Trade Show and Event Update
All Work and No Play?
Q&A - Everything you wanted to know about importing, but were afraid to ask!
Coffee Break Story: You had to be there!

"Three strikes and you're out" - It's Serious

We wrote last month about HMRC’s recent inspections and the fact that they had uncovered some consignments which had been wrongly declared under the Low Value Bulking Concession. This is a serious matter, as false declarations compromise our customers’ businesses and our own. We’ve been meeting recently with HMRC to address our concerns, and those of our customers who act as gateway importers on behalf of their overseas clients.

False declarations constitute a fraudulent offence under the Customs & Excise Management Act 1979 section 49 (1) (e), and are in direct contravention of the terms and conditions of your for the Low Value Bulking Concession, Article 27 of EC Regulation 918/83 as amended by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3357/91.

HMRC’s “three strikes” policy means that any consignee/importer being found to have wrongly declared gets just two warnings. A third offence is likely to result at the minimum in the loss of their approval to declare under the Low Value Bulking Concession, something which could have costly implications to their business. More serious civil penalties could also apply, as outlined on the HMRC web site here.

It’s up to us all to be vigilant and to self-police, to ensure nobody’s business is compromised. We urge you to make sure you know your exporters well and understand fully what you are importing for them. If necessary, train your shippers/exporters to be more vigilant when accepting consignments.

If you’re ever in any doubt as to how to make correct declarations, contact our Customer Services team on +44 (0)20 8231 0900 for advice.

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What else can CCL do for You?

Customs Clearance Limited is not just a clearing agent with a full range of customs clearance gateway solutions. We offer added value services too, at very competitive rates. We do this by partnering with our established associates to provide end-to-end solutions.

For example, we can handle large scale mail/package distribution around the globe. We can store, clear and break your shipments down into individual consignments and, via our specialist partners, onward ship to multiple destinations.

Let’s say your client is a large multinational enterprise, headquartered in the USA. They have consignments to dispatch to each one of their European offices, maybe 15 or 20 offices in total, in countries right across the region.

As a freight forwarder your client’s consignments can arrive in the UK in a single shipment on one Master Air Waybill (MAWB). We move the shipment to our ERTS bonded warehouse and clear it through customs for Europe. Then we break the shipment up and our courier service partner takes the individual consignments and handles delivery right to the door of each office, in every country. You pay us, once, on one single invoice, for the full process from airline handling and customs clearance through to signed-for delivery to every door.

Making the most of the services of our specialist partners means that both you and your end-user customers receive a professional service, saving you time and money and simplifying your administrative processes, allowing you to keep your operation focused on your core business activities. Call us today on +44 (0)20 8231 0900 to learn more about how we could be making your life easier.

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Trade Show and Event Update

We’ll be at the 6th Annual Sino-International Freight Forwarders Conference, from 11th-14th June at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. This is the biggest global meeting of the year for freight forwarders. We don’t have a stand, but do let us know if you’re planning to attend so we can arrange to meet up.

We’re racing back home then for the Triangle Mail and Express Delivery Show (MEDS) which takes place on 16th June at the London Novotel West. This year the show is focusing on how the industry is working with customers during the recession. MEDS 2009 is poised to deliver real value to suppliers, high volume mailers and others involved in the UK mail and express industries. Let us know if you’re going to be there.

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All Work and No Play?

Graham Skinner of Henderson Phoenix and his daughter Catherine recently had the opportunity of going to the Emirates Stadium to watch Arsenal v Sunderland, courtesy of Customs Clearance Ltd. Both enjoyed the day as you can see from the photos, and Graham sent us this note when they came back down to earth:

“Just a quick note from me and Cat (Catherine my daughter) to say a big thanks and a big cheers for the use of the tickets on my birthday. She did not know she was going to Mecca until we got off the tube at Finsbury (she was made up!!!) and being with my daughter on my birthday at the Arsenal was a blessing...”

Graham, if you’re delighted, then we’re delighted. Making you happy, makes us happy! Thanks for the note.

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

Here’s the spot where we answer in brief your more specific customs and importation questions.

Q: I am going to receive 3 boxes of handbags by plane. I need someone to receive the boxes and dispatch them to an address in London. Can you help me?

A: Of course we can! Firstly, we need to know if these are new handbags for onward sale, or your own personal items (the women in our office assure us it's entirely possible for a woman to own at least 3 large boxes full of handbags...). We will need to know whether they are arriving at Heathrow, or elsewhere. Presuming that you require clearance services, we will need to know the value and the precise contents of each of the boxes, along with full details of the originator, then we will be able to give you a quote for clearance and shipping to your London address.

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Coffee Break Story: You had to be there!

Here’s another of our ‘coffee break’ stories for your time-out time. Enjoy!

And since this is only a story, remember that any resemblance to people or events..... is purely coincidental...

They were having a crisis in the cantina. That much was easy to see, every time the kitchen doors swung open. Steam, flames, and a few (too few) ill-tempered cooks throwing food on to plates and shrieking for the waitresses. That’s what you get for sitting close to the kitchen – a bird’s eye view of a meltdown in the making. If I hadn’t been so hungry, it would have been funny.

On the face of it, the restaurant itself was calm and organised, at least, it was at first. Later, well, that was a different story. I was supposed to be meeting a colleague but he’d developed a bout of - well, you don’t need that information - but he’d cried off anyway, so I was there on my own. A guy’s gotta eat, after all.

Over the other side of the restaurant there was this big table, about a dozen blokes, making fast and loose with the booze. Well, when you’re away on an expenses-paid all-inclusive jaunt, why not?! On the same jaunt as them, I was doing it too, truth be told, but no-way keeping up with these guys. Obviously friends as well as business associates, they were working their way down the drinks menu with almost military efficiently - wine, beer, jugs of margaritas and round after round of really evil looking cocktails. Not their fault really, the service was sluggish to say the least. The kitchen, well, you remember what I said about the kitchen, don’t you? Their waitress was smiling sweetly and laughing at their jokes – it’s her job, after all. She’d taken their order hours ago and despite the drinks, this particular crew were beginning to get a little.... irked... by the delay. A quick word with the manager and the waitress – sensible girl – summoned up some cold bits-and-pieces, chips’n’dips kinda stuff, to stave off the hunger pangs. Could I get some of that care and attention over here, darling, please?

The dippy stuff cheered the guys up some, but time was passing and they were getting bored and very restless. They started coming and going, and here’s where the problems really began. They were in and out of their seats, in and out of the restaurant, making and taking calls on their mobiles, having a smoke, getting some fresh air, eyeing up the passing totty. One moment there’s ten of them at the table; next moment there’s three, then six, then four. And as the proper starters began to arrive, confusion reigned. I’m sure one or two had given up and gone off to find a curly sandwich in the bar and when the food landed, nobody was quite sure who had ordered what. Everybody still at the table got a plate of something, and the rest was piled up in the middle. That’s what happens when the food is ‘free’ – who worries about the waste? Still without food myself, I’m thinking, maybe I could wander over and beg a bowl of those cheesy nachos? Just a mouthful or two, please, for a hungry man?

At last a waitress brought me food. I got to eat, but it was hardly a high-point – a soggy enchilada and a rather tired salad in a burnt taco shell, in case you’re interested. It wasn’t great, but it was well after 9pm and I’d been there for almost two hours. I didn’t care – I had to eat and go. Apart from pure hunger, I’d arranged a meet with a guy involved in customs clearance the next day and that meant an early start, before the main event kicked off. As I ate, I watched the guys, still coming and going. A few had gone for good after the starters and one or two were outside as the main courses began to arrive. There were just four or five stalwarts at the table when this new face appeared. I guess he’d been passing the restaurant and spotted some of his group. He’d ambled in cheerily and sat down at the table with them as the waitress emerged from the kitchen loaded with mains. The table was confused – nothing was quite right. Sides missing, salads where refried beans shoulda been, well-done instead of medium-rare. Grumpy? These guys were holding back, you could see, but they weren’t happy. Still, food is food.

I had to laugh though, everybody was passing plates around and the waitress was as confused as the guys. In the end she just about gave up, and planted her last plateful down in front of New Guy. I don’t know if she realised he hadn’t ordered anything, or maybe she just didn’t care. Anyhow, New Guy cute-as-you-like, popped a napkin on his lap, picked up a fork and started tucking into that plate. I could see the other guys round the table looking at each other, not quite sure what to make of it. Quiet glances and quizzical expressions first, but then the sniggering started. Somebody must have asked him what he was eating, as he shrugged his shoulders, but he continued to trough away, oblivious to the smirks and giggles, helping himself to nachos, dips and salad too. He even poured himself a glass of wine! I guess, with it being all-inclusive, he figured nobody would mind. But he hadn’t banked on how hungry everybody was – including the guy whose food he was finishing off!

Talking of which... back into the restaurant came two more from the table. Having finished their phone calls and their smokes, they’d seen the food arriving. Straight away, it was easy to spot the fella who’d just unwittingly sacrificed his dinner to New Guy. He approached the table and looked around. Nobody seemed to want to meet his gaze, although they all knew it was his food disappearing down New Guy’s throat.

He had that kinda hungry-bear ‘who’s been eating my porridge’ look about him, as he stood pointedly beside New Guy and his half-eaten dinner. Jovial as the rest of them had been earlier on, his face was like thunder, but he was still trying to rein it in. I guess when you network at a place like this each year, you don’t want to become known as the one who lost it over a plate of chilli-beef. The other guys could hardly contain themselves now and I think their laughter helped him to see the funny side. He settled down next to New Guy and they passed him one of the other uneaten platters and poured him a drink. He sulked a bit, and picked a little – he was clearly disappointed to miss out on his chilli-beef. But in the end, he took it all in good spirits and washed his cares away with a few more ‘good spirits’ off the drinks menu.

That’s what it’s like with these guys from the freighting world – they work hard, they play hard, they know how to have a sense of humour when things don’t quite turn out and they know how to be friendly, and forgiving. Let’s just hope they don’t get asked to share their food too often!

And wouldn’t you know, when the man from Customs Clearance Ltd showed up for our meeting the next morning, turned out he was the very guy who’d lost his dinner the night before. Good job I’d ordered up the coffee and bagels before he got there – he tucked in like he’d not been fed for a week. He must have had a really sore head too, but he didn’t realise I knew it. He hid it well but I powered in with a ton of questions, as I needed to know what his business could do for me and we didn’t have a lot of time. He knew his stuff though and he persuaded me that outsourcing customs clearance could actually save me money. He impressed me. He won my business. But I made him sing for his supper!

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