A combination of Felixstowe Docks changes and high demand is resulting in a large haulage shortage for full container loads out of Felixstowe Docks. We are ideally requiring 9-10days notice to ensure that we can delivery the containers to clients needs. However for the remainder of September and currently October there will continue to be issues.
Arrival times to delivery of LCL cargo can now be up to 5-7days due to heavy congestion in the ERTS warehouses around Felixstowe. While all hauliers and warehouse operators are doing their best to handle destuffing of containers as quick as possible. The sheer volume is having an impact. This is currently expected to continue through September and October based on current levels.
One of the most common requests we receive is importing motorcycles such as Goldstars, and triumphs both restored and those to be restored and the ever popular lambretta scooter. We have added a dedicated page to our site covering the main points of import a motorbike from India.
The easiest way to import is to use a dealer/supplier who has exported before. If you buy you motorcycle / scooter on the terms FOB this had the advantage of the the shipper worrying about all the local India charges. They will arrange to crate the motorbike for shipment, ensure all the relevent export documentation is filed, and get it to the container loading terminal. If you buy ex-works you will require us to arrange all this on your behalf and as it can be time-consuming the charge can be as much as what you would pay buying FOB.
If in doubt we are always happy to check for free if your supplier is correctly registered or if you are going to have to use an agent for the export documentation.
If you do not want to deal direct with the Indian supplier then you can deal with our product manager from BusinessLink India who will ensure your contract for the shipment is valid and it will get fulfilled.
Golden rule – No full payment up front. Cash Against Documents is the accepted way for any reputable dealer/supplier. Here you only pay for the goods once the shipping documents have been issued. Once this is done then you pay the money and release and they release the documents including if valid. If your supplier wants payment upfront then walk away. Once they have shown proof that they have the product available and they want a deposit, pay no more than 25%.
Duties and Taxes
If you are importing into the EU (which includes the UK) you will pay duty and VAT at your countries set level. If you
Importing into the USA is slightly different to Europe. A lot of motorbikes and scooters will not meet current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules. Unlike in for example in the UK where this means you simply could not use it on public highways. In the USA you have to bring the bike up to current standards before clearance. If you cannot do this then the bike has to be re-exported or destroyed. Make sure you can do this before you buy a machine.
Additionally in the USA while there is no VAT tax you will have to pay duty on the invoice value of the bike and this can be up to 2.4%. Note if you cannot prove the purchase value or customs officials think it is undeclared they will use the “Blue Book” value to assess the duty due.
If you have any doubts contact your local customs office or email us with what you are planning to buy, where from you want to export the motorbike and where in the world you are going to import the motorbike.
We have formal joined up to British Freight Forwarders Association (BIFA) this month. This is the leading UK british group for all freight forwarders. Giving all freight forwarders a voice in various goverment and business interests. Additionally it gives increased confidence to all out existing and new customers that we follow standard set of conditions.
As of 28th of July for all new shipments and any other trade under taken after this date will be now under the standard BIFA 2005A published trading terms and conditions.
So with Narendra Modi and the BJP part winning a landslide in the election last week. Whilst in the eyes of the western world he carries baggage from the incidents in 2002, his considerable efforts to reform and boost the economy in Gujarat which has had success over the past 10 years should not be overlooked. This has made him a very popular person in the region and the slick media campaign ran throught the election built on this and cemented his win. Hopefully after his swearing in ceremony on Monday 26th May, he can get to work on the rest of India. If he can replicate the reforms Gujarat has seen in other states, then it will help transform India into a power house for the 21st century.
As India wealth increases a growing and richer middle class will translate for an increase in consumer goods, which in turns will place increasing demands on the distribution networks within individual states and across India as a whole. It will become no longer acceptable to have lorries loaded and then waiting while they eventually make it to their unloading point. Customs will need to increase their efficiency so goods which are being imported and exported are not held for days awaiting clearance approval. It will be interesting to see how this changes over the next five years.
So will this be the boost that the Indian economy needs? Can he get corruption and bribery under control and get the India economy to its rightful place challenging China and other growing Asian economies. The next five years will tell.
Tags: India
India Post wants to restructure and develop its parcel network, operations and delivery to meet the demands of todays’s ecommerce stores for their need to ship and delivery their parcels. With 1,39,086 post offices in its network, the post office feels it should be in the best position to offer the last mile delivery link for parcels to ecommerce buyers. With India’s e-commerce market increased from about $2.5 billion in 2009 to $16 billion in 2013 and is expected to touch $56 billion by 2023 according to Assocham India Post needs to adapt.
Supporting this drive to handle e-commerce comments made by the Postmaster General Merwin Alexandera said a new postage handling facility developments on a nine-acre site along GST Road in Chennia to complement along with similar developments in Mumbai and Hyderabad, as part of the 12th Five Year Plan. These will compliment centres already in operation serving New Delhi and Kolkata.
If you are looking at fulfilment and warehousing order picking services then contact us. We work with all couriers including India Post to offer a comprehensive range of services for ecommerce retailers whether you are based in India or outside the country.
Source: India Postal Site
Tags: Fulfilment, India
Manufacturing holds the key to the development of India and that accounts to around 15.4% of real GDP in FY12 and that growth led to the employment of around 12% of India’s labor force. Indian manufactures have also seen lot of competition from other countries that have been doing well in manufacturing and surprisingly Indian manufacturers have made sure that they deliver results that have boosted the manufacturing exports that now stands at US$168.1 billion. Engineering goods account for the highest share which is around 40% of the total manufacturing exports. Apart from that gems and jewelry that account nearly 24.3%, chemicals and related products that stand third at 17.2% and textiles that account for nearly 13.9% of the total manufacturing exports in India.
With the progress happening in the Indian manufacturing segment, there are many foreign investments that are being made that actually help to boost the manufacturing companies today. While the manufacturing segment declined few months ago, but it has picked up well and Indian manufacturers are optimistic about the substantial growth that will happen in the near future. India is aiming towards the US$325 billion mark in terms of manufacturing exports as new businesses and firms enter the manufacturing sector that has seen lot of development.
Tags: Export from India
A general warning to first time importers or exporters from the EU. Currently there is a popular scam using google ad words to promote companies charging money for services which you can easily do yourself or would be done undertaken by agents you are already using. This can include websites which are copies of the genuine site and other websites which try to pass themselves off as the official site. We have now see that Economic Operator Registration and Identification scheme (EORI) is being targeted.
Registration and getting an EORI number is free in most European countries and this includes the UK. The forms are relatively easy to fill in and any reputable UK-based freight forwarder including ourselves do not charge for helping a client complete the form if required.
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[grid_6 position=”alpha”]Further information on EORI can be found on out UK import/export FAQ pages.Click on the button to be taken to the direct page[/grid_6][grid_1 position=”other”][button size=”medium” url=”http://www.andrewjamesforwarding.com/help/frequently-ask-questions”]EORI FAQ[/button][/grid_1]
Tags: Exports, Importing from India
With the Chinese new year fast approaching the race is on to get goods shipped before the holiday shutdown around the 31st January 2014. However the continuing issue of cargo space on vessels leaving major chinese ports is still a major concern. Most vessels are full despite the large general rate increases being applied with frequent occurances of bookings been rolled over to other vessels. This has created an issue of containers being booked on one vessel rolling over to the next and then having a general rate increase applied, which is having to be passed on to clients.
India has also been continuing to see a issue with space availability from the major ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva, which looks like is going to continue for another couple of weeks at least.
Sri Lanka government in order to try and bring the many shipping charges under control. Has decided that from the start of 2014 all THC charges are going to be banned. Freight forwards will no longer be able to charge for this cost. It is also suggested that the Indian government is monitering the issue to see how well it goes before considering
THC charges are a standard known throughough the shipping industry. While trying to getting control of all of the many different shipping surcharges is definately with looking out. Someone has to pay for the ship containers to be off loaded and the THC charge will have to go somewhere. The shipping lines simply are not going to absorb this cost. It will be interesting to see where it goes.
There are many types of shipping containers which we can supply to move goods around the world. The most popular are the 20ft dry van container, 40ft dry van container and 40ft high cube container. We have a chart available which shows the sizes both external and internal available to make it easier for you to decided which size you need. If your cargos is insufficent to fill half a 20ft container then you will need to look for an Less than Container load service which can be found here.