Stop Press!

It has just been announced that Fed Ex and DHL have suspended shipments of parcels to private individuals in Russia on account of stricter customs rules.

The ban applies to goods ordered by Russian customers over the internet.  The new rules mean that extra documents are required for the clearance of these shipments including passport details.

Business customers are reportedly not affected.

DHL says the suspension of shipments will come into effect on 27^th January.   It is reported that other firms such as UPS, TNT and DPD are also considering bans.

 

See here for news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25878869

#Russia #parcel

www.morley-consulting.co.uk

Spare a thought .....

Spare a thought for those preparing to handle the freight transport of all the gear for the Winter Olympics. Not only have they got hundreds of odd shape parcels of oddly named and unusual items but they have to get them half way up a mountain in Russia in mid Winter!   Whilst many of the competitors will be wishing for as much snow and ice as possible I suspect most of the logistics teams will be hoping for exactly the opposite!

#Olympics #logistics # Russia

www.morley-consulting.co.uk

BRICs are so last year !!

Jim O’Neil who first coined the term BRIC to identify Brazil, Russia, India and China as potential powerhouses of the world economy has done it again.

We now must remember the ‘MINT’ countries - Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey - as emerging economic giants.

After dinner mint anyone???

www.Morley-consulting.co.uk

#BRIC   #MINT

Losing weight?

In client discussions today I have once again been reminded that weight in international trade is a matter of great confusion.  It is not just that some people work in grams, some in kilos, some in metric tonnes, some in pounds and some in ounces, although that is bad enough particularly if you are careless about the spelling of tonnes!

For the calculation of freight costs the ‘weight’ may have nothing to do with the actual weight of the consignment but everything to do with the dimensions. This is the infamous ‘volumetric weight’.  It is a mathematical calculation that allows volume to be compared with weight so you can end up with volumetric kilos.  But take care the sums are different depending on mode of transport!  You will be charged according to either the packed weight or the #volumetric weight whichever is the greater.

Remember this when you ask for a freight quote and make sure you give the dimensions as well as the weight to avoid nasty surprises!

www.morley-consulting.co.uk

Getting into a State!

At a recent conference I was reminded how new-comers and even experienced global shippers can be blinded by assumptions that they don’t even realise they are making.

In this case it became clear that some people believed that a Country has only one set of laws no matter which port or airport you choose to #import to or #export from.    Whilst this is true in some countries it is certainly not true in others.  Take the USA for instance – there is Federal law and then there is State legislation.   Taxes differ between States which can wreck your costings.   Some goods can be imported into New York but are forbidden in Los Angeles – you will come to understand this as they are confiscated and destroyed at your expense!!!   It is not just the USA that has these differences – do you know if this applies to the countries you work with…..????

Contract Terms

The International Chamber of Commerce INCOterms 2010 have now been in use for some time.  However modern international trade still throws up many questions and issues.  Part of the problem is the interaction between #INCOterms, the sales contract and the freight contract.

This is still true even if you think you don’t have all or indeed any of these for your transaction.   Contracts can conflict with one another and even if you don’t have a written contract you do have one based on the standard trading terms and conditions of the companies you are working with e.g. BIFA terms for freight agents.  Which contract or set of conditions takes precedence?   Are they covered by different legal jurisdictions?   To avoid unwelcome complications and costly headaches check, compare and resolve these.  

Spot the difference!

My professional hobby is teaching #piano and #viola playing to pupils of all ages.   However on this occasion I can combine my two professions!   Take a look at the two links below and consider the #customs #classification position:

 

http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/21616338/article-Bejeweled-violin-a-highlight-at-silent-auction#ixzz2KGS7UXGU

http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/fuse-gold-violins/

Consider – a musical instrument is by definition meant to be played and most importantly should be capable of being played.   

What do you think?    Take a second look at the first link – the #violin bow has also been bejewelled – that might well render it unusable.   So is the bow and violin a ‘set’ in customs terms or are they separate?   Is one an artwork (zero duty reduced VAT)?

Customs work is fun isn’t it?!?

www.morley-consulting.co.uk