Fuel surcharges are an extra fee that carriers like DHL, UPS, TXT, and FedEx charge on top of their standard shipping rates. In the good old days, fuel surcharges were straight pass-through levies accurately reflecting a carrier’s fuel costs. But those days are long gone. Now, they routinely trade fuel prices and surcharges to eke Read More
In December 2020, we announced that Smart Directions were AEO Certified – becoming an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO). Why? Well, besides being another string to our bow, AEO certification demonstrates that our role within the international supply chain is secure and that our customs controls and procedures are efficient and compliant. Yes, we’re a safe Read More
As Covid restrictions are eased and, in some cases, removed entirely, businesses are opening once more and we want to discuss something called Cross trade shipping. The inevitable demand for air freight has caught the industry off guard as the number of available aircraft is not keeping pace with the demand. With space at a Read More
Customs clearance is probably one of the most complex and intimidating aspects of global freight shipping. Small businesses must devote a lot of time and energy to make sure they get the process right if they are to avoid fines and delays. Whether you opt to use a broker or decide to go it alone, Read More
Now we offer alcohol and tobacco customs clearance, we thought it would be good to tell you a bit about these goods and the hoops you have to jump through when importing and exporting them. Alcohol and tobacco are excise goods. As such, UK excise duty is chargeable when imported into or produced in the Read More
