EORI or “Economic Operator Registration and Identification number” started in July 2009 and if your business has imported or exported since this date you probably already have an EORI number registered. However if you only dealt with shipment to / from Europe pre Brexit you may not have needed one, you do now! An EORI Number is very simple to apply for using the following link and usually takes a matter of days. You MUST apply for an EORI number if you don’t already have one and have an import shipment on route or export shipment to book. You won’t be able to import / export commercial goods without a registered and working EORI number. This is simply a way of HMRC following what companies ship and collecting statistical data. If you are VAT registered HMRC will often use your VAT number plus “00” as your EORI number, however you still need to register this as an EORI. Apply for an EORI number https://www.gov.uk/eori

You may want to arrange goods from a supplier in country A and ship to a client in country B, but you are located in country C. This is referred to as a “Cross Trade” shipment. With our global network of partners who operate their own consolidation services we can assist you with most cross trade enquiries, simply email your requirements to sales@mannson.com .

We can provide specialist services for “Out of Gauge” shipments that wont fit inside a standard container. There are many options of “special equipment” containers that your large items can be safely secured to for shipping. Alternatively we can ship your goods on or below deck as “break Bulk” cargo providing there are adequate lifting points, or load on to “Mafi Trailers” for shipping on a Ro R0 (roll on / roll off) service.

Usually the first requirement to clear goods through customs is a packing list and invoice from the supplier detailing genuine price that you paid for the products being shipped and breaking down units such as weight / volume / linear metres etc., (where relevant). For specific products additional paperwork / information may be required such as in the case of items requiring an import license or with a set quota against them. You can check this with us at sales@mannson.com if you are using us to ship your goods or Customs clear your goods. You may also need to provide us with an original bill of lading which should be sent to you by your supplier. The bill of lading should be signed on the reverse by both your supplier and your company and also stamped alongside the signature by both. This provides evidence it has passed through the correct channels before coming to us. We can not release goods without an original bill of lading as it is legal title to the goods for the holder. There are exceptions such as in the case that a “Sea Waybill” has been issued or all of the original bills of lading have been surrendered at origin and a “telex / express release” has been issued.

A bill of lading is a legal document which can only be issued once goods are shipped. It gives title of the good to the holder of the document. In some cases a supplier may hold on to the original bills of lading after they are issued and only send to the consignee once they have received payment for their goods as this will prevent release of the goods to the consignee if they have not paid for the goods. There are usually three original bills of lading issued, however only one is required at destination from the consignee to be sent to the shipping company to facilitate release of goods, providing all other fees have been settled and goods are cleared of Customs etc. Where there is an ongoing relationship and clearly agreed credit line between supplier and consignee they will often issue a “Sea Waybill” whereby no originals are required at destination for release of goods. Alternatively supplier may choose to surrender all three original bills of lading with the shipping company at origin, in which case a notification will be made to the shipping company at destination to release the goods without original bills of lading, this is usually called a “Telex Release” or “Express Release”.