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We offer full customs clearance services at all major UK ports
Whether it be ocean imports and exports, air imports and exports, cross trade, and road freight, we can manage it all from end to end
We are specialists in all customs entry types and can provide advice relating to customs regulations, duty and vat, port health requirements and customs tariff classifications
Any UK warehousing and distribution requirements can also be fully covered
Whatever your freight forwarding and customs clearance needs, you’ve come to the right place. Established in 1983 and based in Felixstowe, JS Forwarding is a leading independent UK freight forwarder and customs broker whose team has more than 100 years of combined experience.
Let us take the headache out of all the complex logistical planning and documentation handling by putting your cargo in the hands of our experts. By dealing with freight forwarding services, customs, and warehousing and distribution all under one roof, we can give you a true one-stop-shop service and price up a package to suit your needs perfectly.
What’s more, as shipping agents UK, we offer a professional, fast and efficient response, with an unrivalled level of personal service and attention to detail. Many of our customers have been with us for decades – just take a look at our testimonials. They like the way we work, and we like working with them!
"By working with all the leading international carriers we are able to offer a complete range of very competitive shipping services for both full and part load shipments to and from most destinations"
It couldn't be easier to get a quote...
Fill in the Quick Quote tool below, email us on sales@jsforwarding.co.uk or just dial 01394 274747 if you’d like to discuss your needs. We promise to respond promptly and can guarantee our forwarding agents costs will be the most competitive you can find.
Don’t let yourself become bogged down with complicated procedures and negotiations, our rapid and reliable service will save you money and time by ensuring your cargo is safely transported exactly where you want it, as quickly as possible.
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When you're shipping products internationally, air freight costs can quickly increase. However, there are ways to find the cheapest air freight possible. Understanding your options and targeting suitable carriers can save significant money on your next shipment. Here are some tips for finding the cheapest air freight for your business.
With the economy facing difficulties, the global freight market has been struggling with freight-ton-kilometers declining by as much as two percent. Despite some declines, there have also been increases for some companies in the market. In the ever-evolving freight industry, it is clear companies must rise to the challenges and implement innovative strategies to compete on a global scale. Freight Shipping Is the Foundation of a Solid Global Economy Although the cries of purchasing local still resound, global shipping continues to be at the forefront of economic progress all around the world. Faster shipping demands are more insistent than ever before, leading companies to seek superior and ever-evolving options for improvement. Despite struggles in the current market, UK freight forwarders remain instrumental in international logistics. In the UK, almost all the businesses that trade internationally fully rely on freight forwarding to act as a middle man between the trade companies and the carriers. As the world's population continues to grow, cost-effective transport of goods becomes increasingly essential. Shipping is the backbone of the economy in the UK and on a global level. Most of the failures in the shipping industry come from avoidable mistakes companies could overcome with access to the right data. Freight Forwarding Must Integrate New Technology While some believe freight forwarding has become somewhat antiquated, the concern lies more in the lack of technology. Freight companies that are remaining strong in this tough economy are those who have embraced technology and are striving to improve efficiency in operation. Many believe it is time for freight shipping to evolve to meet the demands of consumers worldwide. The industry has seen very few changes since the 1950s and companies still rely on outdated means of record-keeping, including paper trails and faxes. Although many other industries have been using advanced technology over the last ten to twenty years, the shipping industry continues to remain bogged in the past. It has been reported a single air shipment can produce as many as thirty paper documents. These documents create about 7,800 tons of paper a year. The United Nations has reported the time it takes to ship goods could be reduced by as much as 40% simply by forgoing paper records and going digital. Digitization Is the Answer The freight forwarding industry is taking a hard hit due to economic changes and increased demands. There is now more competition than ever before and customer demand is rising. Companies that cannot find sound methods of addressing these issues will likely continue to see decreasing margins. Eliminating unnecessary inefficiencies will be the key to success for freight forwarding companies. According to the Global Freight Forwarding 2017 Report, 86% of logistics experts agree digitization will help freight forwarding companies remain relevant and strong in the global shipping market. Digital solutions are necessary for today's economy. Many of the top forwarders are now selling their services online. With the many different elements involved in shipping cargo, freight forwarders must do all they can to reduce costs and improve customer experience. Many believe this can only be accomplished with cloud-based platforms. With digital tools available, freight forwarders are proactive in avoiding problems, instead of being reactive because of them. With a digital platform, companies benefit from digitally-based analytics which helps in making key decisions that benefit the company and the customer. Outlook for Freight Forwarding Although the global freight forwarding market is experiencing struggles, there is hope on the horizon. It is expected slight increases will begin occurring around the time of the Brexit deadline on October 31. Increases are also expected around that time with the normal seasonal demands. Improvements in chain efficiency, reduced rates, and reduced costs will help to stimulate growth. The companies that rise to the challenge and can effectively manage risk reduction and increased profitability will remain successful. The business of freight forwarding is certainly evolving and outdated methods are being replaced with advanced technology that is changing the scope of services manufacturers and freight movers provide. The more the shipping process becomes automated, the more mistakes reduce. By utilizing the data acquired from the shipping process, manufacturers can better serve their customers and diminish wastefulness that has left the industry stagnant for so many years. For any company to be able to compete at the global level, overhauls in shipping become chief. Conclusion There have been noticeable struggles in the global freight market. With the UK economy still struggling, legacy brokers are starting to fade away. There is hope for legacy brokers if they transform their shipping platform into digital. Incumbents are also poised to go digital and those who are already pursuing digital processes are finding they are better able to compete on the global scale. While some changes are taking place, companies cannot expect to go half-way. Full digitization is critical for success and this is naturally followed by automated integration in back-end operations.
While trade relations with China have been strained for some time, the latest tariff hikes significantly escalated the customs clearance situation. President Trump's move to raise tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese products dramatically upped the tensions between the United States and China and raised the specter of additional sanctions. China's Commerce Ministry quickly responded by imposing countermeasures on $60 billion of US goods. China's response will increase tariffs up to 25% on more than 5,000 US products. Sources also report duties on other US goods will increase to 20%. Those increases were enacted following the failure of talks in Washington designed to end the trade dispute that's clouded global financial markets for months. The US alleged that the Chinese delegation was backtracking on agreements made during previous negotiations. Asian markets have been mixed since the announcements, as investors struggle to understand where the market is likely to go now. The over-riding fear is that the estrangement between the two financial powerhouses would stifle international economic growth. Many of the issues at the heart of the disagreement between the two nations are based on long-standing complaints that China has been erecting barriers to their markets and making it virtually impossible for outsiders to compete with Chinese companies. American companies are insisting China's regulatory system be updated to provide a more level playing field for companies doing business in China. However, that country has been unwilling in the past to negotiate significant changes in the way foreign businesses are allowed to do business in China. On the upside, negotiators are suggesting the Chinese government doesn't have much more to threaten US companies with. Conversely, the penalties added to China's goods entering the United States impact a large percentage of that country's market. Both sides of the conflict publicly stated, after the talks fell apart, that they sincerely wanted to resolve the conflict and establish a policy both countries would find acceptable. China's Vice Premier, the leader of the Chinese delegation, publicly stated China wanted to avoid increasing the tariffs as they would cause more harm to world trade conditions. President Trump also made a statement following the talks and suggested he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would almost certainly be speaking by phone in the near future. One of the major issues remaining is the US claim that China has, for years, been taking advantage of American companies. The allegations include claims the Chinese have consistently forced US trade partners to revealing trade secrets and advanced technologies to Chinese companies. According to US representatives, those moves are in place to assist China's ambition to become a global technology powerhouse. In addition, US exporters charge the Chinese government has routinely instituted policies that slow customs clearances for US products entering China and hampered production efforts by increasing regulatory oversight. Even though both sides of the current conflict refused to share details of the backsliding claim, business leaders and negotiators all appeared to be unhappy over the situation. Without more information coming from the negotiators, it's not likely onlookers will ever know what problems arose during the talks. Chinese negotiators also want the new tariffs lifted immediately if an accord can be reached. In response, US negotiators want the tariffs to be left in place until it's proven the Chinese are living up any new agreement. There is some logic to the US stance, as the Chinese government has a long history of breaking commitments agreed to during similar types of negotiations. The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai weighed in by suggesting "A real enforcement mechanism is crucial to ensure that neither side can go back on their commitments." That statement suggests US companies may be willing to participate in a verification process if such an agreement can be reached. However, to this point, neither the negotiators nor President Trump have responded to the Chamber's statement. On the Monday following the breakdown of negotiations, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated both sides were still trying to move the negotiations forward. Mnuchin announced the discussions were productive but the two sides were, to that point, unable to reach an accord. President Trump has also commented, stating China must take steps to address grievances involving technology transfer issues and ongoing trade deficits. Trump continues to insist the new tariffs will be bad for China and that country should not retaliate. Now, Trump is taking the situation to a new level, threatening to impose tariffs on Chinese goods that, so far, have not been penalized. At the same time, the President signaled he the tariffs would remain in place and, ultimately, hurt China more than the United States. That's a claim many people dispute, retorting that the real burden of the Chinese tariffs will, instead, fall on American consumers and businesses.
