Logistics & customs

Getting goods made is half the job. The other half is moving them, clearing them and paying the right amount of duty and VAT — and that is where costs and delays usually appear.

These guides cover choosing between sea and air, what lead times really look like door to door, who is responsible for what under each incoterm, how UK customs clearance works, and the tax and reporting duties that land on you as importer.

UK import duty and VAT on goods from ChinaWhat you actually pay at the border, how it is calculated, and why VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim the VAT.6 min readSea vs air freight: cost and timeSea is cheaper per kilogram and measured in weeks; air is measured in days and costs several times more. The decision is what the extra weeks cost you, not which is faster.5 min readUK customs clearance: EORI, commodity codes and documentsCustoms clearance is how imported goods are legally released into the UK. What you need in place, who files the declaration, and what actually holds shipments up.7 min readWhat documents are needed for UK customs clearanceThe exact paperwork a shipment from China needs to clear UK customs, who produces each document, and what goes wrong when one is missing.6 min readVAT on imports from China to the UK, and how to reclaim itHow import VAT is calculated on goods from China, how postponed VAT accounting changes your cash flow, and the DDP arrangement that can leave you unable to reclaim it at all.6 min readIncoterms explained: EXW, FOB, CIF and DDPIncoterms decide who pays for what and where risk passes. Here are the four you will meet most, in plain English.6 min readShipping lead times and how to planLead time is sampling, production, booking, transit, clearance and delivery, not just the sailing. The most common cause of a late shipment is the buyer taking weeks to approve a sample.5 min readShipping from China to the UK: the full pictureHow goods actually get from a Chinese factory to your UK door — the modes, the timeline, the paperwork and the costs.5 min readUK Plastic Packaging Tax: what importers from China oweThe tax applies to the packaging you import, not just what you manufacture. What it costs, the 10-tonne threshold, and how to avoid paying it.4 min readPackaging EPR: the UK obligation importers inheritWhen you import packaged goods, you take on the producer's packaging responsibilities. Who is obligated, what you report, and what it costs.3 min readHow to find your commodity code (and check it is right)The code decides your duty rate, your VAT treatment and whether extra charges apply. How the digits work, how to look one up, and the traps that cost money.4 min readDDP from China: the import VAT trap in an all-in priceA DDP quote looks like it covers everything. If you are not the importer of record you never get the evidence to reclaim the import VAT — and 20% becomes a real cost.5 min readCustoms value: what actually goes in the boxDuty and import VAT are calculated on the customs value, not the invoice. What has to be added, what can be left out, and the tooling mistake that catches people years later.5 min read