Top 5 Benefits of International Trade Consultants in Freight Forwarding

Transporting goods anywhere in the world is a difficult process to navigate. It is much more complicated if your business does not have the necessary information to hand. International trade can involve moving goods on land, in air freight, rail freight or sea freight, and there are different customs requirements and legislation to consider with each. Customs rules are laws. If you don’t follow them you risk hefty fines, and damaged reputation.

An import / export consultant can alleviate the stress that comes with freight forwarding, by providing all the most up-to-date information you’ll need as a trader. As experts in freight forwarding, there are a number of benefits that a consultant can bring to your business.

In this post, we’ll cover the 5 key reasons you might consider guidance from an expert freight forwarder or trade consultant – but not before we quickly cover freight forwarding itself.

What is a Freight Forwarder?

If you are a business that is importing or exporting goods, you will likely require freight forwarding services to help ship these goods from one place to another. Freight forwarders organise the logistics process of moving goods, from the transport costs to any customs documentation you’ll need. Many freight forwarders act as an extension of a business, and will cover various types of international freight logistics.

Freight Forwarders & Trade Consultants

Freight forwarders and trade consultants do different things. Some small businesses will exclusively use a freight forwarding company to help them ship their goods to and from the United Kingdom. However, freight forwarders are usually focussed on processing customs declarations in volume. Trade consultants provide is ongoing, independent business advice. Rules around customs clearance in international shipping change all the time, and you need a customs consultant to communicate relevant information, effectively, to business managers.

Trade consultants with expertise in freight forwarding can provide independent advice, but with knowledge of the sector. Businesses receiving dedicated support from a consultant will limit their risks, reduce non-compliance and will receive relevant, up-to-date advice faster than they would with a freight forwarder.

5 Key Benefits of Import and Export Consultancy in Freight Forwarding

So, why choose an import and export consultant over freight forwarding companies? Below, we cover five of the most important benefits. An import and export consultant:

1. Provides up-to date industry expertise and knowledge

When it comes to shipping and other forms of goods transportation, reliable knowledge is essential. Central government regularly amend the regulations surrounding imports and exports, and some rules are less consistent than others. Customs brokers and other parts of the supply chain often have their own requirements. For example, major UK ports may require specific documentation, or you may find there are limitations on refrigerated transport or new rules for dangerous goods. A consultant will ensure you are always equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge so that you can avoid fines and non-compliance whenever, whatever and however you are transporting your goods.

2. Allows you to reduce costs

Warehousing services, transport services, documentation services – practically everything concerning freight forwarding comes at a cost. For small businesses, they can be significant. The good news is that having a consultant on your side can help you to keep these costs to a minimum. Firstly, you will have a hugely reduced risk of being faced with fines for mistakes, as your operations will be consistently compliant if you are following proposed advice. In addition, you will be increase the efficiency of operations across your business, by identifying the best routes, freight options, contractual terms and customs procedures.

3. Allows you to save time

All business owners wish they had more time to focus on developing their company. Well, with a consultancy service providing ongoing trade support, your time is freed to grow your business. Take the stress and tunnel-vision focus away from complex transport or customs procedures – an international trade consultant can communicate their knowledge in an accessible way, giving your entire staff network the opportunity to improve their performance and efficiency. Whether you need to learn about road freight rules, sea freight or other transport services, you can rest assured you have everything you need at your fingertips.

4. Maintain greater consistency

However you are choosing to share knowledge within your business, with an import and export consultant, you can rest assured that all knowledge is not only up-to-date and relevant, but consistent, too. With so many rules to abide by and such regular changes to think about, ensuring your entire network is using the same procedures is not always easy. However, if you use a consultancy service offering dynamic training courses to share across your team, you will never need to worry about inconsistency.

5. Have the ability and the confidence to grow your business

With more knowledge, a stronger and more reliable service offering and reduced risk, business growth is far more achievable. An international trade consultant can help you build your confidence in terms of understanding the legislation around freight forwarding, and can facilitate this learning across your entire team. Plus, as you begin to master one type of import or export transport, you may be encouraged to expand into new areas.

Looking for up-to-date freight forwarding advice? Contact our experts at clearBorder today and see how we can help your business get border ready.