If your business is looking to expand and develop into international markets, it can be a challenging and sometimes hazardous process. Picking the right countries to export to involves a lot of logistic know-how while keeping down the costs and streamlining the process of transportation is essential.
It’s not just a matter of getting your goods from A to B on the nearest ship or freight aircraft. There are different rules and regulations associated with each country or trading block.
The Challenges of Going International
As a freight forwarding company, we understand the challenges that businesses face when they head into new markets. While this can be an exciting time, it also requires creating the right partnerships that are sustainable over a long period. The obstacles that businesses face include:
- Legal barriers and regulations: For example, some products are subject to restrictions in certain countries.
- Challenges with customs: Each country has its own set of rules and regulations which can be problematic for some businesses.
- Language barriers and cultural differences: This can be another issue and it’s often beneficial to have someone associated with the target country who can act as an advisor or go-between.
- Some countries are also more biased towards their home producers which means exporting can be difficult unless the right criteria are met.
Where to Find Help with Exports
Many businesses, now that we have gone through Brexit, will be looking at expanding their customer base to new regions and country throughout the globe. It’s important to understand where help will be needed with this, whether you’re an SME or a large corporation.
Freight forwarders act as an integral part of the supply chain when it comes to moving goods from one location to another. They understand the vagaries of different countries and what legal documentation is required. They can also assist in finding the most cost-effective way to transport your goods and work with you to optimise your processes.
Working directly with a freight forwarding company has several advantages. It not only gives you access to the appropriate expertise but offers your business a good deal of flexibility when it comes to transporting goods all around the world.
This can include the simplification of charges and invoices from carriers which means you clearly understand what you are paying for. There can be all sorts of costs involved in goods transportation from ocean freight charges to terminal handling fees and local import taxes.
Working directly with a freight forwarding company you trust also means that you can reduce your costs and get better deals, especially if your goods are going into consolidation. A good freight forwarder will find the most cost-effective way, for instance, to piece together a full container load so that costs are kept under better control.
Paperwork and areas like custom clearance can also be a nightmare for businesses, especially if they are exporting to more than one country. With a freight forwarding company, you get all that expertise under one roof and don’t have to worry about employing internal or external expertise that could prove more costly.
Finally, a freight forwarder, like the expert team at Equator Worldwide, can help you streamline your logistics so that you operate more efficiently. This could mean spotting inefficiencies in your supply chain and solving other issues that your company may have that affect freight transportation.