If you are a regular importer, you will no doubt be aware
that after the EU referendum vote on 23rd June 2016, the UK
pound/Sterling fell sharply on the foreign exchanges from around USD 1.50 on June
23rd to below USD 1.30 and it’s remained at this level for almost 2
weeks, so we can assume that this will be the new level for the foreseeable
future.
Looking further back, one year ago the USD was 1.55 and averaged that
level for the whole of July-15. So, we are looking at a cost increase of almost
17% which is significant.
I’ve worked in international trade since 1980 and know that most companies will
purchase product from regions like Asia and North America in USD however many
don’t realize that the major part of their freight costs are also calculated in
USD.
For example, if you import from the USA, the pick up
charges, terminal handling, freight rate itself and surcharges such as BAF (fuel
surcharge) and LSF (low sulphur fuel surcharge) will all be rated in USD. It's also worth mentioning that if you export by ocean, the freight rate is also rated in USD so another area to investigate.
From our experience over the last 6 years here
at Straightforward Consultancy (SCL), we know that companies are sometimes
reluctant to review their logistics as it can be time consuming, confusing for
a non-expert and they don’t really want to place their supply chain at risk.
This is why they entrust this work to experts like ourselves who take the lead,
involving them to ensure their needs are met when negotiating with freight
providers and nothing is left to chance.
The thing that most customers find
surprising is the amount of money they have been wasting (the average we have
measured since 2010 is a hefty 35%) and sometimes receiving a pretty mediocre service
as well!
What we’re about is not just lowering landed costs for our customers, but using
the opportunity to refresh their existing model at the same time, making it lower cost, reliable
and Customs compliant.
We also often find that not only are they paying way
more than necessary, but also that their consignments aren’t being correctly
declared to HMRC, and we’ve had one customer who recovered almost £ 30,000 of overpaid Customs import duty from
HMRC because of our expertise.
So, to summarize, if you have been meaning to look at this area for some time but
it’s been on the back burner, it really is time to act.
Your managing director,
financial director and operations director will appreciate your initiative and
it will help to offset the squeeze on your company's margins, brought about by the 17%
hike in your landed freight costs.
Just to add one more thing, we are very experienced in this area and offer free
assessments for customers who are keen to reduce freight and related costs.
We also offer a shared savings/gain share fee model for our work which means our work is results based, includes
everything from review to implementation and a full year of freight management,
making sure that your costs stay competitive and you have access to expert
advice and our knowledge of the logistics marketplace.
If you take a look at
our testimonials, I think you will be impressed, companies large and small rate
us highly and our very first client from 2010 is still on board today. I have also been a panel judge at the Lloyds Global Freight Awards for 2 years so we're known as industry and market experts.
So if you're concerned about your rising costs, do get in touch, it may be the best decision you've made in 2016!
Click here to see our story, case studies and customer testimonials
Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.
Andy
is part of the judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his
second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation
and performance in the field of international logistics.
Andy
felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK
importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them
to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support
day-to-day.
