Tag Archive for Exporting

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UK must improve export support scheme for SMEs

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling on the government to make vital improvements to the UK’s export support scheme.

It comes amid the recent closure of the government’s Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) which the FSB argues was not “as good, or as good value, as it could have been”. The scheme provided £500-£2,500 towards direct exhibiting costs, conference fees or creating promotional materials.  

>See also: 5 things to remember when exporting for the first time

Now the FSB says there is an opportunity to seize a better export support scheme. The body has set out a five-point plan to help achieve this, particularly for regions and businesses where support is most likely to help them become first-time exporters or move into new markets.

Help trade show access across the UK, particularly in areas like the north east and north west of England and the west midlands – these areas have the largest proportion of small firms considering exporting for the first time compared to those who already do.Expand support to costs such as conference entrance feesIncrease proportion of costs covered by grants to ensure best value for

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What can I do if an EU customer refuses delivery of goods sold?

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Originally written by Christophe Pecoraro on Small Business
What’s changed with exports to an EU customer post Brexit?
The most significant changes come as a result of the UK’s exit from the single market and the customs union. Any EU customer buying products from a UK-based retailer are now subject to charges comprising import duties plus courier or postal handling fees. Naturally, the opposite of this is also true, with additional paperwork and costs applying to British consumers purchasing goods from Europe.
Unfortunately, consumer standards are not going to relax whilst retailers find ways of adapting to these new rules. Workarounds do exist and are readily being adopted. But the customs charges and extra paperwork have significantly increased the complexity and cost of shipping products in and out of the EU.
In addition to unwelcome delays, all the added cost has to go somewhere. For businesses that have been unable to cover this themselves, many have had to pass this onto the end consumer. In a period where consumers are expecting online shopping to compensate entirely for the high street experience, these effects are accumulating to a lot of unhappy customers. Suffice to say, for smaller businesses attempting to contend with the likes of

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A quarter of small exporters cease selling to EU since Brexit transition end

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
More than a quarter of small exporters have ceased selling to customers in the EU following post-Brexit transition delays.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warns that what might have been previously dismissed as ‘teething problems’ could become systemic.
A survey of nearly 1,500 small companies carried out by the FSB found that 23 per cent had temporarily stopped selling to the EU while four per cent had halted sales permanently. Eleven per cent of exporters were said to be considering a permanent halt.
The same proportion had set up or were thinking of establishing a presence in a European country to make the process easier. Around nine per cent may secure, or are already using, warehouses in mainland Europe or Northern Ireland for the same purpose.
Small importers have been particularly hard hit by new paperwork as 17 per cent temporarily halt purchases from the EU. What’s more, a massive 70 per cent of importers and exporters say they have suffered delays when moving goods around the EU in recent weeks. More than 30 per cent have lost goods in transit and a slightly higher proportion have had goods held indefinitely at EU border crossings. Of

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Hot Business News Today

A quarter of small exporters cease selling to EU since Brexit transition end

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
More than a quarter of small exporters have ceased selling to customers in the EU following post-Brexit transition delays.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warns that what might have been previously dismissed as ‘teething problems’ could become systemic.
A survey of nearly 1,500 small companies carried out by the FSB found that 23 per cent had temporarily stopped selling to the EU while four per cent had halted sales permanently. Eleven per cent of exporters were said to be considering a permanent halt.
The same proportion had set up or were thinking of establishing a presence in a European country to make the process easier. Around nine per cent may secure, or are already using, warehouses in mainland Europe or Northern Ireland for the same purpose.
Small importers have been particularly hard hit by new paperwork as 17 per cent temporarily halt purchases from the EU. What’s more, a massive 70 per cent of importers and exporters say they have suffered delays when moving goods around the EU in recent weeks. More than 30 per cent have lost goods in transit and a slightly higher proportion have had goods held indefinitely at EU border crossings. Of

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Where to find your £2,000 Brexit Support Fund grant

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Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Small businesses that only trade with the EU can apply for a £2,000 grant through the Brexit Support Fund for help with importing and exporting.
The government has made £20m available for the Brexit Support Fund to help small businesses with changes to EU trade rules.
The Brexit Support Fund is meant to help Britain’s 6m small businesses cope with new customs, rules of origin, and VAT rules import that come into force from April and July.
>See also: Half of small business exporters struggling with new rules post Brexit
The existing Customs Grant Scheme will administer the Brexit Support Fund, which will open for applications in March.
What the government calls new import controls will come into effect in three stages up to July 1 2021 to allow traders and hauliers adjust to new red tape. More details can be found in the Border Operating Model.
Businesses do not have to complete new import declarations for up to six months, unless they are moving controlled goods.
Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “This new targeted funding will see small businesses get more of the practical support they need to adjust to the new processes and

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Hot Business News Today

Where to find your £2,000 Brexit Support Fund grant

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Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Small businesses that only trade with the EU can apply for a £2,000 grant through the Brexit Support Fund for help with importing and exporting.
The government has made £20m available for the Brexit Support Fund to help small businesses with changes to EU trade rules.
The Brexit Support Fund is meant to help Britain’s 6m small businesses cope with new customs, rules of origin, and VAT rules import that come into force from April and July.
>See also: Half of small business exporters struggling with new rules post Brexit
The existing Customs Grant Scheme will administer the Brexit Support Fund, which will open for applications in March.
What the government calls new import controls will come into effect in three stages up to July 1 2021 to allow traders and hauliers adjust to new red tape. More details can be found in the Border Operating Model.
Businesses do not have to complete new import declarations for up to six months, unless they are moving controlled goods.
Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “This new targeted funding will see small businesses get more of the practical support they need to adjust to the new processes and

Read more...

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Half of small business exporters struggling with new rules post Brexit

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Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Half of mainly small business exporters that send goods into the EU are facing difficulties trading post Brexit.
For manufacturers the problems are just as bad, with 51 per cent finding life exporting to Europe more difficult after Brexit, according to a British Chambers of Commerce survey.
Overall, nearly one third of businesses (30 per cent) surveyed said they found trading more difficult in January following Britain’s exit from the EU.
>See also: Half a million businesses at risk of collapse without more support
The main problems cited by exporters over Brexit were increased administration, costs, delays and confusion over what rules to follow.
In particular, the BCC would like to see firms be able to write off what they spend on extra admin and customs costs against their tax bill, and for the government to push back against the EU imposing extra health checks on food and animal exports from April, as well as full customs checks from July.
The BCC would also like to see the EU and UK government work together to try and minimise unhelpful burdens, including aspects of rules of origin and VAT.
The research is the first large survey of how companies are coping

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How Brexit is going to affect your business – #2 exports

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Exports are one of the areas that will change for business after the Brexit transition period comes to an end.
There’ll be no change if you’re shipping to other parts of the UK or outside the EU. However, if you’re exporting to the EU, you’ve got some bits to factor in.
If we have a hard/no-deal Brexit, we’ll become a third country, where goods will need to be cleared at customs. To deal with these changes, you need to address the following seven areas.
Get an EORI number
As with imports, you’ll need an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number to export goods to the EU. An EORI has 12 digits and starts with GB.
If your business is service based rather than goods based, you may not need one. But if you are exporting to your business space in the EU, you’ll still need an EORI number.
Read more by heading over to EORI number: what it is and how to get or check one.
Have a look at your commodity/tariff codes
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System or Harmonized system (HS) will have a run-down of codes you need to export to the EU. You will need these codes

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Hot Business News Today

How Brexit is going to affect your business – #2 exports

by  •  • 0 Comments

Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Exports are one of the areas that will change for business after the Brexit transition period comes to an end.
There’ll be no change if you’re shipping to other parts of the UK or outside the EU. However, if you’re exporting to the EU, you’ve got some bits to factor in.
If we have a hard/no-deal Brexit, we’ll become a third country, where goods will need to be cleared at customs. To deal with these changes, you need to address the following seven areas.
Get an EORI number
As with imports, you’ll need an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number to export goods to the EU. An EORI has 12 digits and starts with GB.
If your business is service based rather than goods based, you may not need one. But if you are exporting to your business space in the EU, you’ll still need an EORI number.
Read more by heading over to EORI number: what it is and how to get or check one.
Have a look at your commodity/tariff codes
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System or Harmonized system (HS) will have a run-down of codes you need to export to the EU. You will need these codes

Read more...

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Getting ready for Brexit – 6 steps you need to take to prepare

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Originally written by sarahgunton on Small Business
6 steps to getting ready for Brexit
Here, we guide you through the six steps companies should be looking at if they’re getting ready for Brexit with detailed advice as to how firms can best prepare.
#1 – Tax, tariffs and customers
From January 1 2021, an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number is required to move goods into or out of the EU. Register for an EORI number here. All goods imported to the UK will also be subject to UK Global Tariffs from 2021. As a business owner you check what these will be here.
 >See also: EORI number: What it is and how to get or check one
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there will be new tariffs on many goods and services that are exported from the UK to the EU. Even if a deal is agreed, there may still be tariffs to pay on some traded items. Those goods that we export to the rest of the world that are currently subject to EU-negotiated tariffs will be subject to new duty rules too, many of which have yet to be agreed.
Getting ready for Brexit

Monitor announcements about new foreign tariffs

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