The UK left the EU at the end of 31 January 2020. How has this affected shipping options to the UK?
In the world of freight forwarding, the biggest way in which UK's exit has affected shipping to the UK is that train shipping (railway freight) is no longer available for shipping to the UK.
Why is railway freight shipping no longer available for shipping from China to the UK?
All railway freight shipments to the EU are shipped from China to Europe via rail to main distribution points such as Germany, Netherlands or Hungary. From there, they undergo EU customs clearance and once customs has been cleared and typically UPS or other couriers will handle the delivery to your EU address (for any country in the EU).
Now that UK is no longer part of the EU, common customs clearance in the EU no longer applies to the UK. As a result, railway freight shipments can no longer apply to the UK. The UK is essentially no longer part of the 'Belt & Road'.
What are my shipping options from China to the UK, especially for large shipments?
While railway shipping is no longer available from China to the UK, there are still other ways to ship, such as by air or by sea. For small shipments, it makes sense to ship by air. For larger shipments, it makes sense to ship by sea freight.
What's more, CNXtrans has sea freight shipping options from China to the UK that come with the option to either just ship to any major port in the UK such as Felixstowe, London, Southampton or Liverpool or to ship all the way to your doorstep in the UK inclusive of customs duties and customs clearance. The latter option comes inclusive of customs clearance services meaning you will not need to hire a customs broker in the UK.
Have shipments from China to the Republic of Ireland been affected by UK's exit from EU?
No. As the Republic of Ireland is still part of the EU, shipments from China to the Republic of Ireland have not been affected. Railway freight (train shipping) is still available for shipping from China to Ireland. Railway freight is no longer available for shipping to Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) but is still available for shipping to the Republic of Ireland.
Shipping from China to the UK, Ireland or any part of the world?
