Fresh Food

When goods are bought or sold "Ex Works" (EXW) it means that the Seller is making the goods available at their factory or warehouse. The buyer is then free to come and pick up the goods. Ex Works places full responsibility for cost and risk with the buyer, as the buyer has to arrange everything.

Customs is at the heart of our organization, but we also have subsidiaries that take care of other very important and special steps in import and export processes. I work at one of these subsidiaries: Freshport.

The European Union and the United States have released a joint statement in which they announce a lowering of tariffs for specific goods. These positive measures have been taken to enable easier market access to both markets.

They support importers and exporters, for example by creating export documents and certificates. They are also the link between importers and exporters and the Customs Authority. I spoke with Kevin in response to his interview with Fresh Plaza. 

The Coronavirus started in China, and it slowed production capacity down to a stop. With the number of people recovering now higher than the number of people getting infected in China, the tide slowly seems to be turning. The factory of the world is starting up again.

Ships Sailing, but Where Are the Containers?

Container shipping from China to Europe and the U.S. is starting up again. The backlog of containers waiting to be shipped out is slowly getting smaller. However, there are still a few challenges. 

What Are Excise Goods?

Excise goods are goods containing alcohol, tobacco products, and mineral oil. When you import, sell or use excisable goods in the EU you have to pay excise duty. Since 2008 the EU member states have harmonized the excise duties within the EU, although there still are some country-specific rules.

When goods are bought or sold “Carriage Paid To” (CPT) it means that the Seller delivers the goods to a destination previously agreed to by the seller and the buyer. It can also be the handoff to the prefered carrier of the buyer.

Independent customs broker Customs Support has taken over Freshport. Freshport is an independent service provider for the clearance of mainly perishable goods and live animals, and is located on the runway at Schiphol. Freshport facilitates among other things inspections of public authorities.

This acquisition fits into the Customs Support strategy to grow in the customs market through targeted acquisitions. The combination has multiple (international) subsidiaries operating in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Belgium.