Technology Archives | Page 14 of 15

Metro deliver on ECO promise

Jan 13, 2022 | Environment, Metro, Supply Chain, Technology

Having conceived, created and launched the MVT Eco module in 2021 - to monitor the CO2 equivalent emissions, of each consignment we move - and committed to environmental transparency, Metro has now officially offset our emissions for 2020.

Companies’ response to climate change is arguably the most pressing issue facing society, which is why the UK government joined 38 international partners to welcome the establishment of new international sustainability reporting standards at COP26.

Metro is among the 13,000 corporations that have committed to environmental transparency, using international sustainability reporting standards, by disclosing our environmental impact and working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests.

Metro’s MVT Eco module, which is part of our MVT suite of digital solutions and unique supply chain ecosystem management tools, monitors the energy emissions, emission costs and CO2 equivalent emissions, of each consignment we move, by every mode. Metro customers have free access, to monitor the environmental impact of their supply chains and participate in offset projects that will eradicate their CO2 footprint.

Metro partnered with environmental consultancy Comply Direct, to undertake an organisational carbon footprint exercise, to measure, target, reduce and offset our carbon footprint, across all areas under operational control within the UK. Conducted under international sustainability reporting standards, using the internationally recognised GHG Corporate Standard Protocol.

Metro is committed through our ISO 14001 system to reduce our footprint, by fully offsetting current emissions through purchasing verified carbon offsets, which allows Metro to take responsibility for the emissions already released, while taking steps to reduce emissions going forward.

The projects Metro support are aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, and include protecting the rainforest in Brazil, providing clean cooking stoves in Kenya and helping to assist the delivery of renewable energy to India, a country currently heavily reliant on coal.

We know that our actions are a small step, but if all companies took similar responsibility and action, we are absolutely convinced it really would make a difference. Many small steps will take you a long way.

In 2022 we will make further progress with additional initiatives, including EV charging points in our office car parks and the adoption of EV company cars as existing cars are replaced. On a larger scale we are working with partners that use the most sustainable methods of fuel and energy and that have adopted, and implemented, their own environmental policies and protocols to ensure that we can create some of the most eco-friendly and green supply chains from and to anywhere, globally.

The MVT ECO module is a cloud-based solution, that is available, free-of-charge, to all our shippers on their MVT dashboard, where they can view key eco statistics related to their movements, to see which areas will benefit most from emissions offsetting and where efforts can have the most impact.

To request a demo or discuss your requirements, please contact Simon George, who leads our technical solution team, or Claus Rasmussen to discuss carbon reduction strategies and the availability of offset projects.

It really does work!

Foldable containers may be cure. Just not yet…

Nov 25, 2021 | Sea, Supply Chain, Technology

The bulk of the world’s trade is shipped in intermodal shipping containers, which have remained largely unchanged since IMO standardisation 50 years ago, but innovation may be the key to reducing supply chain congestion. Is this a new era of global container shipping?

Few tools of the global economy have survived without major innovations as long as the shipping container and the continuing pandemic-linked supply chain disruption is presenting a significant opportunity to address that.

As ports, terminals and warehouses get congested with containers, both empty and full, the conditions are increasingly favourable for a product innovation that failed to catch on before the pandemic. Shipping containers that collapse to as much as one-fifth their usual size.

The cost of repositioning empty containers to places where they’ll be loaded is about $20 billion, according to the Boston Consulting Group and many will spend days and weeks taking up space in already-jammed holding areas and depots, compounding delays along supply chains.

In 2013, the Dutch container company 4Fold’s 40-foot metal boxes became the first foldable units to get certification from the Container Safety Convention and International Organisation for Standardisation, meeting standards required by shipping lines, terminals and rail companies.

Today more than 15 carriers, shipping via 60 ports worldwide are testing the Delft, Netherlands-based company’s environmentally friendly containers that can be folded into a quarter of their volume, taking up less space on trucks, ships and docks.

The world’s largest shipping line, Maersk, has referred to foldable containers as the “dream of the shipping industry” and leading consumer-goods producers, including Procter & Gamble, are also testing the technology.

Despite sparking hope among carriers and shippers, as the answer to making equipment available more quickly, higher upfront costs and hesitancy to turn to a new business model have so far kept foldable containers from becoming mainstream.

As companies find themselves more pressed to find answers to supply-chain congestion, the trade-offs of investing in a new technology might become smaller. The US-based foldable-container company Staxxon LLC gained full certification for its 20’ product at the height of the pandemic and is planning to put them on the market next year, suggesting it has dozens of potential buyers who’ve indicated interest.

Carriers could save up to 57% in inland transportation costs by relying on foldable containers, according to Singapore University. And despite higher purchase and annual maintenance costs, foldable units would still be a more cost-beneficial option, their research found.

The challenge is defining the optimal mix of foldable and regular containers that carriers should maintain in their inventory.

Too many and the purchase costs could offset the benefits. Too few and you would struggle to find three other foldable containers to create the single unit, that generates efficiency and cost-savings.

Metro are innovators and we will be watching the development of this story with interest. And ready to actively participate in testing, evaluating or investing, in the best interests of our customers.

We also own many of thousands of containers ourselves within our group of businesses – so know what we are talking about. Please direct any questions or requests for creative solutions to Elliot Carlile who is heading up the programme for Metro clients.

Header image courtesy of HOLLAND CONTAINER INNOVATIONS NEDERLAND B.V.

Shippers risk falling foul of post-Brexit origin rules

Nov 10, 2021 | Brexit, Customs, EU, MVT, Technology

Many British companies trading with the EU are still failing to understand the extent of their legal obligations to comply with the origin rules of the EU-UK trade deal and could face disruptive enforcement action by customs authorities, when a ‘grace’ period for UK imports ends on the 1st January 2022.

Under the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement that took effect at the start of the year, EU exporters can send goods to the UK tariff-free, but only if they can prove their products are sufficiently “made in the EU” to qualify for preferential access to the bloc’s single market.

These certification requirements on local content also apply to UK exporters wanting to send goods to the EU without incurring tariffs.

The “rules of origin certification process, was deemed so complex that EU and UK exporters were given a one-year grace period that reduced the required documentation, but this will expire on the 1st January 2022, with many companies facing a paperwork challenge.

UK importers found to have brought in goods tariff-free that are later found not to have complied with the rules of origin must pay full duties, and vice versa.

During the one-year grace period, British and EU companies have been allowed to certify their goods did qualify for zero-tariff access under the rules of origin, without supporting evidence from their suppliers.

Rules of origin and the way “originating content” is calculated vary from one product to another, but typically an item must be about 50% British or EU made in order to qualify for zero-tariff access under the terms of the trade deal.

To date, many British businesses have simply been attaching declarations stating they met the rules of origin to their invoices, even when they have no idea if the product is compliant or not.

Other companies have been working to better understand their origin situation, but with the potential for hundreds and thousands of components and complex and far-reaching tiers of supply, the situation is challenging.

The extent of any disruption from January will depend on how strictly EU and UK customs authorities carry out rules of origin checks. Inspections are expected to increase, particularly on the UK side, with more customs officers in place to ensure accuracy in terms of origin classification, as they will be collecting duty on behalf of the government rather than Brussels as was the case pre-Brexit.

If goods do not meet the rules of origin requirements or, more critically if origin cannot be proven, the importers will need to pay applicable Customs Duty.

The requirement to obtain preferential duty lies with the UK importer, who will need to provide either a statement of origin from the exporter or evidence they obtained about the originating status of the product.

Statement on origin that the product is originating made out by the exporter:

When exporting from the EU a statement of origin can be made out by any exporter where the value of the consignment is under €6,000 (£5,700). Above this, the EU exporter must have a Registered Exporter number (REX) and include it in the statement.

The statement on origin can be provided on any commercial document, describing the product in sufficient detail to enable its identification.

Importer’s knowledge that the product is originating:

‘Importers knowledge’ allows the importer to claim preferential tariff treatment based on evidence in their possession, that they obtained about the originating status of imported products. This evidence may be provided by the exporter or producer and provide evidence that the product qualifies as originating. As the importer is making a claim using their own knowledge, no statement on origin has to be provided by the exporter or producer.

If the UK exporter is subject to a request for verification and cannot provide evidence to show that the goods exported to the EU originate in the UK, the EU importer will be liable to pay the full rate of Customs Duty.

Now available to new customers, our CuDoS customs brokerage platform is optimised continuously, in line with the regimes in force on both sides of the Channel. Automating and submitting customs declarations, CuDoS simplifies compliant border processing, in either direction.

We simplify declaration submission and safeguard our customers EU supply chains from the potential fallout of easement and regime changes, which means that their EU/UK movements will not be interrupted when full UK/EU border controls are implemented on the 1st January 2022.

To discuss your situation and to learn how we automate customs declarations for businesses of all sizes, please contact Elliot Carlile or Grant Liddell who can talk you through the options.

Supporting environmental transparency

Nov 10, 2021 | Environment, Metro, MVT, Supply Chain, Technology

Environmental reporting standards for business have been high on the agenda at the UN’s Climate Change Conference – COP26 – currently underway in Glasgow and Metro support the drive for businesses to be open about their impact on the planet, as transparency is an essential precursor for reaching global solutions to a global problem.

Companies’ response to climate change is arguably the most pressing issue facing society, which is why the UK government has joined 38 international partners to welcome the establishment of new international sustainability reporting standards at COP26.

As a disclosing company, Metro is among the 13,000 corporations that have committed to environmental transparency, by disclosing our environmental impact and working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests.

While world leaders gathered to discuss the future of climate change and their negotiating teams are hard at work at #COP26, we hope that our customers, and the wider industry, will also take action on climate change, because it poses a present and future risk to supply chains.

It is only by measuring our environmental impact, that companies can understand and mitigate now, to prepare for the future and ultimately remain competitive – especially as there is increasing demand for goods, services and suppliers with a reduced environmental impact.

Metro’s MVT Eco module monitors the energy emissions, emission costs and CO2 equivalent emissions, of each consignment we move, by every mode, which means that Metro customers can monitor the environmental impact of their supply chains and participate in offset projects that will eradicate their CO2 footprint.

VIEW MVT ECO WEB PAGE