France Ends Regime 42: What It Means for Exporters and Why You Should Attend Metro’s December Customs Webinar
France will withdraw Regime 42 from 1 January 2026, removing the VAT simplification that currently allows goods to enter France without import VAT when they are destined for another EU member state.
The ending of Regime 42 has attracted little publicity, but it will directly affect UK exporter...
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When the Suez Canal Comes Back Online: Hidden Risks for Supply Chains
With hopes rising of stabilising conflict in the Red Sea region, analysts are increasingly considering what it would mean if shipping lines resume full use of the Suez Canal route, and it’s not all good news.
While the shorter route from Asia to Europe might seem like a logistical boon, th...
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One Minute Late, Thousands Lost: U.S. Customs Tightens Enforcement Across All Modes
In U.S. trade compliance, even a one-minute delay can be costly. Recent cases show importers and logistics partners facing thousands of dollars in penalties simply because mandatory filings were completed moments after official cut-off times.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has steppe...
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Carriers Pull Sailings and Add GRIs as US Port Fees Add New Cost Layer
Container lines are tightening capacity to defend freight rates just as new U.S. port fees on China vessels start on 14 October—costs that carriers say will be passed through to shippers.
In the run-up to contracting season, the shipping alliances have stepped up blank sailings to support pr...
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Blank Sailings, GRIs and a Typhoon Disrupt Asia Shipping
Shippers moving goods out of Asia are bracing for the tightest space and schedule disruptions as the major container shipping lines accelerate blank sailings in the lead-up to China’s extended Golden Week holidays.
Following weeks of tentative planning, lines have now confirmed broad capacit...
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Ex-China Airfreight: Turbulence and Transformation
For shippers moving goods by air into Europe and the US, the peak season has arrived with a complexity not seen in recent years. As flights are cancelled and rates trend sharply upward, a fundamental reshaping of the marketplace is underway.
In September, a powerful typhoon swept through south...
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US Targets Tariff Evasion
The White House has launched a revitalised Trade Fraud Task Force to clamp down on tariff evasion and customs violations. This coordinated cross-agency initiative is set to bring sharper enforcement tools and greater scrutiny to a trading environment already complicated by regulatory uncertainty ...
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Growth Sustained, But Reliability and Policy Risks Loom for Air Freight
Air cargo volumes surprised on the upside again in August, rising by around 5% year on year, the second consecutive month of growth at this pace. Capacity also increased by 4%, though yields came under pressure as rates softened.
Despite the stronger demand, the outlook for Asia–Europe and A...
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Road freight prices edge higher in August
Stronger August demand lifted UK road transport prices, with both haulage and courier markets firming despite fresh capacity entering the system.
The latest TEG Price Index shows overall prices rising nearly 2% month on month and sitting 2.4% above August 2024 levels. Haulage led the gains, up...
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Resetting UK–EU trade
Five years on from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and with the 2026 review fast approaching, the UK and EU have a chance to move beyond firefighting and design a trading relationship that works in today’s economy.
A new Parliamentary report from the Chartered Institute of Export &...
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Asia Pacific Freight Markets Reshape as Tariffs Shift Trade Flows
Air and sea freight in the Asia Pacific region is at the centre of global freight realignments, as eCommerce and feeder shipping operations are reshaped by recent policy changes in the US.
Adjustments to tariff rules and the elimination of duty exemptions have pushed shippers to reconsider s...
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Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Season 2025
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is an agricultural pest native to China, Japan and the Korean peninsula. Each year, Australia and New Zealand enforce strict controls from 1 September through 30 April to prevent the introduction of this invasive pest through international trade.
Accidenta...
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