Moving your goods

All businesses need to transport goods at some time or other. If you're an importer or exporter and you move goods within and/or outside the European Union, you need to understand the legal and regulatory requirements that your consignments have to comply with. You need to be careful when choosing the mode and route for your consignments because these factors can impact on your transport costs. You may also have to use more than one mode of transport to get your consignments to their final destinations.

This guide provides an overview of the movement of goods and how to choose the right mode and route for your imports and exports. It also sets out the paperwork you must complete and how best to protect, package and label your consignments.

Choosing the right transport route for your consignments

You can choose from a wide range of transport modes and routes. Your choice will depend on, among other things, how quickly you want to transport your goods and how much you want to spend.

When deciding the optimum route for your consignments, consider these questions:

• Does the country you're transporting to or from have a good transport infrastructure?
• Do you need to use more than one mode of transport?
• How fast do you need to move your consignments?
• Do your consignments require special packing, eg refrigeration?
• Does your customer have any specific terms of sale you must comply with? These detail who has responsibility for the transport and any additional charges it may incur.

Airfreight

This is the fastest way of transporting your goods but can be the most expensive - depending on the quantity/volume of goods.

Sea

Transporting goods by sea can take longer but can be very cost-effective, especially if you are shipping large volumes. See our guide on

Roll-on roll-off ferries

If you’re using containers/trucks for your transportation, roll-on roll-off ferries can offer you cost-effective routes. Usually standard trailers can be accommodated, but check with your freight forwarder first.

Consolidation

Freight forwarders often consolidate several consignments with the same destination. This can save you considerable sums of money.

Express courier

If your goods are urgent or valuable, then express couriers can provide specialist services.

Take care to check the route your goods will take. Use the expertise of your freight forwarder, who’ll have detailed knowledge of the destination countries’ infrastructure and may suggest more cost-effective alternative routes.