The freight forwarding services worldwide are facing new challenges. In order to be able to offer new and lower prices for their services, to achieve an easing of the customs formalities and to join in the effort for the reduction of the negative effects on the environment, the freight forwarders need to face those challenges and to ensure contemporary levels of their forwarding services. This is the goal of the European plan and for the International Forwarding Association.
Routes for easing of the customs formalities for freight forwarding services via maritime transportation
75% of the internal trade and 37% of the external trade of Europe is performed via ships and maritime transportation. The need for easing of the customs formalities is obvious, in order to reduce the transportation time. This is why the European Commission has proposed a “Blue belt” is created. The idea behind it is to reduce the bureaucratic procedures and the delays at the ports. This will allow the European logistics network to fully utilise the potential of sea transportation, for both short sea shipping within the European Union as well as for the other European countries. This challenge has another benefit – the chance to make freight forwarding more environmentally friendly.
For the European Union, forwarders throughout Europe can use regular routes which already offer lighter customs procedures.
Creating harmonised electronic cargo declarations (eManifest) for easing of customs formalities for goods for the EU in ships which enter third country ports.
These countries include: Norway, some countries in West Africa and Russia. Almost 90% of the ships carrying goods for the EU stop in ports not only in countries which are members of the EU, but they stop at other ports as well. As soon as a ship leaves the Member States’ territorial waters, it is deemed to have left the EU Customs Territory and the rules and laws outside the EU start applying.
The European Commission has proposed the adoption of shortened customs procedures for the ports of European countries which are not member states of the EU. The use of harmonised electronic cargo declarations for the goods will allow for quicker and fewer procedures at the customs. According to the European Shipowners Association, the savings which can be made as a result of these shortened procedures can reach up to 25€ per container.
The simplified customs procedures can lead to shorter transportation time and reduced environmental pollution
The members of the International Forwarding Association which take advantage of the lighter customs procedures save time. This is a very important advantage for the clients. This also leads to the reduction of the pollution for the environment, because the shorter transportation deadlines will attract more clients for maritime transportation as compared to land transportation. About 56% of all freight forwarding in the EU is done by road or railway, and 41% use the internal water routes and maritime transportation. The growth of the share of maritime transportation for freight forwarding in the EU is also a big challenge for freight forwarders Europe.