Trading advice
There are two key organisations that can support you with your overseas trade:
Chamber Customs
A paid-for service established by the British Chamber of Commerce to provide you with in-depth advice and guidance on logistics and documentation for overseas trade.
Export Support Service
A free helpline and online service for UK businesses, provided by the Department for International Trade. Consider this a 'one-stop-shop' of UK government information and frequently asked questions about exporting to Europe.
The Export Support Service will initially focus on questions businesses have about trading with Europe but may expand to cover more global markets in the future. Visit great.gov.uk for guidance on exporting to countries outside of Europe.
Funding for export
The Internationalisation Fund is now open for businesses in England. This is a match funding grant (up to £9,000) to support UK businesses with their market research and trade fair funding where Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) grants are not available.
Eligibility:
- Company turnover of £100,000 or more
- Based in England but outside of Cornwall and London
- A proven track record of trading overseas
Example outcomes:
- Match funding to improve your digital content and capabilities.
- A consultant to support you with logistics or legal requirements for trade
- Exhibiting at a trade show
Commercial invoice
A commercial invoice is the most important part of your export documentation and is recognised worldwide. Check your commercial invoice against your customs declaration, if this does not match you could face delays or fines. When describing your goods, you must avoid being too vague or too short, again this could cause delays at Customs. For more advice, download our Trading After Brexit resource or read the UPS How-to Guide.