48 articles
Articles
Working notes on importing, exporting and procurement: Incoterms, customs, payments, logistics and selling. Each article lists its official sources.
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FCL vs LCL and bill of lading types: straight, to order, seaway, telex release
When to ship FCL or LCL, and how to choose between straight, to-order and seaway bills, telex release, and house vs master B/L.
9 min read
Import VAT and customs value in the EU
How customs value is set, what the import VAT base includes, customs procedure 42 and Poland's deferred import VAT under article 33a.
8 min read
Importing basmati rice from India and Pakistan to the EU
Basmati rice from India and Pakistan: grades, HS 1006, EU food law, authenticity certificate, origin proof, packing, Incoterms and a pre-contract checklist.
8 min read
Importing dried fruit and spices from Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka and India to the EU
Dried fruit and spices from Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka and India: GSP+ preferences, aflatoxin controls, EU food law, documents, packing and Incoterms.
8 min read
Importing textiles and garments from Bangladesh and Vietnam to the EU
Garments and textiles from Bangladesh and Vietnam: EBA, EVFTA, origin proof, REACH, fibre labelling, GPSR, documents, logistics, pre-contract checklist.
8 min read
Letter of credit for importers and exporters, step by step
How a documentary letter of credit works: the flow, the types, the UCP 600 rules, discrepancies, costs and when a collection is enough.
9 min read
REACH and GPSR: importer obligations when bringing products into the EU
What REACH requires for substances and articles, what Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR) requires of importers, and how to document both.
9 min read
Rules of origin and preferential origin proof in EU imports
Non-preferential vs preferential origin, how to read an origin rule, and the proofs: EUR.1, statement on origin, REX and supplier declarations.
9 min read
Importing cashew nuts from Vietnam to the EU
Cashew kernel grades, HS codes and the EU-Vietnam FTA, aflatoxin and food-safety rules, documents, packing and Incoterms for a workable import.
8 min read
Importing cocoa beans from Ghana to the EU
Cocoa bean grades and quality, HS code and ACP preference, the EUDR due-diligence rules and dates, cadmium and food safety, documents and Incoterms.
9 min read
Importing green coffee into the EU
Arabica and Robusta grading, HS codes and duty, EUDR due diligence, ochratoxin A and acrylamide rules, documents, packing and Incoterms.
8 min read
Importing olive oil from Tunisia to the EU
Olive oil grades and EU marketing standards, the Tunisia preferential quota and origin proof, contaminant and food-law rules, documents and Incoterms.
8 min read
Importing steel and aluminium from Turkey and India to the EU
HS codes and duties, CBAM obligations and dates, anti-dumping and safeguard checks, quality certificates (EN 10204, CE) and documents for metals imports.
9 min read
Importing wooden furniture from Vietnam and Indonesia to the EU
HS codes and duty, EUDR timber due diligence and FLEGT, product safety (GPSR, formaldehyde, REACH), documents, packing and Incoterms.
8 min read
Asia to Europe freight: sea vs air vs rail compared
Sea, air and rail freight from Asia to the EU compared on transit time, cost, risk and when each mode makes sense.
5 min read
Brand protection and counterfeits: trademarks and customs
Trademarks in the EU and export markets (EUIPO, Madrid system), customs applications for action (AFA) and what happens to goods detained at the border.
6 min read
Cargo insurance: Institute Cargo Clauses A, B and C explained
What Institute Cargo Clauses A, B and C cover, who must insure under CIF and CIP, the key exclusions, and how to file a transit damage claim.
5 min read
CBAM 2026: importer obligations, 50-tonne threshold, deadlines
CBAM goods, who needs authorised declarant status, the 50-tonne threshold, the 30 September declaration and certificate sales from February 2027.
6 min read
CE marking when importing into the EU: importer obligations
Which products need CE marking, importer obligations, the EU declaration of conformity, technical documentation and how to check a non-EU supplier.
6 min read
Currency risk in import and export: how to manage it
Invoicing currency, forward contracts, natural hedging and currency clauses. How importers and exporters protect their margin from rate moves.
5 min read
Demurrage and detention charges: free time and how to avoid them
The difference between demurrage and detention, how free time is counted, what causes the charges and what to negotiate with the carrier or forwarder.
5 min read
Dual-use export control in the EU: Regulation 2021/821
Regulation (EU) 2021/821 in practice: Annex I, licence types, the catch-all clause, intra-EU transfers, record keeping and where to apply in Poland.
6 min read
EU customs clearance step by step: EORI, declaration, release
EORI number, customs declaration, direct and indirect customs representatives, documents, temporary storage and release for free circulation in the EU.
6 min read
EU special customs procedures: warehousing, processing, end-use
Customs warehousing, inward and outward processing, temporary admission and end-use in the EU: when they pay off and how they work.
5 min read
EUDR deforestation regulation: products, dates and obligations
Which products EUDR covers, what Regulation 2025/2650 changed, the 30 December 2026 and 30 June 2027 dates, due diligence and importer duties.
6 min read
Export factoring: recourse vs non-recourse and costs
How export factoring works, recourse vs non-recourse, what the cost consists of, and when credit insurance or a letter of credit fits better.
5 min read
Export packaging and ISPM 15: pallet marking and sea packing
When wooden pallets and crates need ISPM 15, what the IPPC mark looks like, the exemptions, and how to pack and label goods for ocean transport.
5 min read
How to choose a freight forwarder and read a freight quote
How to assess a forwarder, all-in versus itemised quotes, and what BAF, THC, ISPS, ETS and documentation fees mean on an ocean freight quote.
5 min read
International sales contract: key clauses and the CISG
What to put in a cross-border sales contract: specification, tolerance, Incoterms, payment, inspection, force majeure, governing law, CISG, disputes.
6 min read
International trade disputes: mediation, arbitration, courts
Disputes with a foreign counterparty: negotiation, mediation, ICC and other arbitration, courts, New York Convention enforcement, evidence.
6 min read
Pre-shipment inspection (PSI) and quality control for importers
When to book a pre-shipment inspection, how AQL sampling under ISO 2859-1 works, what inspectors check and which inspection terms to put in the contract.
6 min read
Shipping container types and dimensions: how to choose
ISO 668 and carrier dimensions for 20, 40 and 40 HC containers, and when to use a reefer, open top, flat rack, tank container or flexitank.
5 min read
Trade credit insurance for exporters: how it works
How export credit insurance works: buyer credit limits, commercial and political risk, private insurers and export credit agencies such as KUKE, your duties.
5 min read
Trade fairs for exporters and buyers: plan and follow-up
How to choose a trade fair, prepare, book meetings and follow up so you come home with real buyers or suppliers, not just a stack of business cards.
6 min read
B2B trade fraud: warning signs and verification steps
Changed bank details, too-good prices, fake companies and forged documents: how to spot fraud in international trade and what to check before paying.
6 min read
EU-Philippines trade: GSP+, REX and the new trade agreement
What the Philippines exports to the EU, how GSP+ and REX work, what the September 2026 FTA agreement means, and practical steps to reach EU buyers.
6 min read
How exporters find buyers in the EU: a practical guide
Preparing an export offer, the certificates EU buyers ask for, answering RFQs, pricing with Incoterms and getting the first shipment right.
6 min read
How to verify a foreign supplier: VIES, registries, red flags
Checks to run before the first deal: EU VIES, the Polish VAT white list, KRS, Philippine SEC and DTI registries, bank account checks and red flags.
6 min read
How to write an RFQ suppliers actually answer (template)
What an RFQ to an overseas supplier needs: specification, quantity, Incoterms and place, delivery window, payment terms, documents. Template included.
6 min read
HS and CN codes: how to classify goods for EU import
HS vs CN vs TARIC explained, a step-by-step classification method, when to apply for BTI and why the code drives duty and documents.
6 min read
Importing coconut oil from the Philippines to the EU
Crude (CNO), RBD and virgin coconut oil: specification, EU food law and contaminant rules, documents, flexitank vs drums and Incoterms.
7 min read
Incoterms 2020 in practice: choosing the right rule
How to choose an Incoterms 2020 rule, where risk and cost transfer, why FCA beats EXW, CIP vs CIF insurance, and how to name the place precisely.
6 min read
Landed cost: how to compare import quotes properly
How to calculate landed cost: freight, insurance, duty, import VAT, currency and payment terms, with a hypothetical FCA vs CIP example.
6 min read
Negotiating B2B quotes: what to negotiate beyond price
Negotiating quotes in international trade: rounds and versions, payment terms, delivery, tolerance, Incoterms and a written record of what was agreed.
6 min read
Payment terms in international trade: T/T, collections, L/C
Prepayment, T/T, open account, documentary collection and letters of credit under UCP 600: how each works and the risk it puts on buyer and seller.
6 min read
Repeat orders: framework agreements and call-offs
Turning one-off deals into repeat orders: framework agreements, call-offs, consistent quality, term reviews and relationship pricing.
6 min read
Sanctions screening in B2B trade: a practical guide for SMEs
EU, UN, UK and OFAC sanctions lists explained for small traders: what screening means, handling false positives, ownership rules and when to stop a deal.
6 min read
Shipping documents in international trade: who issues what
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading types, certificate of origin, insurance and inspection certificates: what each does and who issues it.
6 min read