The UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) — the UK–India Free Trade Agreement — entered into force on 15 July 2026, four years after negotiations began and just over a year after signature in 2025. It is the UK's most significant bilateral trade agreement since leaving the EU, and for customs professionals it marks [...]
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HMRC and HM Treasury recently jointly published "Modernising the UK Customs Regime," a call for evidence asking a question with real implications for every importer, exporter, and intermediary in the country: is the UK's declaration-based customs model still fit for a trading world that runs increasingly on structured digital data? The call for evidence is [...]
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The European Union has taken one of the most consequential steps in customs policy in a generation. From 1 July 2026, the long-standing duty-free treatment of low-value parcels entering the EU has ended. In its place, a flat customs duty of €3 per item applies to consignments with an intrinsic value of €150 or less. [...]
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HMRC and HM Treasury have jointly published a call for evidence on the future of the UK customs regime, inviting views from traders, intermediaries, freight forwarders, hauliers, and customs software providers. Published on 23 June 2026 and running for twelve weeks until 15 September 2026, the call for evidence seeks views on how trade digitalisation [...]
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Vietnam has emerged as one of the world's most significant producers of coffee, tea, and cocoa, supplying importers across Europe and beyond with consistently high volumes and increasingly diversified product profiles. For UK businesses — whether specialist roasters, wholesale distributors, food manufacturers, or commodity traders — Vietnam represents a compelling sourcing destination. However, importing agricultural [...]
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On 20 May 2026, the United Kingdom concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, becoming the first G7 nation to secure such a deal with the six-nation bloc. The agreement covers Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and represents a significant realignment of the UK's post-Brexit [...]
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The Office for National Statistics released its UK Trade: March 2026 bulletin on 14 May 2026, providing a detailed picture of goods and services flows into and out of the United Kingdom for both the month of March and the first quarter of the year. The data reveal sustained import growth, a widening trade deficit, [...]
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Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, accounting for approximately one-third of global supply. From specialty single-origin beans to large-scale commercial blends, Brazilian coffee represents an exceptional commercial opportunity for UK importers. However, bringing coffee into Great Britain involves navigating a precise set of customs, food safety, phytosanitary, and documentation requirements. Getting these right from [...]
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