News / DDC FPO offers free online course on international shipping and customs clearance after Brexit

Brexit has introduced a number of complications — Value-Added Tax (VAT) changes, additional paperwork requirements, strict rules for food and agribusiness, shifting grace periods, and more — to international shipping and customs compliance. 

These challenges have caused severe operational disruption for freight and logistics companies, and although many organisations have made adjustments to minimise their impact, agility will continue to be a determining factor for post-Brexit success.

DDC FPO, the most trusted business process outsourcing (BPO) partner for transportation and logistics companies worldwide, has created a free online course, “Customs Brokerage & International Shipments in 2021”, to help businesses understand and navigate these challenges, even as they continue to develop.

About the course

The free, five-lesson online course will explore how international shipping and customs processing has changed in the post-Brexit landscape of 2021 — and how organisations can remain resilient and agile in the face of ongoing developments.

Participants will receive one lesson delivered to their inbox daily. The experts at DDC FPO put together all five lessons.

Here’s a brief preview of each lesson:

Lesson #1: Introduction to International Shipping, Post-Brexit

Although Brexit went into effect in January 2021, many vital details and grace periods are still in flux. This lesson gives an overview of how Brexit has affected international shipping so far — including illuminating statistics from industry research — and what additional changes are on the horizon.

Lesson #2: What VAT Changes Mean for Businesses

The impact of Brexit on shipping between the UK and EU primarily comes down to VAT. Before Brexit, moving goods from the UK to EU countries garnered a lower EU member VAT. Now, those same parcels are considered imports, and import VAT and customs duties apply. 

As a result, international shipping has become more expensive for many organisations (and for some, prohibitively so). Additionally, some business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sellers have new VAT obligations that require operations changes. 

This lesson explains of Brexit-related VAT changes and how they’re disrupting international shipping.

Lesson #3: Choosing the Right Post-Brexit Shipping Option

This lesson is a primer on navigating fundamental processes like shipping and customs management in 2021 and beyond. Covered topics include:

• In a post-Brexit world, what shipping routes are best for UK-EU trade?
• What is T1 documentation, and when does it apply?
• How can companies prevent language barriers from affecting customs clearance?

Lesson #4: The NI Protocol and Special Considerations for Food & Agribusiness

This lesson takes a closer look at the Northern Ireland Protocol, outlining its current status, extended grace periods and potential future, as well as digging deeper into its implications for the trade and transport of food goods.

Lesson #5: Understanding Customs Compliance

Getting goods through customs and ensuring timely freight delivery across borders has always been complex, but thanks to extensive paperwork requirements and confusing grace periods, post-Brexit customs clearance has new layers of complexity. 

This lesson offers guidance on overcoming customs compliance challenges and streamlining your processes to adapt to the shifting customs landscape.

Ready to start learning? The online course is totally free and an excellent opportunity to stay up to date on post-Brexit shipping info, challenges, and solutions. Register now.

This article is sponsored by DDC FPO. For decades, DDC FPO has helped hauliers, freight forwarders, 3PLs, freight technology companies, and more implement best-in-class business continuity to withstand supply chain challenges and sustain success.