A costly journey: What are my transport costs?

Transport costs

The transport of goods from one country to another always involves transport costs. These are costs directly related to the transport of the goods, such as the costs of the truck and the driver. Transport costs depend on several factors, such as the weight of the goods, the size of the shipment, the distance to be covered, and whether special transport arrangements must be made (such as the use of a courier service). In general, transport will be more expensive if the goods are transported by air or by sea, particularly for smaller shipments. Transport by truck is cheaper but will also take longer. Are your products going to a country outside the EU? Then you have other costs to take into account. No worries! We have done the work for you. In this blog, you can read about the most common transport costs involved in transporting your goods.

Customs union

Transporting goods between countries inside and outside the EU can be costly. This also applies to England and, for example, the Netherlands. This is mainly because both countries have not been in the same customs union since Brexit. However, transports to and from Norway also have to deal with customs.

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Transport costs England

Importing and exporting to and from England has become a lot more difficult since Brexit. I can imagine that you have therefore become lost in all the documentation and regulations involved in transporting goods abroad. Knowing this, it makes it even harder to know which transport costs are associated with transports from or to England. You are now also faced with customs costs.

There are a few different types of costs you need to take into account when transporting your goods, such as: transport costs, import duties and taxes, and VAT. I will discuss these costs further below.

Import duties and taxes

When importing goods into another country, you must pay import duties and taxes on these shipments. Any VAT due on the products is added to that. For example: if you have ordered shoes worth €60 excluding VAT from an Italian company, this means that costs will be charged based on the total price (€60) plus transport costs and insurance. In the Netherlands, 21% import VAT is then levied on this value, bringing the total price for the shoes to €72.60. The costs for transport and insurance are added to that.

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VAT outside the EU

Since Brexit, England falls outside the EU. This makes the VAT issue somewhat complicated, although the answer is actually quite simple. 0% VAT is charged on transport costs when it comes to transporting goods from countries outside the EU. A bit of a windfall then!

Reduction of transport costs

Although transport within the EU can be costly, there are ways to limit these costs. The following 4 tips will help you on your way to reducing transport costs:

• Compare transport rates between different companies
• Consider what the most efficient method of transport is for you
• Reduce transport costs by consolidating shipments. However, also keep in mind that a Full Truck Load is usually cheaper than multiple groupage shipments. Bundling can simply be more economical!
• Ensure that all associated costs have been assessed before making a decision on transport. This way, you will find the best deal!

Transporting goods is a complicated process. There are many factors that play a role in calculating the costs, such as the weight of the goods, the size of the shipment, the distance covered, whether or not special transport arrangements must be made (think of customs), and so on. We are happy to make this process EASY!

To help you on your way with estimating your costs, we have developed our rate calculator! It is an easy-to-use tool that can give you an estimate of your shipping costs based on your transport needs. This tool helps you make a quick calculation, so you can focus entirely on a fast and EASY transport!

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