Blog
Expert perspectives on commodity trading, customs compliance, trade finance, and supply chain technology.
Post-Brexit UK Customs: A Practical Guide to Reducing Compliance Costs and Capturing Duty Savings
Brexit added 300% more customs declarations but UK companies miss £47,000 annually in FTA savings. Here's what actually changed and where the money is hiding.
SimplyDuty vs customs-compliance.ai: A Feature-by-Feature Comparison for 2026
Tariff classification in 2026 is no longer a lookup problem — it's a reasoning problem. An honest, numbers-first comparison of SimplyDuty (rule-based lookup, ~130 countries, £29-£129/mo) and customs-compliance.ai (3-stage AI, 51 countries deep, Free/£14/£39/£99). Covers pricing, classification depth, country coverage, ERP integration, and the specific cases where each tool is the right choice.
Descartes CustomsInfo Alternatives: AI Tariff Classification at SME Pricing in 2026
Descartes CustomsInfo is the enterprise incumbent for tariff data and classification — but the €200/month starting price climbs fast with modules and users, and the implementation curve is steep for SMEs and mid-market importers. Here are five credible alternatives with AI classification, honest pricing, and shorter time-to-value.
Why UK SMEs Pay £1,200+ Annually for Basic Duty Lookups (And Miss Thousands in FTA Savings)
UK importers overpay £847M annually on customs duty due to overpriced classification tools. Here's why switching to cheaper alternatives saves 70% while finding FTA benefits SimplyDuty misses.
Customs Compliance for the Fashion Industry: Textiles and Garments
Fashion brands operating across borders face a labyrinth of customs regulations that can make or break their supply chain economics. With textile and garment imports worth over $450 billion annually t
Customs Classification for Food and Agricultural Products
Food and agricultural products represent one of the most complex categories for customs classification, accounting for roughly 15% of global trade value yet generating disproportionate compliance chal
India Customs Duty Rates: A Guide for UK and EU Exporters
India represents one of the world's most complex customs environments, with duty rates varying dramatically across product categories and frequently changing trade policies. For UK and EU exporters, u
US Tariff Changes 2026: Impact on UK Exporters
The US trade policy landscape is shifting again. With Congressional discussions around tariff restructuring gaining momentum and the administration's focus on domestic manufacturing, UK exporters face
UK-EU Trade After Brexit: HS Code Changes Every Importer Must Know
Brexit fundamentally altered the customs landscape between the UK and EU, creating new compliance requirements that catch many importers off guard. The transition from internal market trading to third
FTA Utilisation Rate: Why 33% of Duty Savings Go Unclaimed
Free Trade Agreements represent one of the largest untapped sources of cost savings in international trade, yet research consistently shows that businesses claim duty reductions on only 67% of eligibl
87% of Companies Overpay Customs Duty: How AI Finds the Savings
The customs duty landscape harbours a stark reality: most companies systematically overpay. Recent industry analysis reveals that 87% of businesses pay more customs duty than legally required, with th
Best HS Code Lookup Tools 2026: AI vs Manual Classification
Harmonized System (HS) code classification remains one of the most critical yet challenging aspects of international trade compliance. With over 5,000 six-digit HS codes expanding to hundreds of thous