The number of trade regulations has increased by over 30% in the past five years, complicating the compliance landscape for international traders” (International Trade Administration, 2023).
The above highlights how complicated it can be just to export your goods when trading overseas. Managing the dispatch process and its associated customs documentation efficiently is essential for maintaining a competitive edge in international trade.
Stok.ly offers a robust solution to the complexities of international trade by generating all the necessary customs documents directly from its platform. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors, ensuring that your business can focus on growth without worrying about the ‘red tape’ associated with the required documentation.
Regulations and compliance standards for international trade are stringent and vary significantly across countries. Failure to adhere to these can result in substantial penalties.” (Smith, J. “Global Trade Compliance”, Journal of International Business Studies, 2023).
The Challenge of International Shipping
Exporting goods across borders involves navigating regulations and requirements, including the need for accurate and complete customs documentation. Incomplete or inaccurate customs paperwork can result in delays, penalties, or even confiscation of goods, emphasising the importance of meticulous compliance in international shipping.
Stok.ly’s Order Management and Warehouse Management System addresses these challenges by automatically providing a comprehensive bundle of customs documentation. This includes customs forms, certificates for dangerous goods, and shipping labels etc. This feature ensures your business can prepare and verify the required export documents within the same system used for order fulfilment and inventory management.
Key Features
Customs Forms Automation
Stok.ly generates required customs forms based on the destination country, type of goods etc. This ensures forms adhere to the latest international trade regulations and standards.
The integration of automated systems in logistics and customs documentation has been shown to reduce the risk of human error and improve compliance with international trade regulations. (Brown, L. “Technology in Supply Chain Management”, Harvard Business Review, 2022).
Dangerous Goods Certificates
For businesses that deal with hazardous materials, Stok.ly provides specialised documentation such as Dangerous Goods Notes (DGN) and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). These documents are crucial for complying with international safety standards.
Shipping Labels and Export Documentation
Stok.ly produces shipping labels required for the relevant country. This includes essential details for example product descriptions, weights, and dimensions.
Studies by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) indicate that inefficiencies in customs documentation processing can increase the total shipping time by 30-50%, significantly affecting delivery schedules and operational costs (ICC, 2021).
Integration with Freight Carriers and Couriers
The system integrates with a range of shipping providers. This allows for real-time updates and adjustments to documentation as required by changing regulations or shipping conditions.
Accurate customs documentation reduces the risks associated with non-compliance, such as penalties and shipment delays.
Inaccurate or incomplete customs documentation is a major trade barrier, causing delays and financial losses for businesses engaged in international trade. (Johnson, K. “Economic Impacts of Trade Barriers”, Economics of Trade, 2023).
Customs document bundles can be named, saved, and printed on demand and also tailored to your specific customers.
A survey conducted by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) revealed that companies that adopted automated solutions for customs documentation reported a 60% reduction in administrative time and a 25% decrease in costs associated with errors and delays (FIATA, 2022).
As global trade increases, the need for efficient and reliable order management is vital. Automating customs documents will not only simplify your export process but also strengthen compliance, ensuring you can easily navigate the complexities of international markets. Stok.ly offers a scalable way to manage the demands of global commerce effectively.
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Author: Iain Coplans CEO Stok.ly