Relaxation in Europe: Update of the current loading restrictions

Russia – Ukraine conflict: Impact on DACHSER’s global air & sea freight operations

We would like to inform you about the impact of the Russia – Ukraine conflict on international air freight, sea freight and rail operations. Moreover, we would like to share with you which measures we had to take to safeguard supply chains as much as this is possible.

We are suspending any bookings from or to the Ukraine until further notice. Furthermore, we can no longer accept bookings on our rail services between Asia and Europe. The same booking stop applies to intercontinental trucking between Asia and Europe whenever such shipments would be transiting Russia, Belarus or Ukraine. The reason for these measures is that we can no longer guarantee the safe transit of our customers cargo via the aforementioned countries.

We still accept bookings originating from or destined to Russia and Belarus provided that airlines and shipping lines continue to provide capacities on these routes. We are observing first carriers and airlines suspending their activities related to transportation to/from these countries. Needless to say, that bookings to/from Russia and Belarus have to be fully compliant with the most recent governmental sanctions imposed on these countries.

Besides these specific measures we do expect additional implications on our operations. The conflict region respectively the countries involved in the conflict have great significance in the international oil and energy markets. This is already causing some very dynamic developments of oil prices and therefore oil related surcharges such as BAF and fuel surcharges. We will closely monitor further developments and keep you informed. Furthermore, we are already seeing what could be the onset of a capacity crunch in the airfreight market, as European airlines are banned from Russian airspace and Russian airlines are banned from European airspace.

As of now, it is not foreseeable how long this situation will last or how the situation will develop. We will continue to make every effort to provide solutions for our customers and keep you abreast of future developments to ensure the continuation of your international supply chains.

Our teams worldwide will be in touch with you but please do not hesitate to reach out to your DACHSER contact person to evaluate your particular situation and to discuss further arrangements for your air freight, sea freight & rail shipments.

Brexit-Update: What you need to know

While the trade negotiations between the UK and the European Union continue to make slow progress, the month of June provided the last opportunity for the British government to extend the transitional period, which is currently limited to 31 December 2020. With no request for extension having been made, the focus is now on a gradual introduction of customs controls in the United Kingdom from January 1, 2021. The transition period is designed to allow traders to recover from the effects of COVID-19 and prepare for the new requirements. The United Kingdom will be subject to full customs control at its borders by 1 July 2021.

Earlier this year, the UK government took steps to eliminate certain customs facilitations, including the Transitional Simplified Procedures (TSP) and the Import VAT (PVA) shift. However, the British government has recognized that customs relief will also be necessary, at least temporarily, on January 1, 2021.

Thus, the possibility of shifting the import turnover tax is to be reintroduced. In addition, for a transitional period, there will be a customs procedure which will allow the imported goods to be declared by entering them in the accounts within a period of six months, rather than immediately upon importation. This procedure is called "Deferred Declaration".

An EU summit meeting for final talks between Great Britain and the EU will take place from 17 to 18 October 2020. Finally, on 19 October 2020 the results of a "deal or no-deal" scenario should be available. 

Regardless of the outcome of the talks, it is expected that from January 2021 onwards all goods exported to and from the UK will require tariff treatment, albeit during the transitional period described above as part of a process graduated by product group.

The following link will take you to a tool that outlines the required measures: https://www.gov.uk/transition

The UK government has also published details of preparation as an importer and exporter from/to the UK, which can be viewed via the links below: 

https://www.gov.uk/prepare-to-import-to-great-britain-from-january-2021

https://www.gov.uk/prepare-to-export-from-great-britain-from-january-2021

Further information can be found in the download document below.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local contact at the relevant DACHSER branch.

Expansion of the Emissions Trading System in the European Union

The European Union (EU) has a major goal - to make Europe climate neutral by 2050. In order to achieve this, the EU Commission has created a comprehensive plan of measures called the "Green Deal". European transport modes - and thus shipping, are also included in this plan. According to the Green Deal, transport-related emissions are to be reduced by 90 percent by 2050. European maritime transport causes about 13 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.

Through various measures initiated by the EU and the International Maritime Organization, the industry has already been working for years to reduce the resulting emissions. In order to further reduce CO2 emissions, the EU has decided to extend the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to maritime transport in 2024. So far, this has been an instrument for air traffic in Europe.

DACHSER update on the Russia-Ukraine conflict

DACHSER is following the news from Ukraine with great concern and dismay. We are deeply moved by the suffering that the war has brought to the people in the country and to all those who have had to flee their homeland in recent days. The fighting, mutual sanctions and airspace closures are also having a massive impact on supply chains and the supply of goods in the region.