How do start exporting goods from UK to non EU countries

Question

Good evening,
I live in the UK and am a UK citizen.
I would like to start exporting goods (mainly medical equipment) to Middle East. I would like to purchase items from the UK supplier and export to Middle East.
1) Do I have to start a new company for this ? If so where will I find the information for that?
2) Do I need to get something like export license to do the export on my own?

Please let me know.

Thanks
Umesh Vaniyankandy

Answer

Hello
You can export as an individual or a company but you will find it easier if you are a company.
Creating a company is not difficult and not expensive – you can do it yourself, you can purchase a ready made company or you can get an accountant to do it for you. Take a look at this link http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/ for more information.

Depending on how you set up your exports it may be possible for you to buy the equipment from a UK supplier without paying the VAT. You would not need to charge VAT to your clients in the Middle East.

You would need to check whether or not the equipment you want to ship needs a UK export licence. Take a look at this link https://www.gov.uk/do-your-goods-need-an-export-licence

You then need to find the tariff code for each product – see https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff

Once you have this you can then look at this web site to see the import rules and regulations and the import duty and taxes applicable to your products http://madb.europa.eu/madb/indexPubli.htm

You will need to produce an invoice, certificate of origin and packing list for starters. The certificate of origin will need to be certified by your local Chamber of Commerce – there are fees for this.

Then you need to think about packing and freight costs.

There is an open to export webinar on 6th March which will cover some of this if you are interested. There are also training courses available to new exporters both on line and in person from many different providers. My company provides training – see our website.

I hope this helps to get you started.
Regards,
Susan
[email protected]
www.morley-consulting.co.uk

Export Action Plan