Metro is SMEs resource to deal with post-Brexit paperwork

Time-poor SMEs are being forced to outsource their post-Brexit paperwork, which is adding cost and time pressures, but Metro’s digital CuDoS platform offers an easy solution.

The  Federation of Small Business (FSB) Customs Clearance report found SMEs are often forced into using high-cost intermediaries because they do not have the internal resources to handle complex post-Brexit customs paperwork themselves.

The report revealed that less than one in ten SMEs have a dedicated staff member or team for customs procedures, with over a third of businesses saying that extra intermediary fees were posing a challenge to international trade because they increase their supply chain costs. 

The research also revealed that four in ten SMEs do not have the expertise required to handle customs declarations, while over half said they have outsourced this function to help free up their time for other tasks.  

FSB policy chair Tina McKenzie said: “Unlike big corporates, most small firms don’t have the specialised resources needed to deal with complex customs procedures, so they’re dependent on intermediaries. [But] Smaller businesses may also have to bear higher costs as they are unable to commit to large volumes and they are less able to reach fixed price agreements or to negotiate with couriers.”

Metro are at the forefront of automated customs brokerage solutions, simplifying and automating customs declarations for importers and exporters, with our CuDoS declaration platform and dedicated team of customs experts ready to support businesses of all types and sizes.

The CuDoS solution uses the latest artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and automation capabilities to optimise the data capture and customs declaration processes, to create a compelling 20% reduction in headline costs and 25% increase in volumes.

Metro’s CuDoS is now achieving a SLA of 98% on two hour turnaround times, from customer submission/request through to document delivery, with 96% of declarations processed and submitted to HMRC within 30 minutes at a 99% processing accuracy.

The targeted business support provided by CuDoS reduces the cost of trade and is helping to unleash the export potential of small international traders as well as encouraging more businesses to sell overseas.

To learn how we can simplify and automate customs declarations for your businesses, please EMAIL Andy Fitchett to review the options.

Metro continues to invest in MVT and CuDoS innovation in 2023-2024, with more exciting releases planned.