Resources
Enterprise Europe Network
What is the Enterprise Europe Network?
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is a fully funded service that focuses on helping innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand into new markets, find collaborative partners and increase their competitiveness.
Support includes advising on EU legislation, helping to access funding, identifying new market opportunities, providing training on entrepreneurial skills and helping companies to enhance their innovation management capacity.
For more information on EEN and contact details please click here.
Notice to Exporters
Read updates issued by the Export Control Organisation including details about imposition of arms embargoes, Open General Export Licence amendments or announcements about Control List changes. The most recent updates are: Notice to Exporters: 2020/17 ECJU Annual Report 2021 Notice to Exporters: 2020/18 OGELs and MOD Authorisation letters Notice to Exporters: 2020/19 EU transition and SPIRE Notice to Exporters: 2020/20 List of dual-use controlled items update Notice to Exporters: 2020/21 Open general licences update Notice to Exporters: 2020/22 General Trade Licence Russia Sanctions Notice to Exporters: 2021/01 Changes to export control legislation and licensing You can find all the previous Notices to Exporters here.
Export Support
The International Trade Team is made up of fully trained and qualified staff.
If you have any questions or just need clarification on anything related to exporting, please do not hesitate to contact us – you may find that we will have the answers for you there and then.
If you have received a document that you do not understand email it to us and we will try and decipher it for you or explain what it is.
If we are unable to help, we can either give you contact details of other companies that may be able to help or look into your query further and call you back.
You may also the following areas within our site of help:
For telephone enquiries, please call the Team directly on: 01603 625977
For email enquiries, please contact: export@norfolkchamber.co.uk
Considering becoming an exporter?
Exporting for the first time can be a daunting experience but your local chamber can offer help and advice on starting your export journey. If you’re considering launching a product in a foreign market or have received an enquiry from overseas for the first time, we can point you in the right direction. Whether you need access to market research, or help with documentation, you local chamber can offer friendly, informative advice.
We can also point you to other agencies that might be able to assist with specialist services or knowledge.
You may want to consider some of the following points before you export for the first time:
- Will you need to adapt your product offer to suit overseas markets?
- Are there any regulatory requirements you need to take into account?
- How will you choose which markets to export to?
- What effect will different languages and culture have on your ways of working?
- Will you be able to find customers directly or will you need to have other channels or routes to market, using agents or distributors for example?
- How important will it be to have ready availability of stock in country to satisfy demand and will you need to have access to resource on the ground to provide after sales service?
- Will you need to change your promotion planning?
- How will you protect your intellectual property?
- Have got the necessary skills to complete export documentation etc?
- How will you get paid?
Your local chamber can help you get the information you need to answer these questions and the many more that will come to mind as you start your export journey.
To speak to us about any of these issue please contact us on 01603 625977 or export@norfolkchamber.co.uk
Incoterms® 2020
As international trade becomes increasingly more complex, universally used rules are essential to avoid misunderstandings and costly disputes. Regularly incorporated into sales contracts worldwide, Incoterms® rules define, in a set of three-letter trade terms, the risks and responsibilities of buyers and sellers in an international sales contract.
Used by large and small businesses trading across borders all over the world, Incoterms® are applied to the sales of billions of pounds of goods each year and provide businesses with the confidence and certainty to operate in unfamiliar markets and legal jurisdictions, with suppliers and buyers of containerised trade.
ICC’s latest revision , Incoterms® 2020, continues a 70 year tradition of reflecting the latest developments in the trading environmental and modern business-to-business practice.
It is an essential set of rules to guide exporters and importers through the crucial aspects of an international sales contract including defining the obligations with respect to arranging and paying for carriage, insurance and duties, as well as responsibilities associated with the delivery of goods.
Incoterms® 2020 includes some very big changes. This is the biggest group of changes to the fundamental principles of International Trade that we have seen for many years. No-one can afford not to understand them. The implications of the changes are enormous and you cannot afford to be left behind.
Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is able to provide 2 options:
ORDER THE NEW PUBLICATION We have stocks of the new publication which you can purchase.
Prices are: £40.00 for Chamber Members and £65.00 for Non-Members (VAT is not applicable)
ATTEND A TRAINING SEMINAR We can offer a full day training course to explain the changes from a practical perspective. Everyone from Importers and Exporters to Freight Forwarders and Bankers will need to know.
This course now falls within the ‘core 6’ courses accredited by British Chambers of Commerce. Candidates achieving Pass or Merit in the course will receive a uniquely numbered certificate. Those who pass all 6 individual courses will achieve a nationally recognised Foundation Award in International Trade.
Dates for these courses are detailed within our Training Diary
Prices are: £280 + VAT for Norfolk Chamber Members and £350 + VAT for Non-Members
FOR THOSE WHO PURCHASE THE BOOKLET, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THE SEMINAR AS WELL, WE ARE PLEASED TO OFFER A 10% DISCOUNT ON THE TRAINING COURSE COST.
To order a copy of the publication or to book your place on one of the seminars, please email: export@norfolkchambers.co.uk or call Tel. 01603 729706
Useful Tools
The all important help that you should not be scared to ask for.
There is an incredible amount of support available at your finger tips – keep checking back as we will keep adding more as it arrives.
Introduction to trading internationally
Business Opportunities and Tender Alerts straight to your inbox
International Telephone Dialling Codes
National Clearance Hub Address
Customs Notice 812: European community preferences – trade with Turkey
Customs Notice 827: European Community preferences – export procedures
Customs Notice 828: tariff preferences – rules of origin for various countries
Customs Notice 832: tariff preferences – rules of origin for Mexico
Country Information
We have access to a wealth of information on countries all over the world.
From documentation needs to sanctions, from overseas Chambers of Commerce to UK Government helpdesks, we can signpost you to someone who can help, or provide the information you need directly.
Croners Country Information Please advise which country you are looking for by emailing export@norfolkchamber.co.uk and we will email the relevant pages back to you
Find New Export Markets
There’s never been a better time to trade internationally. And whether you are completely new to exporting, have some experience, or are looking to expand a well established range of global markets and services, there’s always more you can do to increase your profits.
We have put together an extensive list of use tips, guides, programmes and videos on how to find the right export market for your product and your company:
Getting ready to export to individual countries
Trading within the European Union
Trading outside the European Union
UKTI – Export Market Research Scheme (EMRS)
UKTI – Export Market Research Scheme – Norfolk Video Case Study – Steeles Law, Norwich
UKTI – Passport to Export (P2E)
UKTI – Passport to Export – Norfolk Video Case Study – Pearsons (Thetford) Ltd, Thetford
Procurement opportunities for major projects in Western Australia
Export Sales Leads
Taking less than 5 minutes to register, you can access updates straight to your inbox, covering new business opportunities that arise all over the world.
You can specify which sectors or markets you are interested in and point out how regular you wish to receive these updates.
An ideal opportunity and it won’t cost you a penny!
FAQ
As Norfolk Chambers International Team, we do our best to help exporters complete documentation as painlessly as possible. To that end we’re examining some of the core rules which govern the certification process of documents, including Certificates of Origin as well as the rules regarding the stamping of other documents including invoices.
1. Producing a Certificate of Origin which includes Foreign Origin Goods
Here, we’ll be looking at what you need to do when producing a Certificate of Origin (hereafter referred to as a “C of O”) which includes goods of foreign origin.
For the purposes of completing a C of O, Box 3 on the front must include the country/ies of origin of all the goods being shipped. On the back of the pink application page, the manufacturers names and addresses of EVERY ITEM, must also be shown.
Many exporters get confused as to which boxes to tick on the back of the pink page, so here is a quick guide:
BOX 1 For goods that are naturally produced/grown/raised in the UK i.e. fruit, vegetables, animals, fish etc.
BOX 2 For goods that are manufactured through a process in the UK. This could include raw materials from overseas but if they are being used to manufacture something else, this changes the origin to UK. Most goods produced/manufactured in the UK will fall under this category.
BOX 3 For goods that were manufactured anywhere outside the UK.
Please note – you can tick more than one box.
FOR UK ORIGIN GOODS: All we need to see is “United Kingdom” in Box 3, and the names and addresses of the manufacturers on the back of the pink page
FOR FOREIGN ORIGIN GOODS We will need to see the correct country/ies listed in Box 3, the names and addresses of the manufacturers on the back of the pink page and also, documentary proof of their origin. This must be in the form of a commercial document from the manufacturer such as:
- Certificate of Origin of a responsible body in the country of export
- Copy of the invoice from the manufacture
- A declaration by the actual producer or manufacturer of the goods
Just think of the C of O as a “Certificate of Manufacture” – the Chamber’s role is to certify WHERE the goods were manufactured – to do this, we need proof. As such, when you’re providing us with details of foreign origin goods, we are looking for the manufacturer’s details, not the supplier.
If you buy the goods from an agent/supplier, for commercial reasons they may not be willing to provide you with the manufacturers details. They can however, provide this to us directly and under UK Rules, we will keep this information completely confidential.
2. Having a signature on a document attested by the Chamber
Here we consider the process by which the Chamber stamps attest signature on documents that aren’t Certificates of Origin such as: invoices, health certificates and agency agreements and so forth.
When a chamber stamps a document such as invoice what we’re doing is not stamping the document to state that it’s correct or true.
Instead what we’re doing is stamping to confirm we recognise the signature on the document.
That’s why, when you need the Chamber to stamp a document, such as an invoice, you must ensure that someone on the Formal Undertaking that the Chamber holds with your company has counter-signed the document. When the Chamber receives the document we then check the signature on the document against your Formal Undertaking and if matches up then we’ll be able to stamp the document in question.
If you have any further questions, please contact the International Trade Team on 01603 729716 or at export@norfolkchambers.co.uk
Department for International Trade
Department for International Trade (D.I.T.) is the UK Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in global markets, and assists overseas firms in brining their high-quality investment to the UK.
D.I.T. has a global network of 2,400 staff. It’s International Trade Advisors around the UK, have years of business experience to draw on when advising companies. In 96 markets based in the British Embassies and other Diplomatic offices around the world, D.I.T. staff can offer local, in-market knowledge and expertise.
D.I.T. has helped many thousands of businesses achieve international success by providing tailored services with specialist support covering a wide range of industries. Its clients consistently cite the importance of D.I.T. support in helping them to overcome barriers to new overseas business and improve their business performance.
Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) A tailored service by overseas teams to access market and industry information, identify potential contacts or assist in planning an event. This service attracts a charge.
Business Opportunities Discover new Business Opportunities. D.I.T. can help find overseas contracts, tenders or projects for your business.
Trade Missions and Events D.I.T. organise a number of Trade Missions and Events to assist Businesses to find new overseas markets for their products
For an overview of D.I.T. support for new, occasional and experienced exporters please go to Great.gov.uk portal.
D.I.T. have developed an Exporters Directory to assist UK exporters to showcase their products to overseas buyers. In order to take advantage of this and to create a company profile please click here.
For more information on any of the above schemes, please contact:
Norfolk Chamber – International Trade Team Tel. 01603 729715 export@norfolkchamber.co.uk