It has now been over 2 weeks since the UK transition period for leaving the EU ended. At Sontay we have been working hard to understand the implications of the deal made on 24th December and how it impacts our shipments into countries within the EU.

We have kept a close eye on all of our shipments and how they are cleared and delivered and have so far understood the following.

  • The vast majority of our products hold tariffs that will have no Duty applied to them.
  • There are a minimal amount of products that originate from outside the EU or UK that will have Duty applied.
  • Local taxes or VAT are payable by the customer receiving the goods. These can be claimed back in the usual methods.
  • Our courier, DHL, requires that the taxes are paid before they release the shipment to the final delivery destination.
  • DHL are charging an administration fee to process the taxes.
  • Our shipments are sent with all required paperwork showing all information needed for clearing through Customs.
  • All shipments will be sent with an email address for the best person to contact at the customer/receiver. If you have a person within your organisation dedicated to this process, please advise us of their details so that we can ensure they are associated with all shipments.

You may find more information on how DHL are processing shipments here:

DHL Brexit Information

So far, some shipments have been experiencing delays due to the new processes. We will continue to communicate over the coming days and weeks to ensure our customers are equipped with the information they need to get their shipments as quickly as possible.

We would be interested to know your experience in receiving shipments to understand further how the process is working within the EU countries we are trading with and if there are any further improvements we can make to support our deliveries.

If you have any queries regarding clearing your shipment, please contact your Account Manager or Internal Sales who will be happy to offer advice.

As ever, we truly value our customers and the relationships we have in the EU and wish to do our best to make sure the changes brought in are managed to the best of our ability. The UK leaving the EU is not the only extraordinary event happening at the moment and we can only overcome this difficult time by working together for a solution.

Thank you very much for your patience and understanding whilst we work through this period of uncertainty. We are sure that we will overcome any difficulties experienced in these early days and these new processes will become second nature in the very near future.

Stacey Lucas

Commercial & Marketing Director