coverstory
Chinese manufacturers and suppliers to
ship the items directly to the company's
warehouses. Another incentive is to
make the products Prime-eligible, which
lets them reach Amazon's most loyal
shoppers who pay $99 a year for delivery
discounts.
By reducing the price of shipping such
items and speeding their delivery, Amazon
is looking to win both merchants selling
the items and customers who want them
quickly.
Simplifying Customs for
e-commerce
Understanding the need to simplify
the customs declaration for cross-border
e-commerce, Dutch Customs recently
teamed up with the Schiphol cargo
community to launch a new simplified ecommerce declaration called VENUE.
“The new Venue regulation will substantially ease the administrative burden
related to e-commerce. Many parcels
shipped have a value of <20 Euros, and it
is not always practical to insist on these
parcels having an HS code at the time of
shipping. Now that these parcels do not
require an HS code and can be imported
with the simplified import declaration,
with no additional declaration necessary,
the administrative burden on the shipper
10
| OCTOBER 2016
At UPS, we guide
our customers through
developing and
consistently providing a
seamless omnichannel
experience
Louis DeJianne
UPS
and Customs is significantly reduced,” explained Saskia van Pelt, Business Development Director at Schiphol Cargo.
For Amsterdam Schiphol, e-commerce
imports such as electronics and fashion
articles mostly come from China, it is now
witnessing other regions increasing their
www.stattimes.com
e-commerce shipments through this
airport.
“China is our biggest cargo market and
the new VENUE declaration is just the latest outcome of our ongoing commitment
to providing all our e-commerce customers with the best experience when using
Schiphol as their European hub,” shares
Saskia van Pelt.
VENUE has been designed to help
shippers import and export items that
are being purchased via e-commerce
platforms - such as fashion, personal care,
and homeware - throughout the Union
Customs Code transition period, which
ends in January 2021.
“Together with Dutch Customs and
members of the Cargo Community we
are continuously looking at improving
efficiencies, not only on the administrative
and inspections side but also on an operational level. VENUE is available during
a time of transition in the Union Customs
Code, during which smaller shippers, as ecommerce shippers increasingly are, may
need additional support,” she added.
The Omnichannel route
“We are continuing to evolve and adapt
with the new concepts in e-commerce.
Omnichannel is a great example of how consumer’s demands are changing, and they are
looking for a more streamlined experience.