At the recent Total Supply Chain Summit, hosted at the Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted, Alinea Customs met with decision-makers from across the UK and beyond to address the customs challenges reshaping global supply chains.
Insights from 18 High-Impact Meetings
Over the course of 18 focused one-to-one meetings, our team engaged with multinational corporations, leading manufacturers, major distributors, and fast-growth scale-ups. The discussions revealed a set of recurring and pressing themes:
- Regional Expansion: As companies scale into new markets, understanding and complying with international customs regimes is essential.
- Supply Chain Redesign: Businesses are redesigning their logistics operations to reduce friction and improve agility—placing customs planning at the heart of transformation.
- Customs Automation: Integrating customs processes into digital infrastructure is no longer optional. Automation is key to speed and accuracy.
- Interbranch Transfers & Valuation: Intra-company transactions must be structured correctly to avoid compliance pitfalls and costly reassessments.
- Impact of US tariffs on sourcing from China and use of intermediates and raw materials of Chinese origin within products manufactured in Europe and exported to the United States
Unlocking Opportunities: Rules of Origin in FTAs
As part of the summit series, Alinea also hosted an expert seminar:
“Unlocking Opportunities – Leveraging Rules of Origin in Free Trade Agreements.”
The session highlighted the untapped potential of FTAs and offered practical guidance for:
- Maximising duty savings by structuring supply chains to meet origin requirements
- Accurately determining preferential origin and managing supplier declarations
- Understanding cumulative origin and tolerance thresholds
- Mitigating risk in post-clearance audits by maintaining robust origin documentation
For many businesses, failing to claim preferences—or claiming them incorrectly—results in missed savings or potential exposure to penalties. Our clients benefit from tailored advice that ensures FTAs are strategically leveraged, and appropriate administrative steps are taken to confirm compliance.
How Alinea Supports Strategic Supply Chain Success
In every conversation, we explored how customs insight can unlock strategic value across the supply chain—not just solve operational issues. Our services extend far beyond routine port clearance. Alinea provides:
- Expert advisory on customs valuation, origin, and classification
- Support for complex intercompany transfer flows
- Automated documentation and clearance processes
- Ongoing compliance reviews and risk assessments
- Port clearance at all major UK entry points
With in-house legal expertise and a proven track record of supporting cross-border growth, Alinea Customs enables companies to trade smarter, grow faster, and stay compliant.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Supply Chain
Whether you’re expanding internationally, optimising your logistics model, or seeking a review and audit of customs compliance, Alinea Customs provides efficient, professional advisory.
📞 Book a free consultation with our advisory team today to explore how we can streamline your trade operations and reduce customs risk.
