Croatia becomes 28th member of European Union

A decade after its initial application for membership, Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union today. According to EU treaties, membership of the European Union is open to any European state which respects and promotes the values outlined in Article 2, namely "respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities". Croatia's accession only two decades after the ethnic wars emanating from the breakup of the former Yugosalvia is a testimony to how far the country has come. 

Flags of the European Union and Croatia at the Ministry of Foreign affairs

and European Integration, Zagreb (Bogdan Giusca: 2007)

According to Europa, the European Union's website, one of the most visible and positive effects of Croatia's accession will be the end of customs controls at internal EU borders. As well as facilitating freedom of movement between Croatia and its EU neighbours Hungary and Slovenia, this also has implications for intra-European trade. 

Wine-producers in Croatia have expressed concerns that the abolition of tariffs will cause cheap European wine to flood into the country and threaten their industry, but it seems that most Croatians agree that the economic benefits of accession outweigh such concerns: ease of access to EU markets is a cause for optimism. 

In an interview the the BBC, Ranko Milik, an uban development consultant, said "There are reasons both pro and contra this decision but I believe that in some way that the EU is the destiny of all countries in Europe." While the streets of the Union may not be paved with gold, most commentators agree that the chief benefits of EU accession for Croatia are economic. 

And it's not only Croatia itself that will benefit from the facilitation of trade enabled by EU membership: "Emerging Europe" - a recently published report produced by the council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe in association with UK Trade and Investment - outlines the opportunities for British businesses in light of Croatia's accession. There is £1.8 billion in the 2012-14 EU budget set aside for Croatia which aims primarily to promote the keys sectors of energy and infrastructure, ports and marine, business services and tourism and leisure. 

Exporting to Croatia will now be made easier due to the abolition of customs clearance procedures. You can compare prices for exporting to Croatia via the Transglobal Express website. 

International Freight Forwarding

International Freight Forwarders play an important role in delivering a shipment to overseas destinations. This involves ensuring that goods are delivered to their destination on time and in pristine condition. They also take care of the complex documentation required to import and export goods without delay. This documentation includes:

• Commercial Invoices
• Export Declarations
• Bills of Lading

Delivery or shipping dates are included in the shipping contract. 

International Courier and Freight Forwarding companies are fully licensed and accredited. Customs are advised to check the accreditation of a freight service before signing any agreement. 

Some Freight Forwarding services will also get involved in the packaging of goods ready for transportation. This ensures that they reach their destination undamaged. They also work with customs officials to ensure the safe transportation of goods.

• Click here for more detailed information about freight forwarders and their role in international delivery. 
• For further information about the Shipping and International Parcel Delivery Documentation, click here.

Efficient Parcel Delivery - Air Freight Services Uncovered

Air Freight services play an important role in cargo transport and there are many people involved in successfully making the service as reliable and efficient as possible.

Air Freight agents are responsible for importing and exporting cargo by ensuring that inbound and outbound air freight shipments are directed to their respective destinations, and within the required timescale. Certain air freight agents may also specialise in specific parts of the world.

Prior to transportation, cargo needs to be assembled on the basis of their destination and space for the shipment needs to be arranged in the transport being used. Air Freight agents will then take bookings from customers and arrange for the collection of the goods.

In addition to the above, Air freight agents also fulfil the following reponsibilities:

• Preparing the required documentation
• Notifying of any shipment delays to the individuals concerned
• Unloading goods and contacting customers
• Weighing the transported shipment and calculating the cost
• Coordinating and managing the movement of cargo to between international destinations

What are the benefits of using Transglobal Express rather than going direct to a courier company?

Transglobal Express is an account holder with many of the top courier companies. Due to the high volume of shipments we deal with, we receive discounted rates from the courier companies and pass these savings on to our customers. Discounted rates are available on all of our UK and international parcel delivery services.

Our customers gain the peace of mind knowing that they are receiving the very same service they would receive if going direct with the courier companies—but at a much cheaper rate.

Transglobal Express is dedicated to providing the best possible international parcel delivery service with an emphasis on high quality customer service and value for money. Our website is available for you to access quotations and place orders for our Air Freight, Sea Freight and Door to Door Courier services 24 hours a day, and we have a dedicated customers services team who are available during business hours to offer advice and support, dealing with any enquiries with the carriers on your behalf.

Transglobal Express - UK Courier and International Parcel Delivery Experts

Over the past 15 years, Transglobal Express has established itself as one of the UK’s leading courier and international parcel delivery services. Our success is largely due to our commitment to providing a reliable and efficient parcel delivery service whilst maintaining the best possible prices. We also have dedicated customer services team on hand to support our customers throughout the process.

Transglobal Express offer the complete range of parcel delivery services by offering free, no-obligation quotations for sea and air freight shipping, and door-to-door courier services to almost any destination in the world. Our very best prices can be found via our website at http://www.transglobalexpress.co.uk/.

We have found that many of our customers come to us asking the same questions and decided to use this blog as a forum through which our customers can access answers and advice relating to their queries, and to help them to make informed decisions about the most appropriate method of shipping their goods abroad. If you have any questions then please feel free to post them and we will do our best to answer them as quickly as possible.