Independent Freight ForwarderIpswich, Suffolk
Sea, air and road freight, customs clearance and warehousing for UK importers, exporters and private clients. We plan the route, get the paperwork right and keep you posted, so nothing comes as a surprise on arrival.
Ipswich, about 10 miles from the Port of Felixstowe
What We Do
One team for the whole journey: the booking, the paperwork, customs, haulage and storage, with every step planned before your goods move.
Full containers and shared groupage, to and from seaports around the world.
Whether it’s a few pallets or a full container, we find the right sailing and handle the booking, the paperwork and the port.
Import and export declarations at all major UK ports.
We advise on the right type of entry, check your documents, find your commodity codes and work out the duty and VAT before your goods arrive.
When timing matters most.
Airport to airport or door to door, through dedicated partners at major UK airports, from premium direct flights to economy services.
UK and European haulage, from a small van to a 44-tonne truck.
Full loads, part loads and groupage across the UK and Europe, and full containers from the quay to your door.
Secure storage close to the major UK ports.
Through warehouses we work closely with, we store cleared and uncleared cargo, and hold containers off-port until you’re ready.
Plan a Shipment
Answer four quick questions to see the route we’d likely use, the paperwork you’ll need and the costs to plan for. Then send it to us for a quote.
Your Likely Route
You’ll Need
Costs to Plan For
Good to Know Groupage suits smaller loads. Once you’re filling a good part of a container, your own container is often better value, and we’ll compare both.
A guide to how shipments like this usually work, not a quote. Every shipment is checked and priced individually.
How We Work
Most shipping problems start before the goods ever move: a missing document, a wrong commodity code, a charge nobody mentioned. We deal with them early, so your cargo arrives the way you expected it to.
of small firms trading goods with the EU say they run into problems, and customs paperwork is the most common, for 64% of them.
Source: Federation of Small Businesses, Ticket to Trade (opens in a new tab), 2026.
New to shipping? We’ll talk you through the process from start to finish and answer every question, at no cost.
We tell you which documents you need and what they must say, before your goods are on the move.
We find your commodity codes and work out the likely duty and VAT, so you can budget for them.
The same people look after your shipment from the moment it’s collected to the moment it’s delivered.
Use the form or give us a call. A rough idea of the goods, the size and where it’s going is enough to start.
We plan the route and talk you through the likely duties, taxes and charges before you commit.
We book the space, make the customs declarations and keep you posted at every step.
Your goods are delivered to your door, or held in storage until you’re ready for them.
Who We Help
Businesses of every size, and people bringing their own belongings home.
Buying stock from overseas? We bring it into the UK, clear it through customs and deliver it to your door.
Plan an ImportSelling abroad? We make the export declaration, prepare the origin paperwork and move it by sea, air or road.
Plan an ExportNever shipped before? We explain every step in plain English, free, before you commit to anything.
Ask Us AnythingBringing your belongings home? We help you apply for Transfer of Residence relief, so your own things can come in free of duty and VAT.
Talk About Your MoveImporting a car or motorbike, or a classic over 30 years old? We handle the customs entry, the paperwork and the HMRC notification.
Ask About VehiclesOverseas agents and UK forwarders: we’re always glad to build new relationships with reliable partners.
Get in TouchCustoms, Explained
Our team knows customs tariffs and procedures inside out, and makes declarations for imports and exports on HMRC’s Customs Declaration Service. Here’s what we handle, in plain English.
Every commercial shipment into Great Britain needs an import declaration. We make it for you as your customs agent, using the right commodity codes, and tell you the duty and import VAT to expect.
Who it helps: anyone importing goods. VAT-registered businesses can usually account for import VAT on their VAT return with postponed VAT accounting, instead of paying it at the border.
Goods leaving the UK need an export declaration on the Customs Declaration Service. We make it, and prepare the origin paperwork your buyer may need to claim lower duties at the other end.
Who it helps: exporters, including firms selling to the EU, where a statement on origin can mean zero tariffs for your buyer.
Goods can be held in a customs warehouse with duty and import VAT suspended until they leave for UK use, or are re-exported. We arrange the storage and the movements between warehouses.
Who it helps: importers who don’t need everything at once, or who sell some goods on overseas.
How to use a customs warehouse (gov.uk) (opens in a new tab)
Import goods to repair, process or build into something else, then export them, and you may be able to suspend or reclaim the import duty and VAT.
Who it helps: manufacturers and repairers working on goods that leave the UK again. It needs an authorisation from HMRC.
Goods exported from the UK and brought back unchanged, usually within three years, can often come back in without paying import duty and VAT again.
Who it helps: businesses taking back rejected stock, unsold goods or equipment from shows and jobs abroad.
Goods brought in for a while and then taken out again unchanged, such as exhibition stock, samples or professional equipment, can often enter without paying import duty and VAT, usually for up to 24 months.
Who it helps: event organisers, demonstrators and anyone bringing in kit for a job. An ATA Carnet can cover some goods instead.
Moving to the UK from abroad? Your own belongings, and in many cases your car, can come in free of import duty and VAT under Transfer of Residence relief, if you meet the conditions and HMRC approves your application before your goods are shipped.
Who it helps: people moving to the UK after living abroad for at least 12 months, including Britons coming home. We help you with the ToR1 application.
We clear standard and historic vehicles, make the NOVA notification HMRC needs within 14 days of arrival, and work out the duty and VAT. Historic vehicles that pass HMRC’s tests pay less, and we can advise on applying for a tariff ruling first.
Who it helps: private buyers, dealers and collectors importing cars and motorbikes. Have the bill of sale, title or registration document ready.
Importing vehicles into the UK (gov.uk) (opens in a new tab)
About Grace Global
Freight rarely runs exactly to plan. Ships run late, ports get busy, a document goes astray. What matters is a forwarder who stays calm, sees problems coming and sorts them out before they reach you. That’s the grace in Grace Global.
Jo Smith founded Grace Global Forwarding in Ipswich in 2018. We’re a small, independent team, so you deal with people who know your shipment, not a call centre. We work only with partners who have proved they can give the service we expect, from hauliers and warehouses across the UK to agents around the world.
We’re members of the British International Freight Association, and we’re proud sponsors of Soul Groove Radio, too.
British International Freight AssociationAll our business is carried out under the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions, current edition. We’ll send you a copy on request. See our BIFA listing (opens in a new tab)
Rated 5.0 on GoogleFrom 6 reviews, October 2026. Read the reviews (opens in a new tab)
We collect from and deliver to the UK’s main container ports, and work with partners at major UK airports.
Yes. Businesses and individuals moving goods into or out of Great Britain need an EORI number that starts with GB. It’s free from HMRC, you apply online, and it’s usually issued straight away or within five working days. Not sure whether you have one? Ask us and we’ll help you check.
FCL (full container load) means you have a whole container to yourself. LCL, or groupage, means your goods share a container with other people’s and you pay for the space you use. Groupage suits smaller loads. Once you’re filling a good part of a container, your own container is often better value, and we’ll compare both for you.
Yes. We arrange customs clearance for imports and exports at all major UK ports, whoever is moving the freight. Send us the documents and we’ll take it from there.
Duty depends on the commodity code of your goods, where they were made and their customs value, which usually includes the freight and insurance to the UK. Import VAT is then charged on top, usually at 20%. We find the right codes and work out the likely figures before your goods arrive.
Yes. We clear standard and historic vehicles, make the NOVA notification HMRC needs within 14 days of arrival, and work out the duty and VAT: usually 10% duty on cars from outside the UK, less under some trade deals, plus 20% VAT. Historic vehicles that pass HMRC’s tests pay less. You’ll need the bill of sale, the title or registration document and the vehicle’s details.
Often not. If you’ve lived outside the UK for at least 12 months, Transfer of Residence relief can let you bring your own belongings, and in many cases your car, into the UK free of import duty and VAT. HMRC must approve your application before your goods are shipped, and you can’t sell or lend them for 12 months. We’ll help you with the ToR1 form.
Yes. If you’re not ready to unload, we can move your container to off-port storage, which saves the quay rent the port charges once its free time runs out. We can also arrange bonded storage for goods that haven’t been cleared yet.
Yes. We move hazardous cargo by sea and road, and chilled or frozen goods in refrigerated containers and trailers. Tell us the class, UN number or set temperature, and we’ll check the requirements with you first.
All our business is carried out under the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions, current edition, the standard terms of the British International Freight Association. We’ll send you a copy on request.
Get a Quote
A rough idea is enough to start. We’ll come back with a quote and talk you through the likely duties, taxes and charges, so nothing comes as a surprise.