MP Eastern - Setting the standard in metal finishing

AEO Accreditation eliminates import charges for MP Eastern

Lowestoft-based company MP Eastern, known for setting the standard in the field of metal finishing, sought assistance from VARTAN on how to mitigate Customs charges and prepare for Brexit. The company had been incurring unnecessary costs on non-EU goods which were being imported for coating and then immediately returned to the customer.

Richard Guise, Managing Director of MP Eastern, explains: “Our global reputation means we’re anodising, plating, coating or electroplating products and components for customers all over the world. We’ve been paying significant sums every month to HM Customs for importing these products but knew there was an anomaly in the system as they were coming to us for finishing and then heading straight out of the UK again.”

MP Eastern provides anodising and plating services to customers who manufacture or supply parts for industries including oil and gas, renewable energy, subsea engineering, military and defence, as well as automotive and motorsport.

VARTAN’s expert team worked with MP Eastern over five months, from early August 2019, to secure AEO ‘C’ accreditation and IP (Inward Processing) authorisation.

Inward Processing enables a company to obtain relief from Customs duty and import VAT on goods that are imported from outside the EU to be processed, in this case, metal-plated, and then exported outside the EU, or released for free circulation within the EU.

Miles Vartan, founder of the Felixstowe-based risk management company, says: “Having secured AEO ‘C’ accreditation and IP authorisation, we’ve negated the need for MP Eastern to pay unnecessary Customs charges.”

Richard adds: “We tried to solve our Customs situation on our own but struggled with all the conflicting information online. We interviewed several consultants but felt many were trying to take advantage of the current uncertainty to make a quick buck. VARTAN stood out with the quality of their advice and their collaborative approach. During the accreditation process, we worked closely with VARTAN’s dedicated team to make sure we had everything we needed for a successful application. Now that we’re AEO ‘C’ accredited we feel much more confident that we have a solution in place for our international and EU customers, regardless of what happens with Brexit.”

For more information on AEO accreditation and IP (Inward Processing) authorisation, and the benefits they can bring to your organisation, please contact us.