Sadly over 75 years of peace on the European continent came to an end yesterday, with the invasion of Russian troops in to the country of Ukraine.

Immediate stop to all Freight Operations in Ukraine has been declaredAs the situation evolves, Ukraine has declared martial law and thousands of people are fleeing from their homes and towns, heading for safety toward many neighbouring borders.  Men of fighting age are being conscripted to defend their home nation, whilst many men and women who have been working abroad are returning home to fight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine.

As a consequence, carriers and shipping countries have stopped activity in the country until further notice. Whilst there may not be direct trade routes to Ukraine it will most definitely have an impact on the supply chain in Europe.

In recent years, an increasing number of trucks being driven around Europe are driven by Ukrainians. With those young people having to go back to Ukraine, their driving seats will need to be filled. We are all aware of a severe shortage of drivers across the world and in Europe in particular, and this will further significantly add to limited vehicle availability.

Trading Statistics from Sheffield Chamber of Commerce

In general, trade between the UK and Ukraine to the year-end of Q2 2021 was £1.6bn in total. Four fifths of this in goods, with imports of:

  • Iron and steel (about a quarter of all Ukrainian goods imports to the UK)
  • Cereals and grains (22%)
  • Vegetable oils and fats (15%)
  • Oil-seeds/oleaginous fruits (14%)
  • Animal feed (3%).

Key UK exports to Russia are machinery:

  • Nuclear reactors, boilers ($743m in 2020)
  • Vehicles ($504m in 2020)
  • Pharmaceuticals ($293m)
  • Electrical & electronic equipment ($153m).

The combined effect of increased gas and oil prices, disruption in supply chain movements, restrictions in supplies and tightening of cash flows will undoubtedly affect the flow of business with Europe. IFS will be monitoring the situation and government guidelines on a regular basis. If you need any advise in relation to booking your shipments to Europe, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We feel it is right, to take this opportunity to inform you of these economic factors, but our overwhelming thoughts are for the Ukrainian nation during these worrying times.


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I was engaged for rapid deployment of contract works in Falun, Sweden which required me to ship some materials to Sweden for the works to be executed. After nothing but extreme pain from the suppliers to get my goods to Sweden, I reached out to International Freight Solutions off the back of reviewing public feedback about their services. I could not have been happier. The team I was dealing with (Jamie and Adam) went above and beyond to guide me on what I needed (EORI number and everything else), kept me updated for the entire cycle of collection, shipping and delivery that I was always up to date and never concerned. Payment and any extra fees for customs or services was all straight forward. It really is this kind of service where there are no grey areas, total professional advice upfront and continued updates maintained, start to finish. For this, it makes me comfortable that future shipping will be trouble-free and I will certainly head straight back to IFS. Thanks Jamie and Adam. Back from Sweden tomorrow. Without your efforts, this would not have even started and got off the ground!
Response from the owner:Thanks for taking the time to leave a really great and detailed review - it means a lot to us! Jamie and Adam will be pleased with the mention too! We really look forward to assisting you again next time.
I would like to give a special positive review to Catherine Gibson our account manager. Catherine's communication is great along with her speedy competitive quotes. Her communication and updates with our air / sea imports are always up to date and accurate. We have been using International Freight Solutions for well over 12 months now and look forward to many more years working together.

Keep up the good work !!!!

Dan Willerton

Healthy Step (Sensograph) Ltd
Unit E209 Warmco Industrial Park,
Manchester Road, Mossley,
Ashton-under-Lyne,
Lancashire
OL5 9AY
Response from the owner:Many thanks for your great review Dan, it really means a lot to us and especially Cath as she’s bouncing along the clouds now!!
Amazing service from Paul - super helpful, informative and really has a wealth of knowledge. It is a pleasure working with him for our business needs.
Response from the owner:Sam, thanks so much for the kind words and taking the time out to leave such a fantastic review! Looking forward to assisting you again.
Perfect to deal with and nothing is too much trouble.
Response from the owner:We really appreciate you taking time to leave your kind review - many thanks Joanne!
I used IFS and was genuinely impressed with their pricing, booking process, and customer service. Catherine and Paul went above and beyond to ensure everything was handled professionally and personally 🙂
Response from the owner:Many thanks for the great review Clark, it really is appreciated!
Quick quotes, helpful team, and a great service all round. Paul is very knowledgable and his experience is very reassuring
Response from the owner:Your great review is very much appreciated Jonny - Paul will be chuffed with the mention too!
Paul and his team have been super helpful in arranging import and export of goods for my business. I would recommend them to anyone looking for efficient freight forwarding services
Response from the owner:Really appreciate the great review Sam, it means a lot to us - thank you
Great service and best prices from this company for door to door global freight. We deal with Catherine who is very helpful and efficient from quote to delivery of the goods.
Response from the owner:Really appreciate your kind words Mick and I’m sure Catherine will be pleased she got a mention too! We look forward to assisting you again!
I can’t recommend this company highly enough.
I had no idea what was involved in shipping large items internationally but Jamie led me through the whole process going above and beyond to help me from collection to delivery.
Great service throughout.
Thank you so much Jamie.
Response from the owner:Thanks so much for the great review Sharon, it means a lot to us and Jamie will be buzzing with your kind words!

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