Freight News, IT, Logistics


ESW helps put an end to the age of uncertainty in global trade

[ April 27, 2026   //   ]

The global trading landscape has changed out of all recognition in the past few years. Whereas it was not so long ago that the World Trade Organisation was confidently predicting a vast reduction or even the outright abolition of tariffs, duties and taxes in many countries, that has now gone sharply into reverse with, first, the UK’s decision to leave the EU and later with US President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. Other countries have also responded with their own tariffs, creating a more complex tax and duty situation than ever before.

Fionn Uibh Eachach who leads supply chain management and commercial services at global ecommerce platform, ESW, says: “Brexit initially put a lot more focus on this area, but it’s continued since and countries in Asia and Australasia are becoming much more protectionist. That barrier-free environment is unwinding.”

Of course, tariffs and indirect taxation have always been subject to change, “but not at the pace we’ve seen in the last few years.”

E-commerce brands face a particularly significant challenge with the removal of de minimis tax bands in the US, the EU – in stages – and, almost certainly in 6-12 months’ time, the UK.

The biggest problem for them is how to avoid the consumer being forced to pay unexpected additional charges when the goods are delivered – nothing is calculated to turn off online shoppers than an experience such as this.

However, ESW helps companies ranging from small firms to multinationals navigate these changes, giving them the tools and information they need to make the consumer experience as problem-free as possible. “We have a global reach and can calculate all duty changes in a delivered duty-paid model. We have expertise that a lot of brands won’t have themselves. We can ensure that the price that the consumer sees is accurate.”

The additional duties could easily double the price to the consumer and a lot of businesses will not be able to absorb these themselves. There is also the danger of firms losing business – if there is any doubt in the buyer’s mind that the price they are being shown is not the price they will end up paying, they may well abandon the transaction while it is still in the shopping basket, what is known in the industry as the ‘conversion rate’. All the analysis shows that consumers presented with nasty surprises or uncertainty don’t buy.

“However, our clients have managed to maintain their conversion rates,” says Fionn Uibh Eachach.

Consumers rejecting packages on the doorstep could also be a headache for carriers as they must be returned to origin. “No one wants failed deliveries and what we can do is pass data on to carriers,” he adds.

One issue that companies face is that whereas in the past they may have had supply chain people on their staff conversant with customs issues, that is definitely not the case now, except for the very largest firms. “That’s an opportunity for us, the fact that there isn’t that old-school knowledge any more.”

Companies must also be mindful of the consequences of making incorrect customs declarations, whether intentional or not. These days, the authorities are deploying ever more sophisticated tools, including AI, so any errors could be quickly picked up. AEO status could also be at risk for companies that repeatedly fall foul of the rules.

ESW can offer fiscal representation and also advise companies on appropriate supply chain models. It could well be that, as de minimis is abolished in more and more jurisdictions, some return to a traditional system of importing pallet loads in bulk under a single declaration, warehousing them in the country of destination and then redistributing them to individual buyers might be more appropriate, at least in some situations. “Thos sorts of models are certainly back in play,” says Fionn Uibh Eachach, “though possibly a multi-model approach might work best for some companies.”

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