Borders are where business momentum is lost. A lorry might cover hundreds of kilometres in a day, only to sit idle at a customs post for just as long. This usually happens for a mix of reasons: few people fully understand the rules clearly and even those who do, interpret them inconsistently, the infrastructure is often outdated with missing or incompatible systems between countries. Even where digital tools exist, they are rarely connected in a way that makes the process smooth.
Knowing what slows your goods down, which documents are needed and how rules differ from country to country is important. This is not something to leave entirely to your logistics partner. Every cross-border entrepreneur should make incredible efforts to understand it. It might take time to learn, but it will save you more time and money than you realise.
And no one is demanding that you memorise obscure regulations. Just ask questions: what approvals are needed in advance? What delays are most common and how do others avoid them? Which bodies are responsible for clearance and how can you build relationships that speed things up instead of those that don’t benefit you or slow things down? These are the kinds of insights that can help you scale across borders without becoming stuck in the gaps.
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