Uruguayan transport companies dedicated to foreign trade denounced that a few months ago Customs approved a new electronic seal company that, in addition to generating waiting hours, has an agreement with the Association of Customs Brokers of Uruguay (ADAU), whereby, through credit notes, the dispatcher keeps a percentage of the value of that seal that the customer pays.
The carriers express that, although commercially they are entitled, there are two problems: ethical, since in addition to not favoring the client (since they must pay the entire cost of the seal, despite the fact that a percentage is “commission” for dispatchers), they consider that an institution that gives courses for future dispatchers “should not lend itself to such management”.
In turn, another of the problems is the commercial one, since according to the carriers, “thanks to that percentage that they receive extra from the Block Tracker company, the dispatchers, who are the ones who choose the seal companies, have given them 50 % of services, which explains the favoritism and growth of that company approved a few months ago. In addition, this situation harms the carriers since the delays are greater every day and the operation becomes more expensive.
Faced with this situation, Uruguayan companies dedicated to foreign trade are considering talking to the Customs director to ensure that it can be the transport that defines which seal company uses or the client himself, without intermediaries, so that in this way they can benefit from lower costs and, on the other hand, transport companies reduce delays.
These delays, they say, will end up being transferred to freight costs, making the service more expensive, due to a problem that currently, for carriers, is the responsibility of ADAU and the DNA.
“In general it is said that the transport of cargo by road dedicated to foreign trade is expensive. However, we are the only link among those who produce or import that invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in each piece of equipment, technology and qualified personnel and that ultimately adds value to the chain. While they ask us to lower costs (when our inputs are more expensive every day), we see, for example, Customs brokers who, with a desk and few staff, intermediating managers, in many cases their service is more expensive and profitable than ours with zero risk”, denounce the carriers.
Report Noelia Franco
