"Álvaro Partida: "Without customs agents, it would be impossible to import/export"
"We are the gateway between southern Europe and northern Africa"
"Without the presence of the customs agent, it would be practically impossible to carry out import/export activities," explains Álvaro Partida, head of the Commercial Area of Partida Logistics, based in the port of Algeciras.
"The EU forces importers/exporters to comply with all the relevant requirements through operators like us, who play an absolutely fundamental and necessary role in the legal framework." We are experts in customs clearance processes; we are up to date with the regulations imposed by the European Union, the border controls required for each type of product and the horizontal logistics within the port, keeping in touch with carriers and shipping companies and, most importantly, with the fiscal representative of the client."
According to Álvaro Partida, phytosanitary controls are increasingly stricter, also on goods that didn't undergo any strict controls in the past, as may be the case of citrus fruits and tomatoes. "Our obligation is to communicate these changes to customers in order to avoid problems and delays."
Some of the greatest needs for exporters and importers in the horticultural sector are fiscal representation before Customs authorities, advice on documentation, commercial invoices, sanitary control requests, the transfer of goods, cold storage services and transport to destination, which are services offered by this company, although he stresses that the most important aspect is "the certainty that we can address any setback, so that the products can be dispatched as soon as possible."
"The stevedore strikes, a setback in the local and national economy"
The stevedore strikes have taken centre stage this year in Spanish ports, seriously affecting the companies that work in them. "The strike has strongly affected all the companies that belong and work in the port. Basically, the huge delays in the handling of goods and the bad image conveyed only results in the shipping companies, which in Algeciras load and unload millions of containers per year, switching to other ports, severely damaging the local and national economy," states Álvaro Partida.
"We faced the situation while being constantly in touch with our customers, keeping them informed at all times on the development of the strike and, once the conflict had been resolved, all our efforts went to dispatching the goods that had been paralysed as quickly as possible. We hope that the issue has already been completely resolved so that we can recover the lost time and trust."
"We are the gateway between southern Europe and northern Africa"
"In the port of Algeciras, we differentiate ourselves by our capacity to host 'MegaVessels' carrying more than 18,000 containers, as well as by our location, which makes us the southern gateway between Europe and northern Africa. Shipping companies offer our customers transport services from any port in the world to Algeciras, using Algeciras as the first port of entry in Spain, southern Europe and northern Africa," affirms Álvaro Partida.
As a response to the increase in volume in the sector, Partida continues to expand its human resources team and increasing the working hours, working 365 days a year, with morning, afternoon and evening shifts. "There are no off-hours in maritime and land logistics; therefore, we have to adapt ourselves in line with market trends and be as competitive and fast as possible," he points out. We also stand out for our knowledge on customs and phytosanitary regulations, as well as for having the trust of clients who have been working with us for more than 30 years; something unusual in these times," concludes Álvaro Partida.
For more information:
Álvaro Partida
Partida Logistics
T:+34 652094432
apartida@partidalogistics.com
partidalogistics.com