Scanwell expands UAE ops with in-house customs clearance

Sonia Sali

Scanwell Logistics UAE has brought customs clearance services in-house as it looks to simplify the movement of import and export cargo and reduce delays in the clearance process. The move is expected to give customers greater visibility and closer coordination across different stages of cargo movement.

Razmal Assen, Executive Director, Scanwell Logistics LLC

The initiative gives Scanwell’s customs team direct responsibility for coordinating clearance activities, allowing it to work more closely with other parts of the logistics chain. This could help improve visibility of shipments and reduce the handovers involved in moving cargo through customs.

For freight forwarders and cargo owners, customs clearance remains an important part of cross-border logistics, with documentation, regulatory requirements and coordination often affecting how quickly shipments can move. Bringing the function in-house can give logistics providers greater control over this stage of the supply chain and make it easier to coordinate clearance with transportation, warehousing and final delivery.

“Our expanding presence in Africa, including our branches in Kenya, strengthens our ability to support users with reliable logistics solutions across key African markets and beyond,” said Razmal Assen, Executive Director, Scanwell Logistics LLC.

The UAE operation will use its wider logistics network to support the movement of cargo between the UAE and international markets. Besides, its presence in African markets, including Kenya, also supports cargo movements between the UAE and Africa. This is particularly relevant as trade links between the Gulf and African markets continue to grow, creating demand for logistics services that can manage different customs and regulatory requirements across borders.

The in-house service covers both import and export shipments. The move aims at providing a more connected process, from customs clearance and freight forwarding to transportation, warehousing and delivery.

For the wider logistics sector, greater integration between these activities can help reduce gaps between different stages of cargo movement. It can also allow companies to respond more quickly when documentation or clearance issues arise, rather than relying on separate service providers to resolve them.

As cross-border cargo flows become more complex, customs clearance is increasingly being linked with wider supply chain operations. Having clearance teams work directly with freight and transport functions could therefore help logistics providers improve coordination and give cargo owners better visibility from origin to destination.