Transportation of alcohol products

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• CONDITIONS OF TRANSPORT

  There are various types of alcoholic beverages including: vermouth, wine, beer, and strong spirits, among others. As cargo, alcohol is delicate and subject to the adverse effects of various external factors. The sensitivity to external influences and the properties of alcohol products necessitate strict observance of all conditions and rules for the carriage of alcohol, including special packaging, labeling, and maintaining a certain temperature regime.

  Failure to comply with the requirements for transporting Alcohol may lead to cargo damage or other complications. To avoid spoilage and loss of alcoholic properties, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature regime, monitor the level of humidity in the vehicle, monitor the quality of the label, and use reliable excise warehouses for labeling the goods with stamps and counter labels. The transportation of alcohol products involves fragile glass bottles, the preservation of which requires special security measures. In addition, strict requirements for the import and export of alcohol are established by legislation on the circulation of excisable goods. In particular, special labeling is mandatory on alcoholic beverage packaging.

  Guided by their own long-term experience in the transportation of alcohol, AsstrA Employees ensure compliance with the requirements of domestic and international legal regulations as well as technical and sanitary transportation standards. As a result, our company provides safe and fast transportation based on the characteristics of each particular product.

• OUR ADVANTAGES
  1. MARKET KNOWLEDGE
     

     AsstrA employees are qualified to solve every issue related to the import and export of alcohol. Thanks to the well-coordinated work of our specialists, each AsstrA Client is guaranteed maximum cargo safety during transportation, a clear and well-organized delivery system, adherence the established terms of transportation, and fulfillment of all conditions of transportation.

  2. LONG-TERM EXPERIENCE
     

     AsstrA has been organizing the transportation of alcoholic beverages for over 25 years. During this time, our company has studied the specifics of various industries and spheres of activity. Therefore each Client receives a proven and effective solution for each specific requirement.

  3. GUARANTOR SERVICES
     

     AsstrA has a CIS customs carrier license which allows us to transport tobacco and tobacco products without customs escort through the territory of the Customs Union. In addition, the license provides for exemption from customs payments in transit territories thereby optimizing customs and transport costs.

  4. SECURITY SUPPORT
     

     Our company Partners with reliable security providers in the EU, the CIS, and Georgia to  ensure the safe import and export of alcohol.

  5. COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES
     

     AsstrA offers a full range of services for the transportation of alcohol from a single logistics operator: freight forwarding (including intermodal schemes), customs and documentation support, insurance, warehousing, consulting, and project logistics. In addition to a global presence in 18 countries, our company has 8 in-house customs agencies allowing us to prepare all necessary customs and shipping documentation in a timely manner.

  6. GUARANTOR SERVICES
     

     We can act as a guarantor for the handling of excise goods from third party countries during transit on EU territory, thereby helping to reduce costs and accelerate delivery.

  7. RELIABILITY
     

     AsstrA is a member of the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), participation in which provides additional opportunities to minimize the risks of damage and loss of cargo while transporting alcohol. In addition, AsstrA has an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificate, which confirms that our company is a reliable and solvent Partner complying with safety standards and all legal requirements during transportation.

  8. FINANCIAL SAFEGUARDS
     

     We focus on providing safe, innovative, efficient services for the transportation of alcoholic beverages that meet the requirements of international law. AsstrA's liability is covered for EUR 3,000,000 per insured event. Insurance coverage is provided by our reliable Partner Zurich Insurance Company Ltd (Switzerland).

• TYPES OF VEHICLE

  Since alcohol is highly sensitive to external factors, specialized vehicles are used for its transportation. Transportation of alcohol is carried out using sealed, clean vehicles which keep constant levels of humidity and maintain temperature regimes.

  A common requirement is the complete blackout of cargo space. To ensure the integrity of fragile glass bottling, it is mandatory to secure the cargo on the vehicle. Bottles with alcoholic beverages are packed in boxes before transportation and are then placed on wooden pallets inside the vehicle. Special lifts are used to load and unload the pallets without breaking the bottles.

  AsstrA cooperates with reliable transport Partners, thereby ensuring that all vehicles and trailers have complete sets of technical documentation. In addition,  vehicles are equipped with additional security equipment such as: tracking systems, alarm systems, additional locks, and electronic anti-theft devices like immobilizers. Experienced AsstrA specialists select purpose-adapted vehicles for the transportation of alcoholic beverages depending on cargo properties and customer needs. If necessary, our employees arrange combined schemes using air, road, sea and rail transport.

• OUR CAPABILITIES

  The transportation of alcohol has been one of our company's key freight forwarding service offerings for many years. To provide specialized transport and logistics services to companies in the alcohol industry, the AsstrA Drinks & Tobacco Logistics division was established. The main focus of this division is services related to the import and export of alcoholic beverages.

  AsstrA Drinks & Tobacco Logistics team members have a thorough understanding of the specific nature of the alcohol market and transportation isses therein. Our specialists can thus provide maximum cargo security during transportation and storage, adhere to all sanitary and technical standards, and take into account all requirements of legislation on excisable goods.

  Cooperation with trusted and reliable transport service providers allows us to develop and select the most optimal routes, clearly coordinate all stages of delivery, and transport any cargo on time. The quality of AsstrA service management system is confirmed a certificate of conformity with ISO 22000  international food product safety standards covering all transported food products, including all types of alcohol.

  The range of AsstrA services for the transportation of alcohol includes:

  •  Drafting of project and delivery schedules.
  • Organizing road shipping of alcoholic beverages including small samples to excise and customs warehouses in the European Union (Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia).
  • Final delivery services to end receivers from excise and customs warehouses in the European Union.
  • Containerized transport of alcoholic beverages from North and South America, Australia, South Africa, and other countries through the ports of Riga, Klaipeda, Ilyichevsk, Odessa, St. Petersburg, and Novorossiysk.
  • Printing stickers and labeling products with excise stamps and stickers at excise warehouses in Lithuania and Latvia.
  • Direct deliveries from bottlers and manufacturers.
  • Export of alcoholic beverages to European Union countries, with transit of cargoes on the territory of the EU under the company’s warranty.
  • All Risks cargo insurance from providers such as Basler Versicherung (Switzerland), Aktiv Assekuranz (Germany), and other leading insurers in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The responsibility of the company covers, among other things, the payment of excise tax.

   

• REGULATIONS/DOCUMENTATION

  The legal regulation of alcohol transportation is complicated by the absence of a single normative and legal act at the international and national levels that would contain an exhaustive list of rules for the carriage of this type of cargo. Carriers have to apply the rules for the carriage of alcohol by road, rail, air or sea transport on a case-by-case basis and determine the appropriate norms from international treaties, federal laws, acts of state bodies, or technical regulations.

  The transportation of alcoholic beverages is further complicated by alcohol's being subject to excise taxes. The legal regulation of the delivery of excisable goods varies in different countries. So, in accordance with the legislation of some CIS member states, import of alcohol into the country of destination is allowed only after the cargo is labeled with excise stamps. Each shipment of alcoholic beverages is accompanied by a separate set of documents to facilitate customs screening. All accompanying documents (such as export and transit declarations and shipping documents) are to be stamped with the true seal of the manufacturing organization or the importer of the alcohol.

  The export of alcohol to Europe is regulated by the relevant legislation of the European Union. Complicated and detailed rules for the carriage of alcohol are contained in numerous regulatory legal acts. AsstrA not only monitors compliance with relevant rules and regulations but also advises on the preparation of related documentation, including shipping documents, invoices, customs declarations, permits, etc.