Samphire Cargo
Samphire Customs is a UK-based, privately held customs clearance and freight forwarding firm based in Dover, serving importers, exporters, and logistics operators across UK-EU and global trade routes with AEO-certified declarations and multimodal freight services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersDover, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Samphire Cargo does
Samphire Customs Limited is a UK-based, privately held customs clearance and freight forwarding company headquartered in Dover, Kent, with a secondary customs office in Lesquin, France. Formally incorporated in March 2001 but tracing operational roots to the mid-1970s, the company delivers import and export declarations, road/air/sea freight forwarding, and specialist documentation (ATA Carnets, ATR/EUR authentication, Intrastat) to importers, exporters, and logistics operators. Operations are anchored by direct DTI (Direct Trader Input) computer lines to every UK port and an in-house ICS2 capability for EU Entry Summary Declarations, with HMRC Customs Declaration Service (CDS) support replacing the legacy CHIEF system.
The business operates on a B2B professional services model, with quote-based pricing and no publicly disclosed rate cards. Service delivery is field-based from strategically located offices near key ports, supplemented by a global network of overseas agents for freight forwarding. The company holds AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) and Authorised Consignor certifications — held by fewer than 1,250 UK companies — and runs a free online Import Duty Calculator as a top-of-funnel tool. Revenue is generated primarily through customs clearance fees, freight forwarding margins, and premium expedited services (Express Declarations, SMART Border for Regimes 40 & 42). The Smith-Watson family leads management following the 2019 retirement of the original founders; Gary Smith-Watson serves as Managing Director.
Samphire Cargo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Samphire Cargo
- Legal name
- Samphire Customs Limited
- Website
- https://samphirecargo.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Samphire Customs is a UK-based, privately held customs clearance and freight forwarding firm based in Dover, serving importers, exporters, and logistics operators across UK-EU and global trade routes with AEO-certified declarations and multimodal freight services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Samphire Cargo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customs Brokerage & Freight Forwarding
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release) (TLACAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI) (TLACAFAB), Customs Declaration & Filing (Import/Export Entry) Platforms (TLAEAOAA), Trade Document Generation & Management (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, COO, Certificates) (TLAEAOAF)
Keywords
Where Samphire Cargo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dover
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Samphire Cargo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Customs Clearance Services: Core revenue stream from import and export customs declarations, providing clearance services for goods arriving in or leaving the UK. Services include specialist documentation for ATA Carnets, ATR/EUR Authentication, and Intrastat Services.
- Freight Transport Services: Specialist road, air, and sea freight forwarding services through a global network of overseas agents, offering import and export services by ocean, air, and road freight.
- Express Declarations: Premium expedited customs declaration service for urgent shipments requiring fast turnaround times.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Import Duty Calculator - Free estimation tool |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Samphire Cargo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Samphire Cargo (trading as Samphire Customs) provides customs clearance and freight forwarding services for businesses moving goods across UK and international borders. From its headquarters in Dover near the Eastern and Western Docks, the company processes import and export declarations, handles specialist documentation such as ATA Carnets and Intrastat, and arranges road, air, and sea freight via its global network of overseas agents. The company holds AEO certification and offers complementary capabilities including SMART Border clearance for Regimes 40 & 42, ICS2 Entry Summary Declarations for EU-bound shipments, and an online Import Duty Calculator.
Product overview
Samphire Customs operates as a customs clearance and freight forwarding services company offering a unified suite of services rather than a platform architecture. The core service portfolio includes Import Declarations, Export Declarations, and Transport Services/Freight Forwarding as primary offerings. These are supplemented by specialized features including the Express Declarations Service for expedited clearance, Specialist Documentation (ATA Carnets, ATR/EUR, Intrastat), SMART Border services for Regimes 40 & 42, ICS2 capability for EU Entry Summary Declarations, and CDS (Customs Declaration Service) for UK import/export declarations. An Import Duty Calculator provides online self-service for duty estimation. The company expanded through acquisition of ACT Forwarding & Logistics, and maintains physical presence in both UK (Dover) and France (Lesquin) for cross-border operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Import Declarations Customs declaration services for all goods arriving in the UK, processed by experienced staff using DTI computer lines connected to every UK port.
- Export Declarations Customs declaration services for all goods leaving the UK, with high accuracy standards and quick response times.
- Transport Services / Freight Forwarding Specialist road, air, and sea freight forwarding with global reach via a network of overseas agents, offering import and export services worldwide.
- Express Declarations Service Premium expedited customs clearance service for vehicles and shipments requiring rapid processing and release for time-sensitive consignments.
- Specialist Documentation Specialist customs documents for temporary admission and intra-EU movement, including ATA Carnets, ATR/EUR Authentication, and Intrastat Services.
- SMART Border End-to-end customs clearance service for Regimes 40 & 42, providing streamlined border processing for eligible traders.
- ICS2 Entry Summary Declarations In-house capability to process Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) under the EU Import Control System 2, required since January 2026 for shipments entering the EU from the UK.
- Import Duty Calculator Free online tool that estimates UK import duty and tax based on goods origin, destination, commodity codes, and landed costs, supporting multiple currencies with CIF/FOB calculations.
Quantifiable outcome
- AEO certification ensures customs controls and procedures are efficient, meeting UK and EU standards
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Samphire Cargo
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Samphire Cargo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Samphire Cargo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Simpex Express LimitedcorePartnership announced in January 2020 with Simpex Express Limited, an express transport operator. Samphire/Simpex Group events held including summer get-together at Epsom 2025, indicating a close working relationship within the logistics industry.
- TransaidminorCorporate membership partnership supporting Transaid, a professional humanitarian transport organisation creating better access to health services through efficient transport systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Samphire Customs supports as a Corporate Member alongside its sister company.
- ACT Forwarding & LogisticscoreAcquisition of ACT Forwarding & Logistics by Samphire Customs Limited, expanding the company's capabilities and service offerings in the freight forwarding and logistics sector.
- Samphire FrancecoreCustoms office established in Lesquin, France celebrating its 1st anniversary. Provides true end-to-end customs services across the UK-EU border with full regulatory compliance capabilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Samphire Cargo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DKT Allseas: Dover-based customs clearance and freight forwarding specialist serving UK-EU trade. Directly comparable in location, customer base (importers/exporters), and core service offering of import/export declarations and road freight forwarding across the Channel.
- Customs Support Group: European customs brokerage and trade compliance services group operating across multiple EU countries and the UK. Comparable customs declaration, AEO advisory, and trade compliance service portfolio aimed at importers/exporters with cross-border needs.
- Davies Turner: UK-headquartered freight forwarder and customs clearance provider with road, air, sea, and rail services. Similar mid-sized operator profile to Samphire, serving UK importers/exporters and competing for similar B2B customers.
- PML International: UK-based customs broker and freight forwarder offering similar import/export declaration, freight forwarding, and cross-border compliance services. Overlapping target customers and similar post-Brexit trade lane focus.
Emerging players
- Flexport: Digital freight forwarder combining software with customs brokerage across ocean, air, and road freight. Overlaps with Samphire's freight forwarding and customs declaration services, but tech-enabled and globally scaled.
- KlearNow: Digital customs clearance platform automating import/export filings. Represents the technology-led competitive threat to traditional customs brokers like Samphire, offering faster and lower-cost filings through software.
- Descartes Visual Compliance: Trade compliance software provider offering export controls, denied-party screening, and HS classification tools. Adjacent/competing with parts of Samphire's specialist documentation service offering for clients seeking in-house automation.
Broad incumbents
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarder with customs brokerage capabilities, serving importers/exporters worldwide including UK-EU trade. Overlapping service categories with Samphire, but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Eurotunnel / Getlink: Operates the Channel Tunnel, a key alternative to Dover RoRo for UK-EU freight. Not a customs broker but a major player shaping routing decisions and customs infrastructure in the same UK-EU trade corridor Samphire serves.
- Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder and customs broker offering full customs clearance and freight forwarding across all modes. Overlaps with Samphire's customs declaration and freight forwarding services as part of a much larger portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Samphire Cargo social profiles
Digital presenceSamphire Cargo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Samphire Cargo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Samphire Cargo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Samphire Cargo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Samphire Cargo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Samphire Cargo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Samphire Cargo
What does Samphire Cargo do?
Samphire Cargo (trading as Samphire Customs) provides customs clearance and freight forwarding services for businesses moving goods across UK and international borders. From its headquarters in Dover near the Eastern and Western Docks, the company processes import and export declarations, handles specialist documentation such as ATA Carnets and Intrastat, and arranges road, air, and sea freight via its global network of overseas agents. The company holds AEO certification and offers complementary capabilities including SMART Border clearance for Regimes 40 & 42, ICS2 Entry Summary Declarations for EU-bound shipments, and an online Import Duty Calculator.
Is Samphire Cargo a public or private company?
Samphire Cargo is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Samphire Cargo founded?
Samphire Cargo was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Samphire Cargo based?
Samphire Cargo is headquartered in Dover, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Samphire Cargo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Customs Clearance Services are the primary driver. The others are freight Transport Services and express Declarations.
Who are Samphire Cargo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DKT Allseas, Customs Support Group, Davies Turner and PML International. Emerging players are Flexport, KlearNow and Descartes Visual Compliance. Broad incumbents are DHL Global Forwarding, Eurotunnel / Getlink and Kuehne+Nagel.
Does Samphire Cargo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Samphire Cargo.
What industry is Samphire Cargo in?
Samphire Cargo's product category is Customs Brokerage & Freight Forwarding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAFAA, Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release), with a secondary code of TLACAFAB, Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI). Its SIC code is 4731.