Client: RTL Materials Ltd

Unique Composite Masts and Tripods – Rolatube Technology

RTL Materials Ltd, trading as Rolatube Technology, is the world’s only bistable rollable composite manufacturer. The patented technology is used in a wide range of industries and organisations around the world who depend on the unique characteristics of Rolatube products to support their operations. Products include lightweight and rollable masts, tripods and antennae that have proved invaluable in the defence, emergency response and industrial sectors to name a few.

RTL Materials first contacted The International Trade Consultancy in September 2023 to book a Customs Healthcheck related to temporary exports. Rolatube products are sent to distributors in export markets, primarily the EU and USA, for demonstration purposes or exhibitions so the goods are usually out of the UK for between 3 – 6 months. RTL Materials wanted to find out if there was a way of avoiding the import duty and VAT in both directions as it added up to a significant amount of money each year.

The Customs Healthcheck service consists of a 30 minute virtual meeting to discuss a particular problem or question followed by written recommendations as to how to proceed. During the course of the meeting it became apparent that there were a number of other import / export processes that could be improved on so The International Trade Consultancy was engaged to do a an onsite Company Audit followed by an Export Plan and then visit site once a month for 5 months to deal with each issue in turn. These included a review of export licenses, origin, HS codes, Incoterms and a deeper investigation of the temporary export question which led to the utilisation of ATA Carnets. Training was conducted with the relevant members of the team during each visit to ensure the new procedures were understood and implemented.