We quote the whole journey
Origin charges, destination charges, duty exposure and handling. The number we give you is the number you should budget.
About us
A trading house and a freight forwarder, deliberately.
The two halves of this business exist because our clients kept needing both and could not find them in the same place.
Why we are built this way
Dubai works because it sits within a few days of most of the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia, and because goods can be held here without being imported into any of those markets until they are sold. That makes it the natural staging point for anyone selling into the region.
What it does not do is make selling here simple. An overseas manufacturer needs someone locally accountable: to quote in the buyer's time zone, to register the product, to hold stock, to turn up when there is a problem. An importer needs a forwarder who understands that the declaration matters more than the sailing schedule.
Mercantile Agencies does both, because splitting them across two suppliers is where cost and time quietly leak. One team holds the file from the supplier's door to the customer's.
How the two sides fit together
They are not separate businesses sharing a logo. A single client file typically touches both.
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1
Source or supply
We find and vet the supplier, or your existing supplier is ready to ship.
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2
Move and clear
Air, sea or land, with the declaration prepared before the cargo leaves.
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3
Hold and comply
Bonded or duty-paid storage, registration and Arabic labelling before it is saleable.
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4
Sell and support
Local representation, distribution and after-sales presence in the market.
How we work
We raise problems early
A permit issue found before shipping is an inconvenience. Found at the border, it is demurrage and a dead container.
We do not take both sides
On sourcing work we act for the buyer. We do not accept supplier commissions, because advice you cannot trust is worth nothing.
We say no
If a shipment is better served by a specialist, or a market entry is not viable as planned, we will tell you rather than bill you to find out.
Where we operate
Head office in Dubai, working through carrier and agent networks into the Gulf, the Indian subcontinent, East and West Africa, Europe and the Americas.
Dubai - Head Office
Office 000, 0th FloorBuilding Name
Street, Dubai
United Arab Emirates
P.O. Box 00000
Start a conversation.
Whether it is a single container or a market-entry programme, the first step is the same. Tell us what you are trying to achieve.