Our History

TecEx is one of several businesses that form the VAT IT Group, an international and renowned industry-leading cross-border tax recovery firm that was established in 2000. This group spans 40 global offices, servicing 13,000 clients in 117 different countries with over 1,500 professionals globally.

TecEx was established a decade ago from these compliance-focused roots. Compliance is very much in our DNA such that TecEx maintains its own in-house global trade desks comprising professionals in finance, logistics, and trade compliance.

This body of expertise enables us to focus on providing scalable global IOR and import compliance services to clients in the technology industry, allowing for ‘DDP’ shipping capabilities. These services are bundled into an offering that champions our customer’s rigorous expectations around communication, professionalism, and reliability from an IOR partner.

Today, TecEx has a client base of over 500 clients in North America alone, with many more in Europe and throughout APAC. This client base touches all segments of the IT hardware supply chain including OEMs, hardware distributors, hardware resellers, systems integrators, and a host of end-user clients (infrastructure owners).

In short, our objective is to ensure that every shipment will arrive at the destination as quickly as possible with full visibility throughout, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and with no involvement or risk to you, or your client.

Our Corporate Footprint



Our Global Reach

As a result of our in-depth knowledge and experience in importing IT hardware, TecEx provides industry-leading cycle times for import into over 200 locations globally.

View our full country list here.

Transactions TecEx Specializes in:

TecEx’s breadth of capacities expands beyond IOR, which enables us to offer your clients a broad range of projects. Some examples of these may include:

  • Opening or expanding points of presence (e.g. Edge sites) or data centers in foreign countries where your client has no local registration/entity or one that is not correctly established or experienced to act as an IOR. TecEx has end-to-end capabilities to import loose gear or fully integrated racks of equipment into all locations with white glove delivery if required.
  • The use of TecEx as a central channel through which to funnel imports from a number of different systems integrators enables an import compliance “watchtower” to ensure all imports flow through a customer-approved channel that is actively managed by TecEx. To this end, TecEx builds and manages SOPs with each integrator and can work with them directly.
  • Global deployments of IT hardware to offices or employee/contractor residences such as small networking devices, laptops, etc.
  • Inter-location transfer of equipment from data center to data center where EOR services are required as well as IOR services.
  • Import of equipment procured from a vendor through a leasing arrangement (hardware as a service) where the vendor is unable to act as the IOR.
  • Spare part shipments that need to be imported on DDP incoterms.

Our Clients


The Role of the IOR

Global deployments of IT hardware can become a very complex task. Transporting the goods to their final destination is not particularly difficult – however, dealing with customs when the goods arrive in the country is where the risks lie. Most countries around the world require a local entity to act as the registered importer (known as the Importer of Record or “IOR”). The IOR needs to be locally established so that it falls within that country's jurisdiction. The IOR is an entity that is approved by that country's regulations to import IT hardware (often a highly regulated commodity) and has all the required import permits, licenses, and applications on hand in time for clearance. These import requirements are deliberately onerous, are ever-changing, and depend on the specific commodities being imported (may differ by brand and function of hardware).

Import Constraints

  • No local entity is appropriate to consign goods to in destination country.
  • Challenging to cost-effectively maintain in-house knowledge of import regulations in all global destinations.
  • Exposure to additional risk through customs audits post-clearance – this is a responsibility and risk of the IOR who absorbs these import compliance risks.
  • Complex permit requirements and customs procedures for controlled commodities such as dual-use goods, items with encryption, or items with wireless communication capabilities.

Import Risks

Failure to comply with destination laws and regulations will result in:

  • Seizure and disposal of shipment.
  • Forced return of the shipment to the origin.
  • Fines for non-compliance (including misdeclarations).
  • Delays that affect essential project deadlines and deliverables.
  • Storage and customs charges.
  • Blacklisting or revocation of import privileges.

Benefits of a Specialist IOR

  • Peace of mind knowing that imports are being professionally managed by an IOR partner that has a stake in the import’s success (IORs do not want their import rights to be put at stake).
  • The ability for equipment to be centrally configured/staged prior to deployment. This allows for equipment testing prior to shipping, simpler installation, and better systems conformity as reliance can be placed on fewer engineering teams.
  • Potential for shorter hardware lead times when procuring centrally from one vendor in a market that has better product availability.
  • No local entity involvement is required at the destination when importing.


The TecEx Difference: A Global Channel Partner Specialist


Many of TecEx’s most prominent clients are global resellers, integrators, and managed service providers who white-label our IOR service. They sell a global offering to hundreds, if not thousands, of end customers whose cloud infrastructure is dotted in data centers all around the world. This allows end customers to use and enjoy their hardware with minimal interruption, low latency, and maximum security.

TecEx is a valuable partner in helping these technology providers move their customers’ critical infrastructure to global colocation sites in a predictable, reliable, fast, and legal manner into over 200 possible destinations.

For example, click here to look at how TecEx successfully assisted a small Value-Added Reseller to become a global player by leveraging our vast import offering.

Everything that TecEx has built into its service over the last decade, from our TecEx App to our professional account management teams, is aligned to help our customers in these objectives. Some of the capabilities of TecEx and the benefits to these unique clients of ours are detailed below.


Why Work With TecEx?

Speed & Cycle Time

TecEx has been importing IT infrastructure on a daily basis for a decade, building a trusted and proven track record with customs and securing the fastest clearance lead times in the 200 countries we support. A critical factor to our and our client’s success is being precise and efficient in order to support the speed required in getting critical equipment where it needs to be. All shipment movements can be traced on our TecEx App 24/7.


Transparency

TecEx provides live updates on the progress of shipments working through the compliance, logistical and customs clearance process through our TecEx App. While a shipment is prepared to depart, we proactively prepare all import compliance requirements and documentation to prevent any delays in shipment departure. We build bespoke workflows with our clients which can involve any hardware vendors required to work with us.

Reliability & Consistency

Our track record as an IOR and import compliance specialist has resulted in a robust standard import model in over 200 countries across the globe. This means your clients are not forced to over-commit to or use less reliable ad-hoc import channels.

Clear Pricing

Our renowned experience as an import of record means that all relevant costs can be accurately determined upfront (including import taxes and duties). This capability is delivered through the TecEx App which produces instant HS-code-driven quotes with ease.

Flexibility

TecEx’s broad network of partners allows your clients the flexibility to select hardware vendors irrespective of their varying abilities to support imports to a country. Our in-house international freight, final mile/white glove delivery services, and insurance services provide an end-to-end solution when required.


Our App - Free Access to the World

Features:

  • Pull instant quotes and create live shipment orders.
  • Regular shipment status updates.
  • Track shipments in real-time.
  • Contact the TecEx team with the click of a button for assistance at any stage of the shipment.
  • See all compliance requirements for each shipment.
  • View data and insights on all live and historical shipment orders on the TecEx App.
  • All reports can be tailored to specific needs.


Additional TecEx Services


Difference Between TecEx and Freight Forwarders/Carriers

Shipping Process

For more information on our shipping process, click here.

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