'Duty' of Care

As we all know, numerous factors must be taken into consideration to ensure the secure transportation of fine art and antiquities. Agents employ tried and tested methods to successfully achieve this however it is important to continually improve existing services, tailoring them to the clients’ needs in the pursuit of the best possible practice.

After three years of investigation and persistence Momart have pioneered in the fine art transportation field by becoming the only specialised fine art agent to be approved by UK customs to manage and oversee all customs clearances in-house.

Whilst this is only one of the many procedures involved in art movement, this specific service has distinct advantages enabling the art transportation process to become safer and more reliable. Momart’s customs team can now provide direct clearances for road and air shipments both import and export.

In recent years, customs clearance has caused serious problems for fine art agents and couriers who, on occasion, have had to wait for up to 8 hours at the border. Since implementation of this service, Momart are able to independently clear non-EC consignments without stopping at any UK border, the average time it now takes for a Momart vehicle to clear customs is just five minutes.

Museums and institutions requiring a courier to accompany works will experience a vastly improved travelling time as will registrars at the receiving venue who will no longer have to wait indefinitely for objects to arrive. A schedule can be provided with greater accuracy and the inevitable paper trail can be reduced as Momart are able to provide all the relevant information without the involvement of a third party. It should encourage lenders to agree to loan works due to the abridged travelling time minimising potential risks and heightening the level of security.This service extends to a system of increased availability of documents and faster response times. Transit Administration Documents (T-forms) can be discharged immediately and copies of export / import invoices can be provided the same day.

Momart’s customs team aims to use its 60 years of cumulative customs experience to continue to provide museums and galleries alike with the highest standard of service and advice available. Two UKRG workshops in Edinburgh and London entitled ‘Customs Matters’ were devised and implemented by Momart Customs expert Steve Gourley last year, which provided members with information about customs procedures. If you were unable to attend and would like further information about customs or any other Momart service, please get in touch with your usual contact or email: customs@momart.co.uk