For UK manufacturers, exporting to Asia offers real commercial opportunity, but the logistics rarely make it simple. Transit times, freight costs, and the complexity of multi-leg routing can put real strain on customer relationships, particularly when buyers in fast-growing markets expect speed as standard.
Capoute Scientific, a Manchester-based medical device manufacturer, knew this challenge well. With established customers in Indonesia and the Philippines, the company needed a solution that matched the pace its customers demanded, without the prohibitive growing costs of direct long-haul air freight.
TCB Group had the answer. By combining our dedicated air freight consolidation gateway with intelligent transhipment through Singapore, we delivered a multi-modal solution for exporting to Asia that kept costs manageable and transit times down to just 10 days.
The Challenge: Balancing Speed and Cost When Exporting to Asia
The company found itself caught between two unappealing shipping options, and neither worked. They needed a smarter solution for their Asian exports.
Sea Freight Was Too Slow And A Risk
Sea freight from the UK to Indonesia or the Philippines typically takes seven weeks or more once transit and port handling are factored in. For a customer waiting on medical instruments to fulfil orders or run research operations, that lead time is simply unworkable. Multiple transhipment calls at busy hubs added further delay risk, so sea freight was not the solution.
Direct Air Freight Was Prohibitively Expensive
Direct air freight from the UK to Jakarta or Manila presented the opposite problem. Capacity on these long-haul routes is limited, and growing air freight rates were a major problem threatening to erode margins to the point where exporting to Asia stopped making commercial sense.
The TCB Group Solution: A Multi-Modal Gateway via Singapore
TCB Group’s solution drew on one of our core strengths: a dedicated daily air freight consolidation service between Manchester Airport and Singapore Changi Airfreight Centre.
How the Manchester–Singapore Air Gateway Works
Rather than booking costly direct capacity, customers benefit from consolidation. Cargo is grouped with compatible consignments on our daily Manchester–Singapore service, reducing the per-unit freight rate significantly. Daily frequency means goods move without delay, bringing the speed of air freight within reach of businesses that could not justify a direct booking.
Transhipment Through Singapore: Onward to Indonesia and the Philippines
Once goods arrive at Changi, TCB Group’s Singapore branch takes over entirely. We operate a bonded warehouse within the Singapore Free Trade Zone, and all sea-to-air transhipment is managed in-house with no third-party handoffs.
Regular short-haul sea freight services from Singapore connect efficiently to Indonesia, the Philippines, and destinations across South East Asia. This final leg covers only the intra-regional distance from Singapore, keeping it both fast and affordable. The result: the heavy lifting done by air, the last stretch by sea, with TCB Group managing the entire process.
The Results: 10-Day Transits at a Fraction of Direct Air Freight Costs
Delivery Times That Work
Door-to-door transit from Manchester to Indonesia and the Philippines came down to approximately 10 days, a dramatic improvement on sea freight timelines. Capoute Scientific’s customers gained the responsiveness they needed to plan and operate with confidence.
Cost Savings Through Consolidated Air Freight
By using TCB Group’s consolidated gateway rather than booking direct capacity, Capoute Scientific achieved freight costs that worked for the business. Paying consolidated air freight rates for the Manchester–Singapore leg, and cost-efficient sea freight for the regional onward journey, meant delivery costs were workable and the trade lanes remained viable.
Why Multi-Modal Export Services Make Commercial Sense
Many UK exporters face the same challenge when shipping to South East Asia: air freight speed is essential, but the cost of going fully by air is hard to justify. Multi-modal freight solutions bridge that gap, blending air and sea freight so businesses do not have to choose between speed and affordability.
Singapore is ideally positioned for this model. It sits at the centre of South East Asia’s logistics network with strong UK air connections and a dense web of short-haul sea services reaching Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and beyond. TCB Group’s FTZ bonded warehouse at Changi provides flexibility to tranship, consolidate, and redirect goods under bond, making it straightforward to serve multiple South East Asian destinations from a single UK despatch.
For further guidance on customs compliance when exporting to Asia, the UK Government’s export guidance is a useful starting point.
The Importance of the Right Freight Forwarding Partner
Multi-modal freight requires a freight forwarder with genuine regional knowledge, in-house capabilities at key transhipment points, and the ability to manage cargo across modes and regulatory environments without losing control. TCB Group delivers all of this. Our Singapore branch handles transhipment entirely within our own operation, providing smoother customs handling, faster onward connections, and a single point of contact from Manchester to final destination.
Start Exporting to Asia with TCB Group
If your business faces similar challenges to Capoute Scientific, we can help. Contact TCB Group Singapore today and our team will put together a freight solution built around your timeline, your budget, and your customers’ expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions: Exporting to Asia with TCB Group
How long does shipping take from Manchester to Indonesia or the Philippines?
Approximately 10 days door-to-door, using our daily air consolidation to Singapore with in-house onward sea freight. Full sea freight from the UK typically exceeds 60 days.
How does consolidated air freight reduce costs?
Consolidation groups multiple shippers into a single booking, spreading costs across customers and making air freight to Singapore viable without the volume needed to justify a direct long-haul route.
Is this service suitable for medical or specialist equipment?
Yes. TCB Group has extensive experience with high-value and regulated cargo, and our team can advise on documentation and export compliance throughout the journey.
What customs support does TCB Group provide?
Our Singapore team handles local customs formalities directly from our FTZ bonded warehouse. Our UK team manages export documentation from the Manchester end, covering both sides of the shipment.
Which South East Asian destinations can TCB Group reach from Singapore?
Our Singapore gateway connects regularly to Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and a wide range of other South East Asian destinations via short-haul sea freight.