The changes will also significantly affect importers of goods from third countries. It will now not be enough to verify the compliance of the product itself. Its packaging also becomes a separate part of compliance – from sales packaging through cartons, foils and fillings to pallets, labels or transport packaging.

What will the importer have to deal with?

In particular, before placing a packaging or packaged product on the EU market, it will be necessary to:

• verify that the manufacturer has carried out a conformity assessment of the packaging;
• ensure the availability of EU declarations of conformity;
• verify the existence of the relevant technical documentation;
• check the material composition and labeling of the packaging,
• pay particular attention to the limits for PFAS and other hazardous substances for food packaging;
• correctly identify the role of the importer, manufacturer and entity responsible for EPR;
• ensure that the documentation is traceable and available for possible inspection.

Therefore, we recommend that you include the PPWR documentation check in the phase before the goods are shipped from a third country, not after their arrival in the EU.

We have prepared a practical brochure for importers

For our customers and business partners, we have prepared an information brochure “PPWR for importers of goods to the EU”, which clearly summarizes the new obligations, required documents, the time schedule of individual changes and a practical checklist for importers.

The brochure also includes recommendations for setting up cooperation with suppliers outside the EU and an overview of steps that should be taken by August 12, 2026.

The complete PPWR information brochure for importers can be found here.

Článek New obligations for importers from 12 August 2026: PPWR changes packaging rulesFace-to-face meetings are irreplaceable for logistics. se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

The system, specifically the CargoFront platform from CargoNect, is available through the website and PST CLC Mitsui-Soko customer portal. Interested parties can create their own customer account, but it is also possible to enter an inquiry without logging in. After selecting the type of transport and the relevant delivery conditions, the system gradually guides the customer to provide the information needed to process the request. At the same time, it distinguishes between mandatory information and supplementary information. The PST CLC Mitsui-Soko thus obtains the necessary data at the first contact and does not have to supplement it subsequently via e-mails or phone calls.

“The new system will notify the customer which information is necessary for a given type of transport and which information can be supplemented. Thanks to this, we get the necessary data immediately when we enter an inquiry, we can process it faster and respond to it more flexibly,” says Jan Bláha, Transport Director at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko.

Offer and feedback in one place

Based on the entered demand, the employees of PST CLC Mitsui-Soko prepare an offer, which the customer opens directly in the system. Depending on their preference, they can also receive it in PDF format via email.

Part of the solution is the ability to respond to the submitted offer. “The customer can provide us with feedback on the offer directly in the system. If any part of it does not suit him, we will get information to which we can react and look for a way to modify the offer so that it is interesting for him ,” explains Jan Bláha.

The system also offers online chat with PST CLC Mitsui-Soko employees, who are ready to answer questions related to the demand, the submitted offer and the subsequent implementation of transport during working hours.

The customer gets an overview and the ability to track the shipment

The customer account keeps an overview of the submitted offers and ordered services. If the customer accepts the offer, the data can be transferred to a specific transport case. The original demand and supply are thus smoothly followed by the implementation of transport.

As Jan Bláha adds, after the start of transport, the system also allows you to track the shipment. In the case of air transport, it obtains information about its movement directly from airlines, and in sea transport, it draws data from the relevant shipowners.

Článek PST CLC Mitsui-Soko Launches New Online System for Faster Enquiry Processing se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

The new service connects Chinese ports with northern Europe via the Arctic Ocean. In Europe, it serves, among others, the ports of Felixstowe and Hamburg. For PST CLC Mitsui-Soko customers, this Arctic line represents a time-comparable alternative to rail and a significantly faster option than the standard sea connection, which takes approximately 50 to 60 days with current routing. “Since August, we have been adding a new regular service for transports from China to Europe via the Northern Sea Route. The transit time is around 20 days, so it is comparable to rail and significantly shorter than standard sea transport,” says Jan Bláha, Transport Director at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko.

Test cruises become regular service

In recent years, transports on the northern route have been carried out mainly in the form of individual test voyages. A novelty of this season is the regular weekly regime of the line operated by the shipping company Sea Legend. “The operation is planned for a limited period from August to October. Specific departures and transit times are subject to change based on current sailing and ice conditions. It is a seasonal solution that can only be used during the period of favorable conditions in Arctic waters,” adds Jan Bláha.

The service is designed primarily for time-sensitive shipments. It can also be used for some commodities whose transport by rail is subject to restrictions, such as selected shipments containing batteries. The acceptance of a particular cargo always depends on the shipping conditions of the shipowner and compliance with the relevant safety rules for sea transport.

Pre-Christmas goods can be brought to Europe in autumn

The inclusion of the service in the PST CLC Mitsui-Soko offer comes at a time when the transport of goods intended for pre-Christmas sales is already underway.

“If the consignment leaves China in the first half of September, it can arrive in Hamburg at the turn of September and October, according to the current plan. For companies that need to replenish their stocks for pre-Christmas sales, the northern service can be an interesting option to get goods to Europe on time,” says Jan Bláha.

PST CLC Mitsui-Soko prepares transport according to the specific type of goods, the required date and the subsequent transport in Europe. The company provides customers with sea transport of entire containers and piece shipments and can follow them up with customs services, warehousing and distribution to the recipient.

Článek PST CLC Mitsui-Soko includes a seasonal service from China to Europe with a transit time of around 20 days se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

In recent years, logistics has been undergoing rapid changes. Companies are grappling with growing pressure on efficiency, staff shortages, automation, digitalization, fluctuating transport capacities, and the need to increase supply chain resilience. It is precisely in this environment that face-to-face meetings, open sharing of experience, and discussion of individual companies’ specific needs are gaining importance. „Even the best technology alone cannot solve all of logistics’ problems. The foundation is understanding the customer’s processes, their requirements, and where they want to move in the years ahead. Personal meetings allow us to better perceive what companies are actually dealing with, and together look for solutions that bring practical, long-term benefit,“ says Vít Votroubek, CEO of PST CLC Mitsui-Soko and President of the Association of Forwarding and Logistics of the Czech Republic.

A logistics solution must be built in context

PST CLC Mitsui-Soko provides comprehensive logistics services including warehousing and contract logistics, road, rail, sea and air transport, distribution, and customs services. Thanks to its broad scope of activities, the company can view customer needs in context and connect individual parts of the supply chain.

According to Vít Votroubek, professional conferences therefore are not merely an opportunity for the company to present its own services. They are also a source of information about market developments, planned investments, new technologies, and the challenges faced by manufacturing, trading, and logistics companies.

Today, customers are often not looking merely for a warehouse, transport, or customs clearance as a stand-alone service. They need a partner who can understand their entire supply chain, identify weak points, and propose a solution tailored to their specific operation. This is precisely why personal meetings and negotiations are important.

From exchanging experience to concrete projects

Professional meetings also offer the benefit of comparing different approaches to automation, digitalization, and logistics process management. Companies can learn from each other’s experience, avoid certain mistakes, and better assess which technologies or process changes truly make sense in their own conditions.

The aforementioned SpeedCHAIN conference brings together experts from across the entire supply chain through lectures, panel discussions, case studies, technology demonstrations, and networking. This year’s event will take place under the motto “Logistics: Riding the Wave of Change”.

During the conference, PST CLC Mitsui-Soko wants to discuss with customers and business partners in particular the current requirements for warehousing, contract logistics, transport, distribution, and customs services. The company will also present its experience with comprehensive logistics solutions in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and within the international Mitsui-Soko Group network.

Successful logistics is built on data, technology, and well-set processes, but also on trust between people. Professional events create a space in which these relationships can be developed and new ideas turned into concrete projects.

Článek Face-to-face meetings are irreplaceable for logistics. PST CLC Mitsui-Soko becomes a partner of the SpeedCHAIN conference se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

The main goal of Roman Hrubý at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko is to standardize processes. “My goal is to harmonize everything so that warehouses can be viewed from a unified perspective, both in multi-user warehouses and where we provide contract logistics. Hand in hand with this will go the streamlining of logistics. If there is no unified system view, individual units cannot be managed uniformly,” says Roman Hrubý.

Roman Hrubý is 39 years old. Prior to joining PST CLC, Mitsui-Soko worked for about a year at LKQ CZ as a logistics manager. He was responsible for the receiving part of the warehouse. He also focused on international project cooperation in the implementation of innovative operational solutions, setting KPIs, the efficiency of the organizational structure and the unification of the warehouse as a whole.

Prior to that, he worked at makro ČR from 2014, where he started in the store and gradually worked his way up to a managerial position. In 2017, he was given the opportunity to participate in the opening of a new distribution center in Kozomín, where he was responsible for the implementation of key operational processes as a night manager. After two years, he took over the management of the entire ambient warehouse department, which makes extensive use of automation. Subsequently, as a senior operations manager, he managed a fresh food warehouse. In 2023, he accepted an offer to work as a macro in the harmonization and centralization of Food Service Distribution (FSD) in the Netherlands, where he lived with his family for almost two years.

Roman Hrubý is married and has three children. She also has two cats and a dog at home. “A lot of my free time is taken up by the reconstruction of a more than 300-year-old homestead. I enjoy working on the construction site. My hobby is cars, especially older Japanese cars. I go to car rallies, I used to race, but now I don’t have much time for it,” reveals  Roman Hrubý.

Článek Roman Hrubý is the new General Logistics Manager of PST CLC Mitsui-Soko se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

PST CLC Mitsui-Soko is one of the leading providers of logistics, transport, and customs services in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company is part of the Japanese Mitsui-Soko Group and has long built its position on a combination of international backing, knowledge of the local market, and practical experience from daily operations. “Thirty-five years is a significant milestone for us. It is an opportunity to thank the employees, customers, and partners who have walked this journey with us. At the same time, it is not just a look back at the past, but also a commitment for the years ahead,” says Vít Votroubek, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PST CLC Mitsui-Soko, who also serves as President of the Association of Forwarding and Logistics of the Czech Republic.

As mentioned, for the anniversary celebration the company chose the unconventional industrial space of the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bubeneč. This historic technical landmark created a dignified yet informal setting for meeting with guests. The program included guided tours of the site, a social program, space for networking, and a ceremonial part attended by the company’s management.

“Logistics is a field that is constantly changing. Customers expect speed, accuracy, flexibility, and increasingly also the ability to find individual solutions. But none of that is possible without good people and long-term relationships,” says Vít Votroubek. He adds: “I’m glad that we’ve been working with a number of customers for around twenty years now. We will be very happy to keep working with them in the years to come, and to see the number of satisfied clients continue to grow. In Japan, we have clients we’ve worked with for as long as fifty years. For the years ahead, I would wish us many satisfied customers, and that we continue to succeed in everything we do.”

The anniversary celebration at the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant thus symbolically connected the past and the future. It paid tribute to the journey the company has traveled over 35 years, while also showing that even in a traditional field like logistics, success depends on the ability to change, innovate, and stay close to customers.

Článek PST CLC Mitsui-Soko celebrated 35 years. The company recalled its tradition and presented its future direction se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

As of 31 March 2025, PST CLC Mitsui-Soko had a total of 474 employees in FTE terms. Compared to the previous year, the number of staff continued to grow. The average monthly salary at the company reached CZK 44,578 in fiscal year 2025. “Fiscal year 2025 was very intensive in terms of human resources. We had to respond to a number of changes in labour legislation, update internal documentation, and at the same time deal with growing demands on administration and software solutions. Despite this, we managed to fill selected positions across the company and further strengthen our team,” says Iva Šebková, HR Director at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko.

Employee training remained a significant area of focus. The company continued its project “Corporate Training at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko a.s. – OPZ 47”, implemented with support from the Operational Programme Employment Plus. Within this project, the company organised a total of 68 courses, 30 of which took place in fiscal year 2025. A total of 120 employees participated in the training.

The courses focused on both soft skills development and professional knowledge. Employees received training in areas such as effective communication, performance evaluation and feedback, project management, labour law for managers, stress management, and Japanese studies (japanology). The training also included professional courses in the areas of freight transport, customs services, and transport logistics.

“We see training as a key component of the development of our people and the company as a whole. We focus not only on the professional knowledge employees need for their day-to-day work, but also on skills important for team leadership, communication, handling demanding situations, and the long-term development of the working environment,” adds Iva Šebková.

PST CLC Mitsui-Soko also maintains long-term cooperation with schools. In fiscal year 2025, the company provided mandatory work placements for four students from the University of Pardubice and from the Prague Higher Vocational and Secondary School of Transport. The placements took place in the customs services and freight transport divisions.

Team-building activities also formed part of company life. Employees participated in a relay race in Prague, where PST CLC Mitsui-Soko was represented by four four-member teams. “We are pleased that our employees participate not only in training activities, but also in shared events that promote collaboration and company culture. These activities also contribute to PST CLC Mitsui-Soko remaining a stable and attractive employer,” concludes Iva Šebková.

Článek PST CLC Mitsui-Soko Strengthened Its Team and Continued Systematic Employee Training se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

“Interest in intermodal transport is clearly growing. Customers ask more questions, they want to know the differences in price, time and organization of transport. In practice, however, it is still true that if truck transport is cheaper, most companies will opt for it,” says Jan Bláha, Transport Director at PST CLC Mitsui-Soko. This company provides intermodal transports, for example, from Rotterdam and to Rotterdam. From there, other transports follow towards England and Ireland. The company also uses intermodal solutions for transport from China, where the combination of different modes of transport can be an interesting alternative to standard transport models.

According to Jan Bláha, intermodal transport makes sense especially where the customer is looking for a stable solution for longer transport distances, more regular flows of goods, or wants to reduce dependence exclusively on road transport. The advantage can also be better planning and the ability to combine individual transport modes according to the specific route and customer needs.

“Intermodal transport is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every shipment. It depends very much on the route, volume, delivery date and customer expectations. Our role is to prepare a fair comparison of variants and show where the intermodal model really makes sense,” adds Jan Bláha.

In recent years, according to the company, the pressure on the efficiency of transport chains has been increasing. Companies deal not only with price, but also with the availability of capacity, reliability, delivery time and, in some contracts, environmental parameters. Nevertheless, it is the economy of transport that remains crucial in the final decision-making. PST CLC Mitsui-Soko therefore offers customers an individual assessment of each case. For selected routes, it compares truck transport with the intermodal option and evaluates which option is most suitable for a particular shipment. The goal is not to promote one type of transport, but to design a solution that will meet the client’s business, time and logistics requirements.

“We see more openness to alternative solutions in the market. At the same time, however, customers expect clear numbers and concrete benefits. Intermodal transport has the potential to grow if price, time and operational reliability can be reconciled,” concludes Jan Bláha.

Článek Interest in intermodal transport is growing. However, the price is still decisive se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

Článek Czech Customs Administration Deploys New ICS System Version. Delays in Imports May Occur se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.

Richard Lamper has many years of experience in logistics. “My professional story in the world of logistics began in 1995 at Schenker Slovakia. After leaving Schenker, I started my business in logistics in 1998. For the next 26 years, until 2024, I worked in my own company. Then I accepted an offer from PST CLC Mitsui-Soko, where I now lead the sales team in the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” says Richard Lamper.

After many years of working in his own company, working in an international company with a Japanese background represents a new stage of his professional career. “Working for a corporate company, moreover with a Japanese background, is a new and very interesting world for me. At the same time, I take the management of the PST CLC Mitsui-Soko sales team as an important professional challenge,” adds Richard Lamper.

His main priorities include further strengthening PST CLC Mitsui-Soko’s position in individual markets. He considers further development in Slovakia to be a great challenge, where, according to him, the company has already managed to get the PST CLC Mitsui-Soko brand into the awareness of the professional public and potential clients.

PST CLC Mitsui-Soko is gradually profiling itself as a comprehensive logistics partner on the Slovak market. The goal of the sales team led by Richard Lamper will be to further develop business opportunities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and strengthen the company’s perception as a provider of a broad portfolio of logistics services.

Článek Richard Lamper leads the sales team of PST CLC Mitsui-Soko in the Czech Republic and Slovakia se nejdříve objevil na PST CLC Mistui-soko.