New compliance partner launches to help US ecommerce brands enter the UK first, then expand into the EU

• Founded on a decade of ecommerce experience, including six years helping US brands go to market in the UK
• Launch follows a UK Budget that kept the £90,000 VAT threshold, a threshold that does not apply to overseas sellers holding UK stock

LONDON, 4 November 2026. A new compliance partner has launched to help US ecommerce brands expand into the UK and on into the EU, bringing the regulatory and compliance work involved in entering both markets under one roof.

Lantara has been founded by Drew Cooper, who brings a decade of ecommerce experience, including six years working directly with US brands entering the UK market. The business is already working with US brands across food, supplements, personal care and consumer goods.

From VAT registration and product compliance to Responsible Person requirements and packaging obligations, Lantara gives brands a single point of contact across the UK and EU, from initial set-up through to ongoing compliance.

For many US brands the UK is the first step into Europe, and Lantara supports them as they extend into EU markets, where a separate set of rules applies. Since December 2024, for example, consumer products covered by the EU General Product Safety Regulation can only be placed on the EU market if a responsible economic operator established in the EU stands behind them.

The launch comes as the UK presents a significant opportunity for ecommerce-led businesses. Official figures put online at 28.8% of retail sales in Great Britain in September 2026 (Office for National Statistics), against 17.1% of US retail sales in Q2 2026 (US Census Bureau).

However, overseas businesses looking to capitalise on the market face UK requirements that are easily overlooked. The UK Budget on 28 October confirmed that the VAT registration threshold remains at £90,000 (about $120,000), but that threshold only applies to UK-established businesses. An overseas seller holding goods in the UK must register and account for VAT on direct UK sales from the first sale, whatever the value.

Selling through a marketplace such as Amazon does not remove the obligation. The marketplace accounts for the VAT on those sales, but the seller is still liable to register and can only step outside that by applying to HMRC for an exemption. Many register anyway so they can reclaim the import VAT they pay. The same Budget confirmed that, from October 2027, marketplaces will also collect VAT on sales by many UK businesses, extending rules that have applied to overseas sellers since 2021.

Drew Cooper, founder of Lantara, said: "Having spent the past six years helping US brands launch in the UK, I know there is a huge opportunity for ambitious businesses looking to expand across the Atlantic. The mistake I see most often is brands assuming the UK works like US sales tax, where you only register once you pass a threshold. If your stock is sitting in a UK warehouse, you're liable to register from your first sale, and selling on Amazon doesn't make that go away.

"Lantara takes ownership of those obligations across the UK and EU, so US brands can launch on time and get on with growing their business, rather than working through the paperwork themselves."

Lantara will initially focus on established and fast-growing US ecommerce brands launching in the UK and expanding into the EU, acting as a long-term compliance partner as their operations grow.

Lantara is a UK-based compliance partner for international ecommerce brands selling into the UK and EU. It takes ownership of the regulatory and operational obligations required to trade in both markets, allowing brands to scale without distraction. Lantara was founded on a decade of ecommerce experience, including six years supporting US brands entering the UK market.

Bringing services including VAT registration, product compliance, Responsible Person representation and packaging obligations under one roof, Lantara gives brands a single point of contact from initial assessment and set-up through to ongoing compliance as they grow.