GUIDE
Importer's guide
Short answers to the questions that come up for everyone shipping goods from China. No advertising and no simplifications that cost money later: what a term means, how it affects your rate or your customs clearance, and an example with figures.
Guide articles
What LCL is and how it differs from FCL
Consolidated cargo versus a container: what you pay for in each option and where the break-even point lies — with a table and a worked example.
RATESWhat volumetric weight is and how it is calculated
The formula, the divisors for sea, air and rail, the threshold density and how to avoid paying for air inside your boxes.
SEAWhat CFS means in ocean freight
The terminal where consolidated containers are built and stripped, CFS/CFS and CY/CFS terms, and the charges that follow from them.
DELIVERY TERMSIncoterms in plain words: EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP
How far the seller delivers, where risk passes and who pays for freight, insurance and customs clearance.
CUSTOMSWhat an HS code is and why an importer needs it
Ten digits that determine duty, VAT and permits. The structure of the code, a sample payment calculation and the cost of getting it wrong.
CUSTOMSWhich documents you need to import goods from China
The basic package for customs clearance, documents supporting the customs value, and permits by product group.
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