The main players in this transaction are the seller/shipper, consignee/buyer, shipping company, and freight forwarder.
First, both parties have to enter into a binding contract to agree on liability and build a sound relationship for future transactions, so to speak. Once all the papers are signed, the next step to work on is moving the goods. This is simply the process of moving goods from the shipper's warehouse to the freight forwarder's place of operation.
At this point, a local logistics company will be contracted to provide transportation services. When the consignee is responsible for the transportation of goods purchased from the seller's warehouse, the use of the freight company with freight transportation services is far-reaching.
Transportation services include unloading the goods from the truck when they are delivered at the freight forwarder's premises. The next formalities you will need to participate in are export customs clearance. There are noticeable differences when it comes to customs rules because countries have different policies.
The clearance process involves submitting all the required documents to the relevant authorities so that the goods can be released from the country of origin. This part needs deeper insights to understand all the applicable regulations. If this is too complicated, a better alternative is to work with a licensed clearing agent.
The subsequent step is referred to as handling the origin. Simply put, as the name suggests, origin handling is the physical examination of a shipment by the freight forwarder or designated agent before it is loaded onto the vessel.
Immediately after the origin is dealt with, it is sea freight. The freight forwarder chooses the shipping line that carries the container to the destination specified on the waybill. The time line is not only an essential component when choosing a shipping company but also shipping lanes.
A shipping lane is like a sea route or a road that ships use to sail. The consignee will be responsible for all related ocean freight charges. The consignee then has to work on the import customs clearance part.
This process can start while the goods are being transported. Customs clearance is largely intended for tax obligations. Your goods will be temporarily kept in the customs area. To speed up this process, the buyer may have to work with a local clearing and forwarding agent.
Processing destinations is another essential step in the shipping process. It includes unloading the container from the ship and transporting it to the freight forwarder's warehouse. The buyer can finally collect their shipment from that point and pay the agreed fee