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  1. What is Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight)?
  2. Surcharges in Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight)
  3. What is GRI (General Rates Increase)?
  4. What is Container Yard (CY)?
  5. Types of International Transportation Companies
  6. What is the "Live Load" and "Drop and Pick"?
  7. What is FOB?
  8. What is the sea freight Bill of Lading?
  9. What is SED (Shippers Export Declaration)?
  10. Essential shipping documents used in the Sea freight industry
  11. HOW DOES IT WORK STEP BY STEP?
  12. How www.fcl-oceanfreightusa.com is related to www.OceanFreightUSA.com?
  13. Can I INSURE ocean freight my shipment?
  14. ISPM 15 RULES - Wood packing restrictions in the sea freight
  15. Payment options

1. What is Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight)?

In respect of using our Online Sea Freight Price Calculator, Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight) is the part of total Freight Cost of an international shipment by sea that covers containers move between carrier’s Container Yards (CY) at origin and destination.

It is very important to understand that in respect of using our online sea freight price calculator, SEA FREIGHT (or Ocean Freight) DOES NOT INCLUDE COST OF INLAND TRUCKING (Containers pre-carriage and drayage at origin and destination).

It also does not include any other charges related to shipments by sea such as containers stuffing, customs formalities, duty, insurance etc.

However, Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight) may include cost of containers ground transportation between carrier’s Container Yards (CYs) and seaports at origin and destination.

Example: Total Freight Cost of containers loaded at a factory located in Marietta, GA, USA (via CY in Atlanta, GA and sailed from seaport of Savannah, GA, USA) to CY in Prague, Czech Republic (via seaport of Bremerhaven, Germany) includes price of move between CY in Atlanta, GA to CY in Prague, Czech Republic.

However it does not include cost of containers delivery to the load in Marietta, GA, USA. It also douse not include any charges related to containers recovery at the CY in Prague, Czech Republic.

Cargo load at a dock in Marietta, GA Container Yard in Atlanta, GA Port of Savannah, GA Port of Bremerhaven, Germany Container Yard in Prague, Czech Republic Drayage at a dock of consignee
Not included Not included
Included in the Sea Freight (Ocean freight) Cost

 

2. Surcharges in Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight)

Total Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight) offered in a price quote should include SURCHARGES added to Basic Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight).

  • Basic Sea Freight (or Ocean Freight) or BAS - It is the cost of the sea freight from port to port. Typically reflects BAS in our contracts with Steamship Lines and valid within one calendar year unless amendments in contracts are occurred.
  • BAF or Bunker Adjustment Factor - Fuel surcharge. It reflects changes of price of oil on the world market. In our sea freight contracts typically changes quarterly.
  • Origin Inland Add-on – If a Container Yard (CY) is in a landlocked city then it is the price of containers delivery from the CY to a seaport of sail.
  • SEO - Security Charge at Origin
  • MAR - MARPOL Surcharge
  • DOC - Outbound Documentation Fee
  • CSC - Container Service Charge
  • DCX - Inbound Documentation Fee
  • SEC - Security Charge at Destination

 

3. What is GRI (General Rates Increase)?

GRI (General Rates Increase) is the average amount by which Carriers (International Transportation Companies) tariff rates increase. It reflects price changes on the International Cargo Transportation by Sea Market. Typically GRI apply on contract rates once a year at the end of contract. However, in to carrier-to-carrier co-load agreements GRI may apply at a time when prices on the market change.

4. What is Container Yard (CY)?

In respect of FCL freight a Sea Port Container Yard (CY) is a facility at which FCL traffic and empty containers are received from or delivered to the consignee by or on behalf of the sea freight carrier. It is the place at which loaded and empty multimodal sea freight containers are accepted for loading onboard ships and the off-loading, releases, storing, assembling and holding.

If it is a landlocked Container Yard at Origin, then it also used for transfers of containers to sea ports CY. A Destination Sea Port CY may also used (if necessary) for containers transfer to landlocked CYs, which are closer to places of cargo off-loads and empty containers return to the carrier.

Synonym: Marshalling Yard.

5. Types of International Transportation Companies

Refer to this link 

6. What is the "Live Load" and "Drop and Pick"?

In respect of using our Online FCL Ocean Freight Price Calculator, Sea Freight (Option A) does NOT include cost of inland container(s) pre-carriage to a place of load. Ocean Freight is the price for container(s) transfer between seafreight carriers Container Yards only.

Option B in our Online FCL Ocean Freight Price Calculator provides complete shipping cost / FOB including a price of inland container(s) pre-carriage to a place of load at origin (in the USA).

There are two methods of seafreight containers stuffing at a time of loads: ‘Live Load’ (The default option in our online price quote) and ‘Drop and Pick’ (Not always available. ‘Drop and Pick’ must be re-requested separately upon receipt a ‘Live Load’ freight price quote).

A 'LIVE LOAD' - An International Transportation Company's driver should get a sea freight container to your place of load. Then he/she will wait until you load, secure and seal the container for the international shipment. There is a free loading time limit for live loads. It may vary from one to two hours. If you exceed the free time limit, then there will be a fee of approximately $75 per hour for each additional hour of loading time.

A 'DROP AND PICK' - An International Transportation Company's driver should deliver a sea freight container to your place of load. Then he/she will leave the ocean freight container for a few days. After it is loaded it will be picked up and returned to the international transportation company's container yard (CY).

Note: 'Drop and Pick' may cost approximately twice as much as 'Live load'. However, with 'Drop and Pick' the shipper takes his/her time on the loading of sea freight containers.

If your place of load is near the container yard of an International Transportation Company then the cost with 'Drop and Pick' should not be much higher than with 'Live load'. The added shipping expense might be worth incurring due to not having the time constrains of loading and securing the ocean freight container. However, if you are located a good distance from International Transportation Company’s container yard, it is possible that a 'Live load' will be the only option available.

NOTICE: By default our Online Sea freight Price Calculator provides price quotes for ‘Live Load’ only (the option B).

If you need a 'Drop and Pick' then write about that in the 'Comments and Questions' field on the bottom of our online booking form of at a time of booking your shipment via our Online Sea freight Price Calculator.

 

7. What is FOB?

FOB - Free on Board - is an Incoterms term. Incoterms are not actually transportations, but trade terms that are widely used in the International Trade practice (particularly in the Sea Freight industry) to indicate responsibility and ownership of goods when it is transmitting from seller to buyer.

Note: By this topic we do not intend to provide a definition of the Incoterms abbreviation - (FOB), but rather to provide the meaning as that may apply when you are dealing with US Freight Forwarder (an International Transportation Company) on ocean freight shipments.

FOB -- Free On Board, in respect of sea freight, means that freight forwarder's responsibilities are limited by setting up a shipment at the origin and, upon its sailing to the destination to issue to the shipper a Bill of Lading (the title on shipped goods).

I.e. for shipments on FOB, after goods had been submitted to the direct ocean freight carrier at the origin, loaded on board of vessel, sailed from the origin and entered in the destination county's Commerce zone (i.e. reached the destination) all cargo recovery formalities are the consignee's responsibilities. All destination charges related to the recovery of goods at the destination are on account of the consignee.

IMPORTANT!: Our Online Sea freight Shipping System reflects sea freight service based on FOB.

FYI: You may also find useful these main terms for conventional sea freight:

  • BASIC FREIGHT - It is the cost of the sea freight from port to port.
  • LINER TERMS - Or freight rate; conditions under which shipping companies transport goods. The freight is inclusive of carriage and cost of cargo handling at the loading and discharging ports.
  • F.I.O.S. - Free In Out and Stowed; the freight rate excludes the costs of carriage and of cargo handling at the loading and discharging ports.
  • F.I.L.O. - Free In, Liner Out; the freight is inclusive of the cost of cargo discharging. It does not include the cost of loading.
  • L.I.F.O. - Liner In, Free Out; the freight is inclusive of the cost of cargo loading. It does not includes the cost of discharging.
  • F.I.S.L.O. - Free In and Stowed, Liner Out; the freight is inclusive of the cost of cargo discharging. It does not include the cost of stowage and of cargo loading.
  • ALL IN - All Inclusive; the costs are all inclusive in the freight.

 

8. What is the sea freight Bill of Lading?

In respect of Sea Freight (International Cargo transportation by Sea) a Bill of Lading (also referred as a B/L or BOL) is a document issued by an Ocean Freight Carrier acknowledging that specified goods have been received on board as cargo for conveyance to a named place for delivery to the consignee.

Besides other points related to an international shipment by sea an Ocean Freight Bill of Lading serves the following purposes:

  1. It is an evidence of a contract of carriage between an ocean freight carrier and shipper;
  2. It is a receipt for goods shipped by an International Transportation Company;
  3. It is a document of title on shipped goods.

There are different types of ocean freight bill of ladings used by International Transportation Companies for export and import goods from and to US.

TWO MOST COMMONLY USED TYPES OF NON-NEGOTIABLE SEA FREIGHT BILL OF LADINGS:

  • Express release ocean freight bill of lading = Telex release = Surrender and;
  • Release endorsed upon providing a set of originals sea freight bill of ladings.

A NON-NEGOTIABLE sea freight bill of lading means that the document itself does not give title to the goods. The consignee (recipient of cargo) named in the ocean freight bill of lading must identify himself to claim the goods.

A NEGOTIABLE sea freight bill of lading Vs. NON-NEGOTIABLE issued “to the order of” is the title of the goods. I.e. the ocean freight bill of lading can be bought, sold or traded as goods are in transit.

EXPRESS RELEASE Seafreight bill of lading means that the consignee does not have to provide a set originals of Bill of Ladings in order to claim his/her goods at the destination. Sea freight shipments on express release (telex released) should be released at the destination upon surrender a copy of the ocean freight bill of lading. Express release B/L should contain the following statement -- “ZERO (0) – NO ORIGINALS REQUIRED FOR RELEASE”.

If a Seafreight bill of lading states “SET OF ORIGINAL REQUIRED”, then that means that goods cannot be released to the consignee unless the consignee had surrendered a set of originals ocean freight bill of ladings.

Find more about Seafreight bill of ladings used in ocean freight by International Transportation Companies in this link.

COPY OF SEA FREIGHT EXPRESS RELEASE BILL OF LADING IN E-MAIL:

Unless you had requested your Seafreight bill of lading upon set of originals in advance, upon your timely final payment of our freight invoice, in few days after Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) (sometimes it takes a little longer) we e-mail to shipper a copy of carriers Express Release Seafreight Bill of Lading in a file attached. Use the copy of the ocean freight Bill of Lading at a time of recovery of your cargo at the destination.

Notice: Several countries around the world, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Certain countries in Africa, do not accept express releases. International Transportation Companies should specify it upon issue of bill of ladings. Then we will mail you a set of originals Bill of Ladings by USPS First Class Mail within USA/Canada for free. Expedited or international mail must be prepaid.

If shipper/receptionist requires a set of originals Seafreight bill of lading for shipments to countries that DO accept express release, then $50 fee will be added on top of cost of the mail.

 

9. What is SED (Shippers Export Declaration)?

SED is the acronym for U.S. Sea freight Shipping Export Declarations.

In order to comply with U.S. Customs regulations International Transportation Companies enforce the condition on all export from U.S.: NO DOCS-NO LOAD. I.e. presentation of required shipping documents, INCLUDING Proof of AES Filing (ITN#) or AES Exemption Legend, must be submitted to an International Transportation Company (Ocean freight carrier) used for your shipment no later than in 72 hour before the Seafreight shipment departs from the USA.

Sea freight shipments without SED (if not an exempt) cannot be released to the export, subject to withhold and penalties related to lack of providing of proper export documentation.

Typical exempts from filing SED:

  • International seafreight shipments containing Household Goods or Personal Propriety not for sale of total value less than $2500.
  • Domestic sea freight shipments (to Hawaii for example). However, SEDs are required for ocean freight shipments between the USA and Puerto Rico as well as between the USA and Virgin Islands of the United States.

At a time of scheduling (booking) an international ocean freight shipment our online booking form provides options on filing SED:

OPTION A: Exporters may file SED online in www.aesdirect.gov directly free of charge. Then International Transportation Company needs AES ITN received from U.S. Census Bureau (U.S. Customs) BEFORE cargo will be delivered to the ocean freight carrier’s ship terminal (Container Yard – CY for FCL freight, Container Freight Station – CFS for LCL freight or Sea freight carrier pier for RO-RO or Break Bulk shipments).

OPTION B: Otherwise we may file SED on exporter behalf based on the provided commodity description in ship documents for the fee $35 up to two Harmonized Tariff numbers. $15 per Harmonized Tariff number thereafter. Notice: Household Goods or Personal Propriety sea freight shipments typically do not require specifying Harmonized Tariff numbers.

IMPORTANT: If exporter requests us to file SED on his/her behalf, then in order to do so we must have in advance at least:

  1. A valued packing list or commercial invoice, which contains: commodity description (1), value of shipped goods in USD (2), estimated weight (3) and volume (4). Our online forms for these documents allow you conveniently submit all that info from your computer. You may use this simple online forms in order to submit the information to us: COMMERCIAL INVOICE and/or VALUED PACKING LIST ONLINE.
  2. U.S. federal tax ID (EIN) or your social security number (SSN) or facsimile copy of foreign passport with U.S. visa No. We do not recommend to e-mail sensitive information. Call us or fax it.

 

10. Essential shipping documents used in the Sea freight industry

In respect of dealing with an International Shipping Company (Freight Forwarder, NVOCC, VOCC) shipper is held responsible for providing complete set of documents related to his/her international shipment by sea. I.e. International Shipping Companies act such carriers for moving goods overseas on behalf of shippers based on information on shipped cargo provided by shippers in advance.

Ocean freight Bill of Lading, the final document issued on Sea freight shipment, which acts as a title for shipped goods, typically states 'SHIPPER LOAD AND COUNT' and 'SAID BY SHIPPER TO CONTAIN'. I.e. exporters, but not International Shipping Companies used by exporters for their international shipments by sea are entirely liable for legality of shipped goods as well.

Here is the list of most common used documents that must be submitted to an international FCL seafreight shipment:

MANDATORY DOCUMENTS:

I. Sea freight Bill of Lading – Sea freight carrier's transport document. Consider it a title on exported goods. Ocean freight Bill of Lading shows general commodity description, cargo routing, consigner, consignee contact information, etc.

Sea freight Bill of Lading will be issued to exporter (consigner) upon full payment of freight invoice and in few days after ETD – Estimated Time of Departure.

II.1. For commercial seafreight shipments a COMMERCIAL INVOICE requires. It must contain complete description of commodity being shipped and the value in US$.

II.2. If it is a personal shipment (i.e. shipping household goods and personal belongings not for sale) then a VALUED PACKING LIST must be provided, which is an inventory list with value in US$ assigned to each item being shipped.

USING OUR FCL ONLINE SHIPPING SYSTEM EXPORTERS MAY FILL OUT AND SUBMIT COMMERCIAL INVOICE and/or VALUED PACKING LIST ONLINE. You may tote that this links related to our corporate web site -- http://www.OceanFreightUSA.com

If shippers would like to provide their own export documents in email or by fax, then in order to obey U.S. Customs requirements, all Commercial Invoices (and Valued Packing Lists) must be in English and contain:

  • Value of cargo in US Dollars (exchange rate = date of export);
  • Shippers full name and address (M.I.D. – manufacturer's identification);
  • Consignee full name and address;
  • Detailed description of cargo/freight;
  • Quantity of cargo shipped;
  • Weight of cargo shipped;
  • Cargo’s Country of Origin

Some courtiers around the world require proforma commercial invoices for personal sea freight shipments. Having a complete Valued Packing List submitted to International Shipping Company for U.S. Customs at origin, upon a destination customs request, consignee should be able to transfer a Valued Packing List in a form of Proforma Commercial Invoice.

ADDITIONAL EXPORT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED ON AN OCEAN FREIGHT SHIPMENT, DEPENDING ON COMMODITY AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

III. Packing List – Breakdown description: pieces, weights and packing materials. (Examples - Wood Pallets, Skids, Crates, Boxes, Dunnage, Straw Packing, etc.)

IV. Fumigation Certificate– Certification that cargo and packing materials were fumigated after cargo had been containerized and is free of Infestation.

V. Special Documents – Dependent on commodity and country of origin.

  • Visa
  • Quota
  • Visa/Quota
  • Certificate of Origin
  • North American Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin (N.A.F.T.A.)
  • Packing Declaration
  • Dangerous Goods Declaration – hazardous materials
  • Fish and Wildlife Declaration
  • Consular Legalized documents
  • F.D.A.
  • U.S.D.A.
  • Anti-Dumping

 

11. HOW DOES IT WORK STEP BY STEP?

1st STEP – BOOK YOUR SHIPMENT ONLINE

If you accepted an ocean freight price quote received via our online seafreight price calculator, then:

  • The first and absolutely necessary step in order to initiate your FCL shipment is to schedule your shipment online. I.e. click on 'Proceed to Booking' button in your quote and fill out and submit our secure FCL Booking Form online.

Note: In order to eliminate possible misunderstandings and mistyping we do not provide sea freight price quotes and do not accept bookings over the phone or via fax.

 

2nd STEP – FIRST-TIME CUSTOMERS PAY A SECURITY DEPOSIT

After you have submitted the FCL Booking Form online you will receive our e-mail that contain your Customer Reference Number for the ocean freight shipment and:

  • Shippers who do not have an account with us will receive our e-mail with request to pay a security deposit. This deposit should at least secure an inland trucking at origin (i.e. container delivery to the load). However in certain circumstances we may ask to pay a deposit up to 75% of the total shipping cost obtained in our FCL price quote online.

The deposit will apply to the cost of your seafreight shipment in our final invoice. I.e. it will be deducted from the total due in our final invoice.
Consider our reply e-mail on your security deposit an invoice on your deposit.

We offer flexible payment options. Refer to FCL Payment Conditions and Return Policy.

  • Customers that have already established an account with us should disregard this deposit request. They should wait for our e-mail with dock receipt/FCL shipping instructions. 

 

3rd STEP – RECEIVE SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS IN E-MAIL, SUBMIT YOUR SHIPPING DOCUMENTS AND MEET A CONTAINER FOR THE LOAD

We will need at least one business day from the day of booking in order to schedule an FCL ocean freight shipment. Sometimes it may take a little longer. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions related to your international shipment by sea before or after you get the dock receipt/FCL shipping instructions from us.

  • For new customers time counts from the day of settling funds on a security deposit in our bank account. After funds are settled we will send to the payer confirmation e-mail. Consider this e-mail a receipt for your payment.

Our email with Shipping Instructions generated individually for your FCL shipment should contain:

  1. Your unique Customer Reference No. and Carriers Booking No.;
  2. Information on container(s) delivery and a trucking company info;
  3. Sailing details on your shipment, including:

    - ETD - Estimated Time of Departure
    - ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
    - Vessel, Voyage, Routing
  4. Links to your Dock Receipt with ocean freight carrier's booking confirmation and;
  5. Links to file your essential ship documents online (you may submit it to us via email or fax as well):
     
    - Commercial Invoice
    - Packing List

Print at least 6 (six) copies of your dock receipt and ocean freight carrier's booking confirmations. Meet your container(s) and:

  1. Load and secure cargo in container(s)
  2. Seal container(s)
  3. Write number of container(s) and seal(s) numbers in your Dock Receipts
  4. Ask trucker to sign and date a copy of your dock receipt.

Notice: It is a good idea to write in your dock receipt time of container arrival and departure to/from your location as well.


IMPORTANT: You have to complete and submit all shipping documents in advance, before you load container(s).

Note: Trucker may ask you to fill out an additional document related to you shipment that he brought with him as well. If you will have any questions on the document, then you may call to the trucking company as in the letterhead of the document directly.

 

4th STEP – PAY OUR FINAL INVOICE AND HAVE YOUR CONTAINER(S) BE SHIPPED TO THE DESTINATION

After your container(s) will be accepted by ocean freight carrier’s at its Container Yard, successfully passed U.S. Customs and be ready to be loaded on board of vessel the carrier send to us a notification/confirmation.

Based on this information we will e-mail to you our final invoice with total charges on your shipment less than security deposit that you had paid already.

Typically we e-mail invoices in a few business days after completion U.S. Customs on your international FCL ocean freight shipment. Sometimes it may take a little longer.
Upon you payment we will e-mail a confirmation on your final payment and release your freight to the international shipment from the USA. 

 

5th STEP – RECEIVE YOUR BILL OF LADING

In few days after Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) (sometimes it takes a little longer) we will e-mail to you your ocean freight carriers Express Release Bill of Lading (consider the B/L a title for your goods). This Bill of Lading will show you complete information on your shipment and contact details of the ocean freight carrier’s destination agent.

Print the Bill of Lading. Keep it in your records. Use it at a time of recover your FCL seafreight shipment at the destination. Shipments on Express Release should be released upon providing a copy of the FCL ocean freight bill of lading. No set of originals required.

Notice: If a shipment had fully or partially paid by credit card(s) then before issuing a bill of lading we may ask for a confirmation that the payer clearly understands that the FCL ocean freight bill of lading is our final document on this shipment. It is the title on shipped goods and proof on transfer of the ownership on the shipped goods to the consignee as in the bill of lading (recipient of shipped goods). This will confirm that after receiving the bill of lading our service provide is completed as agreed. All parties that may concern of payment(s) on the shipment done by credit card(s) will consider this email the receipt on this payment(s) with payer’s signature in it.

 

6th STEP – MEET YOUR GOODS AT THE DESTINATION

In few days before ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival, ocean freight carrier’s destination agent should contact consignee/notify party with a Notice of Arrival on the FCL shipment.

If for any reasons you will not receive an Arrival Notice in time, then we strongly recommend to contact the destination agent on the ETA day and to find out status of your international FCL shipment. You should see contact info of the ocean freight carrier’s destination agent in your Bill of Lading within the 'For Delivery/Pickup Please Apply To' block of the B/L. Fax or e-mail them a copy of your Express Release Bill of Lading and ask for recovery instructions on your shipment.

Shipment with trans-shipments, i.e. your FCL sea freight Bill of Lading shows that a port of discharge is different from the final destination: ETA on shipments with trans-shipments may not be ETA to the final destination. Check ETA port in your ship documents. If it is not to the final destination, then it may take additional 15-25 days to get cargo to the final destination. Some trans-shipments, from Europe to Africa for example, may take longer.

Important: Most likely carrier's destination agent will not receive any information on your FCL sea freight shipment until very few days before it actually reaches the destination. If you contact them in advance, then fax or e-mail them a copy of your Bill of Lading, verify your contact info in order to get an arrival notice and wait for the notice of arrival.

 

7th STEP – CARGO RECOVERY AT THE DESTINATION. DESTINATION CHARGES

IMPORTANT: All international shipments are subject to destination charges. In general these charges include: 1 - Destination Country Government (Customs) related charges, i.e. duty and taxes (if any), harbor fees, fee on entry filing by a destination Customs Broker etc.; 2 - Destination terminal(s) handling charges and fees (THC); 3 – Service fee from carrier's destination agent on handling and delivery (if you requesting delivery to your door) of your container. Destination charges vary depending on a destination country and ocean freight carrier. Typically it is out of control of U.S. Freight Forwarder. Guiding importer in the complexity of cargo recovery procedures at the destination is responsibility of ocean freight carrier’s destination agent.

As a rule, you do not have to be present in person to recover your container(s) at the destination. Follow instructions from your destination agent. Provide them all necessary information on your shipment by phone, fax or e-mail; pay destination charges in order to get release on your cargo; and, if you wish, arrange delivery of your container to your door directly with the destination agent or use any local trucking company of your choice.

You may want to check in advance with your destination country embassy or ask a destination country's customs broker about Government (Customs) regulations on your international sea freight shipment.

Notice: a part or all destination charges may be required to be paid at a port of entree, but not at the final destination. I.e. you have to obtain Customs release and pay part of THC at a port of entry. Then your cargo will continue travel to the final destination cleared with customs.

 

12. How www.fcl-oceanfreightusa.com is related to www.OceanFreightUSA.com? 

The http://www.OceanFreightUSA.com is the corporate web site that reflects other Sea Freight Services provided by American Multimodal International Deliveries – AMID Logistics, LLC.

For more information refer to this link.

 

13. Can I INSURE ocean freight my shipment?

The majority of FCL Sea Freight shipments shipped with International Transportation Companies reach the destinations free of damage and loss.

However, shippers should be aware that direct ocean freight carriers (VOCCs, Steamship Lines) typically would liable up to $500 per shipping unit (i.e. box, crate, pallet etc). Also direct sea freight international transportation companies' liability may be limited to US$1,500 per entire shipment.

Then it may be a good idea to get an extra protection for a precious cargo and insure a sea freight shipment before it is tendered to an International Transportation Company.

AMID Logistics, LLC affiliates with Marine Cargo Insurance Companies.

Upon shipper's request we can obtain an Insurance Certificate issued to consignee's (recipient's) name on shipper's behalf.

For FCL sea freight shipment, we typically can obtain Insurance Certificates based on the following insurance premium rates:

Commercial sea freight shipments proof packed:

  • Value declared up to US$25,000: $1.5 (or 1.5%) @ insured value declared
  • Value declared US$25,000 - $50,000: $1.3 (or 1.3%) @ insured value declared
  • Value above US$50,000: $1.1 (or 1.1%) @ insured value declared

Personal ocean freight shipments proof packed:

  • $3 (or 3%) @ insured value declared

$50 is the minimum per insurance certificate. Deductibles, as a rule, vary from $300 to $500.

Otherwise exporters may purchase insurance on a valued FCL ocean freight shipment from any insurance agency directly.

Note: If exporter had requested us to obtain an insurance certificate on an FCL sea freight shipment on his/her behalf at a time of booking, then the insurance premium will be added to our final invoice and the insurance certificate be attached in PDF file to our final invoice.

IMPORTANT: In order to obtain an insurance certificate for your international ocean freight shipment, a Commercial Invoice or Valued Packing list in proper form must be provided in advance.

Shippers have to be aware that for FCL Seafreight shipments:

  • In case of insurance claim related to an insured international FCL sea freight shipment, the Insurance Company’s Claim Settling Agent located in the country of destination will process the claim. Complete contact info of Claim Settling Agent is available in the Insurance Certificate.
  • If a sea freight shipment is not insured then all claims are to be directed to the steamship line (direct carrier, international ocean freight transportation company, i.e. owner of the vessel for your export from the USA) used on the FCL ocean freight shipment.  

 

14. ISPM 15 RULES - Wood packing restrictions in the sea freight

With regards to prevent the spread of plant pests and diseases throughout the world, new regulations had been implemented in the ocean freight industry. These regulations known worldwide as ISPM 15 rules and have been originated from the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC - www.ippc.int). ISPM 15 rules apply on international seafreight shipments containing wood packaging material such as pallets, crates, dunnages, drums, wood cases etc. International transportation companies must comply with these ISPM 15 rules when accept cargo to overseas shipments.

ISPM 15 requires that all international shipments using any species of raw wood packaging must be fumigated or heat treated to kill insects or fungus and stamped with the approved stamp, before goods are allowed entry or crossing through a participating country.

ISPM 15 rules apply on all export and import from and to the USA. It applies on shipments planned with either international transportation companies (Freight Forwarders, NVOCC, VOCC) or international moving companies.

If you use an international transportation company (but an international moving company. I.e. a freight forwarder, NVOCC, VOCC) on your international shipment from the USA, always insure that your goods are properly packed in respect of compliance with this ISPM 15 rules.

If you use a service from an international moving company, then unsure that the international moving companies is aware of and obey ISPM 15 rules at a time of load of your goods in a sea freight container.

For more information please refer to this link

 

15. Payment options

Please refer to the variety of payment option offered for FCL Sea Freight shipments in this link from our corporate web site -- https://www.oceanfreightusa.com/payment-online.php

 

 

 
 
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