Forwarding
A freight forwarder that also clears and delivers
Most forwarders hand you off at the port. We collect from the factory gate, consolidate, ship, clear at ICD Sanathnagar, and unload at your godown — one contract, one invoice, one number to call.
Scope
Where a typical forwarder stops, and where we do
A standard freight forwarding contract covers port to port. Everything on either side — getting goods to the port in China, and getting them out of the terminal and to your address in India — is left to you or to somebody else you have to appoint.
That gap is where first-time importers lose money, because the charges in it are the ones nobody quoted.
What we cover, factory to shutter
- Collection from the supplier’s premises on EXW terms, or handover at port on FOB
- Receipt, count and inspection at our Guangzhou or Yiwu warehouse
- Consolidation of multiple suppliers into a single consignment
- Export documentation and customs formalities in China
- Sea LCL, sea FCL or air, booked against your volume and deadline
- Bill of entry, duty payment and clearance at ICD Sanathnagar or RGIA
- Inland transport and unloading at your address
Incoterms, in plain terms
- EXW — you own it at the factory gate. We collect. Most common with small Chinese suppliers.
- FOB — the supplier delivers to the port and handles export clearance. We take over there.
- CIF — the supplier arranges freight to an Indian port. Looks convenient; usually means you inherit their forwarder’s destination charges, which are not competitive.
If a supplier quotes you CIF, ask what the destination handling charges are before accepting. They are frequently where the apparent saving goes.
Consolidation
Four suppliers, one shipment
This is the single largest saving available to a small importer, and most never use it.
Four separate shipments
- Four lots of minimum freight charge
- Four sets of destination handling and documentation
- Four bills of entry and four clearances
- Four deliveries, arriving on four different days
One consignment
- One chargeable volume, priced on the total CBM
- One set of handling and documentation charges
- One bill of entry, one clearance
- One delivery, everything together
One accountable party
Nobody to point at anybody else
When sourcing, freight, clearance and transport are four companies, a problem in the middle becomes a week of everyone blaming the party before them. We hold all four, so there is exactly one place for the question to land.
Questions
About freight forwarding
What is the difference between a freight forwarder and a customs broker?
A forwarder arranges the movement — booking space, consolidating, issuing documents, coordinating carriers. A customs broker files the bill of entry and clears the goods. Many importers end up managing both separately. We do both, plus sourcing and delivery, on one invoice.
Do you handle FOB and EXW shipments?
Yes. On FOB the supplier delivers to the port and we take over from there. On EXW we collect from the factory gate, which is the more common arrangement when you are buying from smaller suppliers who do not export themselves.
Can you consolidate goods from several suppliers?
That is most of what we do. Suppliers deliver to our Guangzhou or Yiwu warehouse, we hold until everything has arrived, then ship as one consignment. You pay freight once and clear once instead of four times.
How long will you hold goods at your warehouse?
A reasonable free period while you assemble a consolidated shipment, then storage charges. Tell us your expected timeline at the start and we will confirm the free period for your consignment.
Do you issue a bill of lading?
You receive the house bill of lading or airway bill for the consignment, with tracking. On the no-IEC model the bill of entry is filed in our name; you receive a GST invoice.
What if the vessel is delayed?
It happens, particularly around Chinese New Year and in peak season. We tell you as soon as the schedule changes rather than when you ask. If a delay is going to cost you a season, we will price the air alternative so you can decide.
Get started
Get a forwarding quote
Tell us where the goods are, how much there is, and where they need to land. We will quote the whole chain, itemised.