FAQ
The questions we get asked every week
Almost all of them come down to the same thing: which term to take, and where our part of the job stops.
Which delivery term should I choose?
It depends on what you already have in place. If you have your own people or forwarder in China, take warehouse delivery. If you buy your own sea freight, take FOB. If you would rather we arranged the carriage, take CF, or CIF if you want the cargo insured as well. If you want none of it to be your problem, take door to door.
What is the difference between CF and CIF?
One word: insurance. Both cover the cost of the goods and the freight to the destination port. CIF adds a policy on the cargo while it is in transit; CF does not. If the container is lost or damaged under CF, you are left with carrier liability, which is capped by weight and is usually far below what the goods are worth.
Where does your responsibility end under FOB?
When the goods are on board the vessel for the destination you specified. From that point the freight, the insurance and everything at the destination are arranged by you or by the consignee you named on the bill of lading.
What does warehouse delivery in China actually include?
Delivery of the goods to a warehouse address you nominate in China, and a receipt at handover. No sea freight, no insurance and nothing at the destination. It is the shortest of the five terms and the easiest to compare against another offer.
What does door to door include?
Everything from origin through to the final address you give us: origin handling, the main leg and the final delivery. It is quoted as a single figure so you can compare it directly against the cost of arranging the same journey in pieces.
Is my cargo insured?
Only under CIF, unless you have arranged a policy yourself. Under warehouse delivery, FOB and CF the cargo travels without cover from us. Under door to door, tell us in the request whether you want insurance included and we will quote it that way.
What do you need from me in order to quote?
What the goods are, roughly how much of them there is by weight or volume, where they are in China, where they are going, and which delivery term you want. If you are not sure about the term, say so — it is a question we answer several times a day.
Can you ship batteries, chemicals or aerosols?
Often yes, with the correct classification and packaging, but tell us in the request rather than afterwards. Send the safety data sheet and we will confirm whether the goods can travel and on what basis. Declaring restricted goods as general cargo is the fastest way to have a container refused.
Have a shipment in mind?
Send the goods, the destination and the term you want. You get a written price for that term, or an honest answer that it is not the right one.