Insights on trade documentation, export processes, and tips for streamlining your global business.
Packing List errors cost real money. Wrong CBM inflates freight, weight mismatches trigger customs inspection, and carton count gaps reject your L/C.
A Surrendered B/L is not a Bill of Lading. Only an Original B/L works as a document of title. Here's when to use each type.
Your shipping line booked the truck. Cargo got damaged. But their liability depends on which transport document you hold.
Your invoice says 'machine parts.' Your broker can't classify it. Vague descriptions lead to CF-28 requests and penalties.
Your invoice says $5 per unit. But the mold you sent to the factory adds to your customs value. Miss it, and you face back duties and penalties.
HS codes follow a four-level tree structure. Once you know how to read them, you can spot classification errors before they cost you.
FOB applies to sea shipments only. For air freight, FCA is the correct term. Here is why the difference matters and how to avoid a costly mistake.
Electronics don't all go in Chapter 85. Laptops, phones, smartwatches — each a different chapter. Classification follows function, not product name.
FOB Shanghai doesn't tell you which terminal. Waigaoqiao and Yangshan are 120 km apart. That gap changes your inland trucking cost.
