The following information is for manufacturers & trading companies alike starting international markets.
Several Steps to Shipping Success:
If you can sell it securely (see prior blog to secure the payments of your products), ETC Intl. Freight System can ship it. Etablish ground rules for shipping practices.
- Shipping samples to a prospective customer should be made easiest by shipping on a DDU basis (delivery duty unpaid). If the sample is small, use our courier service that will deliver to the customer's door.
- Larger samples of 100 kilos or more, you can use ETC International Freight System air freight consolidation services & change your freight term to CIF (cost of freight + insurance) up to airport only.
- Largest samples over 1 CBM (cubic meter / 35 cubic feet equivalent) use ETC International Freight System ocean consolidation service (CIF).
- Shipments over 15 CBM, please check our exclusive ocean container rates for 20' & 40' containers (CIF).
Whichever category your shipment belongs to call us at 1-800-383-3157 or email us at Sales@etcinternational.com. Please provide us with the following answers:
- Origin zip code
- Destination port or airport (if door, city & postal code)
- Commodity name (product) (if hazardous, we need a copy of the MSDS that is the manufacturer safety data sheet)
- Preferred mode of transport
- Cargo Insurance value declared (optional)
(Refer back to our button named Get a Quote). You will receive our estimate & information, disclosure sheet to keep you in the know.
Just remember that when air freighting, carriers will check the density of your cargo against the volume. To know if your packed shipment has greater volume than the gross weight multiply in inches the length by the width by the height. You will get your cubic inches, which you need to divide by 166. The result is your weight in pound.
For ocean shipping less than a container load on a consolidation basis, the industry minimum is 1 CBM. Most commodities go by volume unless extra dens (IE# Lead)
When shipping overseas cargo on pallets or in a crate, please use heat treated studs, stamped HT. They can be found through ETC International Freight System or near you (Home Depot, Lumber companies, packing & Supplies).
When shippers deliver their shipments, please be sure to have the booking information, which will prevennt any potential destination mix-up. Have your boxes labeled & include the booking. Get your truck bill signed off.
Your shipment is now on its way & if you had the foresight to use ETC International Freight System, we will give you the means to track your shipment. You receive the ETD / ETA, which you need to pass down to your overseas customers. Copies of the airway bill or Bill of lading is sent to you at shipping.
Before we finish on the few steps to follow for a successful shipment, please remember to have your customer check with their customhouse broker or their customs import desk the following:
what exact documentation is required, as some countries may require, an inspection certificate, origin certificate, documentation stamped by the Consular of the destination country & more.
Most countries, your commercial invoice & the packing list would suffice. The good news is, you can count on ETC International Freight System to remind you. Check our web site to see the large scope of services you can benefit from.
AUTO SHIPPING
Our West Coast operation has loaded and transported numerous vehicles since 1993. And in the process developed the strictest safety standards and equipment technologies. Whether, you ship one vehicle or consolidate 3,4,5 vehicles into a 40’ high cubic container, we block , brace & ramp your cars to any world destination.
Customs will require the original title to be validated. If this is a new purchase from the dealership (no sales tax on export), give us the original MSO, it is the manufacturer certificate of origin.
Upon receiving the vehicle (we offer pick-up as well), pictures are taken to establish the condition of the car. Cargo insurance can be purchased. We give you the means to track your container for the duration of the trip & get you an express release (copy of a bill of lading).
What Shippers recceive with any estimate from ETC International Freight System
INFORMATION SHEET
Estimates are based upon the information provided; rates are good
for 30 days and subject to final booking & space availability.
Total loss insurance coverage is optional & so is the all risk policy.
For commercial shipments, U.S. Customs requires a commercial invoice. For personal effects, a packing list / valued inventory is required along with origin/destination names & addresses, itemized description & value.
Customs requires the tax identification number for businesses, or an EIN # for a citizen shipping individually (obtain by calling IRS 1-800-829-4933). For foreigners, please procure us with your foreign issued passport number.
For titled vehicles being exported, U.S. Customs will not validate
the original title(s) if the exporter’s name does not match the name on the title, or if the title has not been signed off by the previous owner with the exporter’s name/details entered in on the back.
For routing through Houston, the auto title validation must be done in Houston & can be performed by the shipper directly. ETC offers this service to our customers, but, we do not bear any responsibility for any delays & associated costs from rollover fees assessed by the steam lines when USA Customs are unable to provide us with timely validation to meet the sailing schedule.
Estimates are up to destination terminal / port unless otherwise
specified. Any destination charges are not included (IE# terminal / overseas clearance / delivery) unless specifically indicated.
Trucking service is subject to the area being accessible & for
curbside pickup or delivery the loading / unloading services are not included unless specifically indicated.
Labor & Packing material costs are estimated. We tally the
hours while on the job & have the customer sign the truck bill to reflect
the exact man-hours.
Incidental charges (I.E. # customs inspection, port storage,
parking ticket, tax or duty) cannot be anticipated and is therefore not
included
Any on-site job requiring a shift of longer than 8 hours will be
assessed at time and a half for the excess time
For shipments imported into the U.S., it is the importer’s
responsibility to conduct their own research and insure that all governmental requirements (i.e. permits, licenses, etc.) are obtained and satisfied before the goods are shipped. Due to the multitude of requirements imposed, ETC IntlFreight System does not offer consultation services to provide such guidance.
Please refer to the Customs and Border Protection web page http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_outreach/diduknow.xml
which offers more information in this regard
Most countries require that any wood material used for packing
must be ISPM15 certified (i.e. heat treated – see www.ispm15.com). Before using any wood materials, please verify whether your country of destination regulates wood
packing utilized
Once you book with us you agree to conform to our terms &
conditions readily available upon your request that are based on the US
Shipping Act of 1998.
Acceptable mode of payments: Cashier check, money order, Company
check (on a per case basis), Credit Card (Visa, MC, Discover) & Wire transfer for domestic of international.
For enterprises with large shipments needing our consulting services, please contact our special project department to set-up a meeting with Reid Malinbaum
at 1800-383-3157 or Reid@etcinternational.com
