Importing From Foshan to the UK

Sea Freight From Foshan port to the UK

When you are moving your goods using ocean or sea freight, there are two ways you can go about it. You can either use Less than Container Load (LCL) or Full Container Load (FCL). When you send lesser freight volumes from China to the UK and find air freight too expensive, you can ship your products by sea as a less-than-container-load (LCL).LCL shipping is a type of containerised shipping that allows you and other shippers with small consignments to share a shipping container. You will avoid the expenditures of renting and moving a container from China to the United Kingdom because you will pay for the space occupied by your goods. Sending your overseas shipments in full-container loads(FCL) is another option for getting them to their destination. If your shipment will fill a shipping container, or if you can wait until you have enough orders to make a full load, FCL is the way to go. FCL is the most cost-effective option to deliver significant amounts of freight in a shipping container from China to the United Kingdom—or even multiple shipping containers—due to its flat-rate, per-container price.

Packaging Your Goods when using Sea Freight

Because goods stack in a container for a month or more during sea transportation, your supplier need to pack them appropriately to keep them safe while travelling from the factory to the loading port warehouse, then to the discharge port warehouse, and lastly, to your destination on a truck. Because the items must travel a long distance to reach you, your Chinese supplier must ensure that their export packaging is adequate for the task. Packing your goods with five layers of the interior carton, five layers of the exterior carton, plastic wrapping on the exterior carton, IPPC ISPM 15 Standard Pallets, and the Freight Remark stamped on the outer carton of your package. It is preferable to inform your supplier with detailed packaging instructions because they may make mistakes that result in damage to your goods. Also, if necessary, give them visual examples.

Additional tips to help cut cost and time When using sea freight

Here are a few tips that will help you cut cost and time when importing your goods :

• Make your bookings in advance. The cheapest mode of transport is by sea, but it also takes the longest. When possible, make your bookings in advance to save you money and the anxiety in the event of delays.
• Ship your goods during off-peak periods. When carriers are overburdened, the shipping costs and transit times will rise. Whenever possible, ship your goods during off-peak seasons.
• Know your commodity code. The impact of customs fees on business expenditures is often surprising to shippers. Having the right commodity code will allow you to budget wisely.
• Get your paperwork in order. When it comes to clearing customs swiftly, having all of your paperwork in order might make all the difference.
• Make sure you know the details of your quote. Is your selection for a port-to-port service or a door-to-door service? What exactly does it entail? To avoid being surprised by costs, be aware of what you’re paying.

Customs clearance for your goods

Most businesses sending goods across international borders experience difficulties with customs clearance. Small business enterprises, in particular, have a difficult time managing the complexity of this vital but often confusing sector of global logistics. As a result, handling customs clearance and compliance through a specialist freight forwarder may be a good choice for your company. Some forwarders have their clearing agents and staff. Others will work with customs brokers to take care of customs processes on your behalf. In either case, they will save you much of the hassle for a reasonable fee. To meet formal requirements, your company will still need to perform some tasks. Your business will be responsible for some of the documents required to clear your goods. You’ll need to either fill them out and file them or make sure they’re ready for inspection by customs officials. Customs authorities in Foshan port and the United Kingdom often expect to see the following paperwork:

• You will provide Sea freight bills (Your specialist freight forwarder will provide this),
• You might also require a Certificate of origin,
• You might also need the letter of credit or other payment documents,
• You will provide the commercial invoice.