INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY, THOUGHT THROUGH
The right merchandise deserves the right delivery plan. Match your shipment to your destination, deadline and budget—with the costs, paperwork and handovers made clear before dispatch.
Planning illustration · not live shipment tracking
CHOOSE THE FIT, NOT JUST THE FREIGHT RATE
Compare the complete journey, including origin handling, customs and final delivery. The available route and schedule depend on the actual goods and destination.
A starting point for samples, compact consignments and urgent top-up quantities.
A candidate for time-sensitive commercial shipments when courier pricing or parcel limits are a poor fit.
Compare shared-container and full-container options for larger, less urgent orders.
For suitable destinations, request a rail-and-road comparison alongside air and ocean.
Request a handover to your nominated forwarder. Agree the collection point, loading arrangements, export documents and transfer of responsibility in the quotation.
START WITH YOUR DESTINATION
You do not need to know the shipping terminology. Set your priorities and we will turn them into a delivery brief to review alongside your products.
This planner suggests what to compare. It is not a freight quote, route-availability check or delivery guarantee.
CUSTOMS WITHOUT THE GUESSWORK
A door-delivery price does not by itself explain the duty, tax or customs position. Put the agreed delivery term and exact named place in writing.
The seller arranges transport to the named destination. The buyer handles import clearance and import duties/taxes. Delivery is ready for unloading; agree receiving and unloading arrangements.
Consider whenYour company has an importer arrangement or a customs broker.
The seller handles import clearance and import duties/taxes as well as transport to the named destination. This option requires a workable import and tax arrangement for that destination; it is not available automatically everywhere.
Before accepting a quoteConfirm the importer arrangement, tax treatment, named destination and unloading responsibility.
Agree the appropriate delivery term for the mode and collection point, plus packing, loading, export clearance and documents. Ask for a clear division of costs and risk.
Before collectionConfirm who books, when goods are ready and what the forwarder needs to release them.
Plain-language overview, not a substitute for the agreed contract. Read the ICC Academy explanation of DAP and DDP ↗
LOOK AT THE WHOLE COST
Request an itemised delivery quotation so you can compare like for like. Mark each cost as included, excluded or awaiting confirmation.
Lightweight gift boxes can take up substantial space. Packed dimensions matter alongside gross weight when carriers calculate the chargeable amount. How chargeable weight works ↗
Origin & preparationPacking, consolidation, collection and export handling.
Main transportNamed service, route, quoted weight/volume, currency and validity.
Destination & customsTerminal handling, clearance, duties/taxes and broker charges.
Final deliveryAddress access, appointment, remote-area, lift or unloading needs.
Protection & exceptionsInsurance scope, deductibles, storage, inspection or redelivery charges.
MAKE THE PLAN VISIBLE
Build these milestones into the order plan. Production time, freight transit and customs time should be shown separately.
Allow for artwork, samples, production, inspection, booking, transit and clearance. For events, define the last acceptable arrival date and an agreed contingency.
Confirm carton protection, dividers, labels, quantities and packing list. Assess fragile goods and bulky gift sets before selecting a transport service.
Review invoice descriptions, values, origin, packing data and required product records. Agree any broker questions before shipment release.
Specify booking confirmation, dispatch reference, available carrier tracking, exception notifications and proof of delivery. Name the order contact and escalation route.
IF SOMETHING CHANGES
Agree the response process before dispatch, including who contacts the carrier, who approves extra costs and how claims are documented.
Establish the cause, required documents and revised estimate. Compare available alternatives and approve any change in cost or routing before proceeding.
Record the delivery condition, keep the packaging and take photos of labels and affected goods. Report promptly within the agreed carrier and contract claim periods.
Ask whether splitting the order is practical: an initial quantity by a faster service and the balance by another route. Separate freight and handling costs must be quoted.
DELIVERY QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Start with the country, postcode and product list. A delivery proposal needs a current check of route availability, product restrictions, import requirements and address access. The planner does not certify service coverage.
Request an order-specific schedule. It should separate production, origin handling, freight, clearance and final delivery, with an estimated arrival window and dependencies. A transit estimate begins at the stated transport milestone—not when you approve artwork.
Confirm the delivery term and itemised inclusions first. With buyer-managed import clearance, budget for duties, taxes and broker charges. Ask for a seller-managed option if preferred; its availability and tax treatment need destination-specific confirmation.
Request a split-delivery plan with quantities and destinations. Packing, labels, freight and customs may differ by shipment. Share personal recipient data only through an agreed secure fulfilment process after the scope is confirmed.
Do not assume it is. Ask the quotation to state the cover, insured value, exclusions, deductible and claim process. Carrier liability and cargo insurance are not interchangeable.
Request neutral outer packaging and agreed client-facing inserts. Required transport and customs information must remain accurate; white-label presentation cannot replace mandatory shipment documents.
YOUR DESTINATION. YOUR PRIORITIES.