Exporter's Responsibilities
1. Prepare the goods in time and receive the goods on the pre-agreed date
Unfortunately, it is very common for suppliers not to have their goods ready on the day of pickup. This snowballed and prevented loading onto the ship on the expected date. Here, the freight forwarder can notify and remind you of the upcoming pickup date. However, it is the exporter's responsibility to have the goods properly packaged and ready for pickup. If the exporter fails to comply with the pick-up date, he may have to wait two weeks until the next ship leaves. During those two weeks, a lot can happen, including supply chain disruptions and breaches of contracts with third parties.
In this case, freight forwarders can help find alternatives, such as loading the cargo on another vessel with a shorter transit time. But there may not always be a viable option for this situation. It is the supplier's responsibility to ensure that production is completed on time so that pick-up and loading dates can be determined.
2. Prepare and provide all necessary documents, especially if the goods require special permission to be transported
As an importer, you must always be aware of all necessary permits required for your goods. But the responsibility for providing these documents rests with the provider. If your provider is not responsible for this, you should consider switching providers. If you cannot rely on your provider to prepare these documents, it may be a sign that you cannot trust him.
Freight Forwarder Responsibilities
1. Pressure the shipping company to give you the space they need on board
With ships fully loaded, carriers end up having to prioritize certain cargoes. This caused some non-essential clients with whom they have no personal relationship to fail to load. The freight forwarder's role here is to negotiate with the liner to secure the space the importer needs. Note, however, that the freight forwarder's influence here is limited as the shipping company always has the final say.
2. Understand the importer's needs and advise him on the best shipping options
It is the freight forwarder's responsibility to know if a vessel will be transshipping on its route and to forward this information to its customers. This may seem like a small detail, but it makes a big logistical difference. Transshipment means that commodities are unloaded from one vessel and loaded onto another. This greatly increases the chance of unforeseen events and delays and the associated costs. Your freight forwarder should inform you of these details so that you can make an informed decision about your shipment.
3. Any additional paperwork required to check certain products with customs authorities
If you don't know if your item requires additional documentation to ship, you can provide the HS code of the product to your freight forwarder so that he can check with the relevant customs authorities.
The importance of small details
Make sure the Incoterms you have with your suppliers are properly reflected in your contracts and that providing accurate and accurate information may seem like trivial details. However, taking the time to do these things can help prevent unnecessary delays and complications. Small details are often the factor in whether you will incur additional charges or if your shipment is facing delays.
That said, keep in mind that you can take all precautions, but at the end of the day, your shipments are still subject to factors beyond your control. We recommend that you always purchase cargo insurance for extra protection, but be aware that this will only limit the blow. Knowing the responsibilities of the other parties involved will help you better communicate with them so they can stick with the deal until the end of the deal.
International shipping is a complex process and there is no magic formula that can be used to avoid complications. You can only do what you can control, which is to learn as much as possible, get along with trusted suppliers and freight forwarders, and avoid troublemakers. Most importantly, perform your duties.
