FAQ about shipping cargo from the USA. LCL freight.

In respect of international cargo transportation from the USA overseas, LCL is an abbreviation for "Less than Container Load." LCL freight is designed for international shipping from the U.S. cargo in boxes, crates, and pallets that cannot fill an entire 20 or 40-foot sea freight container. For more information related to LCL shipping from the USA, please refer to this web page. If you are an inexperienced first-time shipper and shipping from the USA household goods or personal belongings, then we'd highly recommend you to read this article as well.

You CAN NOT use LCL freight for shipping the following commodities:

To ship freight LCL, all shipping goods must be boxed or crated. The boxed cargo should be palletized by the shipper or at CFS (Container Freight Station - a Sea freight receiving terminal). Unboxed or uncrated cargo cannot be shipped LCL.
Shipping from the U.S. of any motorized vehicle requiring DMV registration (cars, motorcycles, mopeds, jet skis, ATVs, snowmobiles, etc.) is not permitted. That is due to the U.S. Customs regulations that will not recognize any LCL warehouse (CFS) as an inspection site.
Shipping items that cannot fit into a 40-foot container will be considered oversized and cannot be shipped LCL.
Dangerous goods or over-length (longer than 3.65m / 12ft) and other special or irregular cargo are subject to surcharges and can be accepted for international transportation from the USA only after approval and are subject to surcharges on top of regular LCL freight rates.
No foodstuff, wine, and drugs: Shipping from the USA any foodstuffs, including wine and drugs (any edible item), edible animal byproducts, supplements, etc., are subject to detailed regulations. Violations of these regulations may result in detention, confiscation, or destruction of cargo, as well as fines or even criminal charges. Proper documentation, permits, and incurred charges are shippers' responsibilities. We highly recommend our customers avoid shipping such goods from the U.S. whenever possible.
Perishable goods are not permitted for international shipping from the USA.
Shipping from the U.S. live animals and plants LCL is prohibited.
You may find more about the commodity restricted for shipping from the USA abroad in this link.

2. What are my options for Self-delivery and Pickup? / Back to the FAQ

Shipping freight LCL means shipping from the USA goods packed in boxes, crates, and/or pallets. Properly packaged goods can be self-delivered by shippers to freight terminals OR picked up at cargo locations.

By working with our online freight calculator, considering the prices of cargo transportation from the U.S., you can decide to either deliver your shipping items to the nearest freight terminal or request us to pick them up "at your door."

If you decide to deliver cargo to the nearest freight terminal, then please pay attention to the essential difference between the U.S. origins' freight terminals WITH or WITHOUT ASTERISK (*) as listed in the drop-down list of U.S. terminals of our online freight calculator:

Freight terminals that are HIGHLIGHTED in green and listed WITHOUT asterisks (PHILADELPHIA, PA, for example) are direct international ocean freight carriers' facilities that are professionally called Container Freight Stations or CFS.

Freight rates for cargo self-delivered directly to CFSs are based on their overall chargeable volume per cubic meter or cubic foot. Weight for cargo delivered directly at CFSs is not a pricing factor unless its density does not exceed the carrier's limit, which is typically equal to 2206 lbs (or 1000 Kilograms) per Cubic Meter. Regular cargo most likely will not exceed the limit. You estimate the weight of cargo delivered to CFS for Customs and statistical purposes only.

Shipping freight directly from a CFS is the cheapest way to ship goods in boxes, crates, or pallets from the U.S. overseas. There will be no additional freight charges to take your cargo on board the vessel.

Please keep in mind that if you cannot self-deliver your shipping items to a freight terminal, you can arrange the cargo delivery with a local moving company to deliver your goods on your behalf. You don't have to deliver cargo in person. Anyone you trust can do it for you.

USING A THIRD-PARTY ON CARGO DELIVERIES TO CFS: Due to changes in FedEx and T-Force Freight detention and re-delivery policies for LTL cargo, effective Monday, October 3rd, 2022, CFSs are no longer be allowing deliveries or pickups from these two companies. This change has not impacted other FedEx divisions, such as FedEx Ground. Please make arrangements to use an alternative carrier to deliver cargo to a CFS. IF NOT POSITIVE, CONTACT CFS BEFORE ARRANGING A THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY.
Freight terminals WITH asterisks (*), in lowercase, that are not highlighted (Allentown, PA*, for example) are local warehouses of U.S. domestic LTL carriers. We call such terminals Line Haul terminals or LH. Cargo delivered and dropped off at such terminals requires to be line hauled to a CFS for further shipping from the USA overseas. Shipping goods from LH terminals is subject to the line haul charge on top of the international ocean freight rates such as CFSs.

Please note that unlike with shipping cargo delivered at a CFS, where the "ticket" in your international shipping is a Dock Receipt in our shipping instructions, the "key document" at an LH terminal is a U.S. domestic LTL bill of lading attached to our shipping instructions.

With shipping cargo delivered to an LH warehouse, the same as at CFS, you may ask someone to deliver your shipping items on your behalf.
After all, we should be able to arrange a PICKUP of your cargo at the cargo location.

We will determine pickup charges by the ZIP (U.S. Postal) code of your cargo location entered in our online sea freight calculator.

Please keep in mind that pickup costs depend on the kind of shipping goods and the type of pickup location: whether you are transporting from the USA commercial freight or shipping overseas household goods or personal belongings. Selecting the wrong kinds of goods or types of pickup locations may result in a price change.

Have difficulties in finding a U.S. ZIP (postal) code? Use the ZIP Code Lookup.

Just to remind you, U.S. domestic Line Haul and Pickup charges are based on the dimensional weight and freight class of shipping cargo. You may find more about the dim. weight and freight class in this link.

3. How does it work? What should I expect with my international LCL shipment step-by-step? / Back to the FAQ

If you are an experienced exporter, you should know that shipping from the U.S. LCL freight is typical regardless of the ocean freight carrier used in any international transportation. This step-by-step guide is just adjusting the standard procedures for managing shipping freight LCL with our online freight calculator.
If you are a first-time international shipper shipping household goods or personal items from the USA, then we encourage you to read this article.

THE SEVEN STEPS THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF

STEP 1 – Book your international LCL shipment on our website

The first and absolutely necessary step to begin international LCL freight shipping from the USA with AMID Logistics is booking a shipment online. A shipper needs to calculate an instant price quote on our website. Then book a shipment via the quote online. To avoid confusion, we do not provide price quotes or book shipments by phone or fax.

You may want to see the calculations guide for shipping goods in boxes, crates, and pallets from the U.S. in this PDF file or watch the video on YouTube.

The estimation of the number of shipping units, dimensions, and weight: When quoting and booking international shipping from the U.S. LCL, most of the time, it is difficult to provide the exact sizes, weights, and the number of shipping units. Don't get stuck on that. That's OK. Just roughly estimate.

The actual volume, weight, and the number of shipping units are most likely to be different from the volume, weight, and number of shipping units that you submitted at the time of booking your international shipping from the U.S. Once the cargo is delivered to the ocean freight carrier's terminal (CFS), CFS will calculate and confirm the actual number of your shipping units, overall volume, and weight. See Step #4.

STEP 2 – Please pay a deposit

After submitting your booking request online, you will instantly receive our email with a unique Customer reference number for international shipping. The format of the Customer reference number will look like US200105CL.

Besides the information submitted by you at the time of booking, the email will contain a web link that provides you with options to pay a deposit. Usually, this deposit equals 75% of the shipping cost, calculated based on information about your cargo's weight and size, submitted by you on our website at the time of quoting and booking your international shipping. To initiate your international shipment with us, please pay the deposit.

The deposit will be credited toward our final invoice, which will reflect the shipping cost based on your cargo's actual weight/measurements. Please consider this e-mail as our invoice for your deposit.

Please note our general payments conditions:

For shipping cargo with a TOTAL shipping cost of up to US$750, we accept credit cards via PayPal.
For shipping cargo with a TOTAL shipping cost above US$750, we do NOT accept credit cards/PayPal payments. For such shipping, we accept U.S. banks' checks: business and personal, direct bank deposits or international wire transfers, and payments via Western Union.

To accelerate payments by U.S. bank checks, we accept drafts of checks submitted online. After submitting a draft of the U.S. bank check online, you do not have to mail the original check.

Please review the Payment Options and our Return Policy.

STEP 3 – Receive our shipping instructions in the email. Submit your documents online. Deliver your cargo to the freight terminal OR meet a pickup driver (if a pickup is requested)

Upon the deposit, the payer receives our email confirming the payment and containing web links to topics related to international cargo transportation from the U.S. LCL. Please consider the e-mail as the receipt of your payment.

After that, typically within 24 business hours, the shipper should receive our email with shipping instructions.

These shipping instructions will contain your Dock Receipt and provide the following:

OCEAN FREIGHT CARRIER'S BOOKING NUMBER - The key number during all international shipping from the USA to the place of delivery in the destination country.
AMID Logistics's internal reference number.
Freight terminal address and the contacts phone number OR pickup instructions, if a pickup is requested;
Sailing details in your international shipping, including:
• The latest cargo delivery day, if cargo delivers directly to CFS*
• ETD - Estimated Day of Departure
• ETA - Estimated Day of Arrival
• The vessel, Voyage, Routing
A web link for printing your shipping labels;
A web link to fill out and submit online your Valued Packing List;
Ability to print your "key document," which is:
• The dock receipt, if cargo delivers directly to CFS
• U.S. domestic LTL bill of lading, if cargo delivers to Line Haul OR a cargo pickup scheduled

*If you'll miss the latest delivery day, we automatically roll your shipment over to the next available vessel. Typically one week later. The first rollover is free. $35 per each additional rollover after that.

Follow your shipping instructions. Deliver your goods properly packed in boxes, crates, or on pallets to the assigned freight terminal OR meet a pickup driver (if a pickup is requested).

IMPORTANT: You must complete and submit all documents requested in our shipping instructions before your cargo will be delivered to a freight terminal OR tendered to the pickup.

Please note that you do not have to pay anything at the freight terminal or the pickup driver. Please wait for our final invoice via e-mail.

Occasionally, if you self-deliver your boxed goods to a freight terminal and request to palletize your boxes, you may be asked to pay for the palletizing at the terminal. Cost varies from $35 to $50+ per pallet, depending on the terminal. Then pay for it. Ensure a receipt is obtained. However, most of the time, freight terminals will not accept payments related to palletizing. The palletizing cost will be added to the ocean carrier's freight and transferred to our final invoice.

Occasionally, if you requested to palletize your cargo at CFS, but at the time of delivery to CFS, a CFS's cargo recipient says that he/she is not aware of the palletizing, do not worry. Most likely, the employee did not yet receive a work order to palletize your cargo. Do not argue. Just submit your shipping boxes lose. Ensure that the cargo recipient wrote the number of boxes submitted on the copy of your dock receipt, dated, and signed it. Keep the copy as proof of your cargo delivery. Upon receipt of a warehouse receipt from the CFS, we'll reconfirm the palletizing's work order. Your goods will be palletized appropriately, and we will inform you about that in our update email.

STEP 4 – Pay our invoice and have your cargo shipped to the destination: the volume and weight discrepancy.

After your cargo is accepted for shipping from the USA by the ocean freight carrier and all shipping documents are in order, we will confirm to the carrier the cargo release and email you updates.

Then you should wait for our invoice for your international shipping, less the deposit already paid. The invoice will be generated based on the ocean freight carrier's bill of lading on/in a few days after the ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) of your cargo from the U.S. Sometimes, we may generate the invoice earlier, based on a rated proof of your bill of lading from the carrier. If an insurance certificate was requested at the time of booking, then the invoice should contain an insurance certificate to the name of the consignee in a PDF file attached.

Once again, please: It is difficult to predict the exact volume and weight of cargo at the time of quoting and booking. Your international shipment's actual volume and weight will most likely differ from the measurements you provided in your booking request.

After an ocean freight carrier accepts your cargo, they send us a weight/measurements (w/m) verification of your cargo in the form of a warehouse receipt. The warehouse receipt reflects the actual number, volume, and weight of your shipping units prepared for transportation out of the USA.

Our invoice will be based on the w/m verification in the warehouse receipt, but not the w/m you provided at the time of quoting-booking. In other words, we'll invoice you for the actual w/m you have shipped, but not what you estimated at the time of quoting-booking.

Once again, please: When releasing your cargo to international shipping from the USA, we email you an update on the w/m verification. If you'll see any errors, please reply to the update without delay and notify us. We will work on the issue with the carrier and keep you posted.

The invoice may also reflect unaccounted costs from the carrier that were not included in the initial booking (if any), such as charges related to palletizing, fumigation, dimensional weight and length verification, GRI that occurred during the shipment, etc.

In other words, you pay for what you have shipped, but not what you had estimated to be shipped. If you have overestimated your w/m, then you pay less. If you have underestimated your w/m, you pay more. That's why we request a 75% deposit, but 100%. Note that this billing practice is common in the industry.

STEP 5 – Receive your express release sea freight bill of lading

Please note that if you have fully or partially paid for your shipment via PayPal, then upon your payment to our invoice, before providing you with your bill of lading, we will need your proper reply to our email related to your PayPal payments.

Upon your payment toward our invoice (and to your PayPal payments confirmation email, if necessary), we will email you your rated carrier's sea freight Express Release Bill of Lading. Consider the Bill of Lading as a title on your international shipping from the USA. This Bill of Lading will show you complete information in the shipping and contact details of the ocean freight carrier's destination agent that handle your shipment at the destination.

Check all the information in the bill of lading. Ensure that all the information is correct. Re-ensure that the contact information of your consignee and the notify party (if different) is correct.

If you see any errors or need amendments, contact us ASAP. Incorrect information in your bill of lading may result in serious problems and charges when you recover your import at the destination.

Provide the Bill of Lading to your consignee. Your consignee will need it to recover your cargo at the destination. International shipments on Express Releases should be released upon providing a copy of the bill of ladings. No originals are required.

STEP 6 – Meet your goods at the destination. Arrival notice.

Several days before ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival, the ocean freight carrier's destination agent should contact the consignee/notify party regarding your cargo delivery from the U.S. with an Arrival notice.

You can track your shipment to see the ocean freight carrier's updates on arriving your shipping goods to the destination.

IMPORTANT!: If for any reason you do not receive an arrival notice on ETA, we strongly encourage you to contact the agent and ask them about the status of the arrival of your cargo. You can see the contact information of the destination agent in your bill of lading. It is in the block "For Delivery / Pickup Please Apply to." Email or fax them a copy of your express release bill of lading, reconfirm your consignee contact details, and ask for further instructions.

Shipping from the USA with trans-shipping: If a port of discharge in your bill of lading differs from the place of delivery, then the ETA in your shipping from the USA may not be the ETA to the final destination but to the port where your cargo is trans-shipping to the final destination.

There are different modes of trans-shipping. Cargo can be re-loaded on another vessel or ground transportation by rail or truck or both. So, it will take additional time for your cargo to reach the place of delivery, as stated in your bill of lading.

If it is ground transportation from a port of entrée to a landlocked city, it can take 10-15 additional days. If it is a hub-seaport, from Europe to Africa or Asia to Oceania, for example, it can take 25+ days.

You shouldn't contact the agent too early. The destination agent will most likely receive information about your arriving cargo just a few days before the arrival. If you'll contact the agent far in advance, then email or fax them a copy of your bill of lading, confirm your consignee's contacts, and wait for a notice of arrival.

STEP 7 – Cargo recovery at the destination. Destination charges.

IMPORTANT!: Any import, all over the world, is subject to destination charges (sometimes called 'local charges'). Destination charges occur at destinations. Therefore they are not considered freight charges.

Destination charges are NOT included in freight quotes obtained in our online freight calculator. The charges are paid at destinations and on account of the consignee. Typically these charges relate to: 1 - Destination country government (Customs) related charges. I.e., duty and taxes (if any), harbor fees, fee on entry filing by a destination customs broker, etc.; 2 - Destination terminal(s) handling charges and fees (THC); 3 – Service fee from ocean freight carrier's destination agent for handling and delivery of your importing goods (if you request a delivery "to your door.")

Destination charges vary depending on the destination country, ocean freight carrier, and carrier's agent. Destination charges are out of the control of U.S. freight forwarders. As a U.S. freight forwarder, AMID Logistics does not affiliate with destination charges in any way. The ocean freight carrier's destination agent should guide the consignee in import recovery procedures at the destination.

Please note that most of the time, consignees do not have to be personally present during import recoveries. Follow instructions from the ocean freight carrier's destination agent. Provide them with all the necessary information on your international shipping from the USA by phone, fax, or e-mail; pay destination charges, get the release on your cargo; and, if you wish, arrange delivery of your goods "to your door" directly with the destination agent OR hire a local cartage company of your choice.

For international commercial shipments, destination charges depend on the kind of commodity.
Many countries do not charge duty or tax on importing household goods or personal belongings. However, such shipments are still subject to all other applicable destination charges. Based on our experience, in shipping household goods or personal belongings LCL from the USA, if cargo is exempt from paying the duty, the total cost of destination charges may vary from $250 to $600 and even more. For large shipments 8-14+ cubic meters, these charges may be comparable to shipping freight FCL (full container load) - $600-$1000 and higher.

Suppose you want to estimate destination charges and get details about cargo recovery procedures at the destination in advance. In that case, you may ask us for the contact information of your perspective ocean freight carrier's destination agent before processing a booking. TO GET THE INFORMATION FOR YOU, WE WILL NEED AT LEAST YOUR QUOTE REFERENCE NUMBER OBTAINED FROM OUR ONLINE FREIGHT CALCULATOR. Sometimes carriers may change their agents during processing shipments. The destination's agent information must be reconfirmed in your ocean freight carrier's bill of lading. However, the procedures and destination charges should be about the same.

You may want to check with your destination country's embassy or ask a customs broker in your destination country about Government (Customs) regulations applying to shipping goods from the USA in advance. See some special requirements and regulations on shipping goods from the USA by country in this link.

Please note that a part of or all destination charges may be required to be paid at a port of entry but the final destination. Depending on the destination country's customs regulations, all or a part of destination charges must be paid at a port of entry. The cargo will continue traveling to the final destination, cleared with customs. Otherwise, it can be transported to the final destination in bond and required to be cleared with customs at a bonded freight terminal at the final destination. Also, note that sometimes destination charges may be divided by separate invoices related to particular parties involved in import recovery.

4. Why should I pay the 75% deposit? / Back to the FAQ

If you already submitted a booking request via a quote obtained in our online freight calculator and received our email to the booking request, then you are welcome to reply and ask questions, if any. However, if this is your first-time shipment with us, to initiate your international shipping, please follow the link in our email and pay the deposit required to start our work on your shipment. That is our policy.

With our repeated customers, there are maybe case-by-case scenarios to initiate the shipping. However, most of the time, the process is the same.

Typically, this deposit equals 75% of the estimated shipping cost calculated based on weight/measurements (w/m) information provided by you in your quote and booking. The deposit will apply to the final cost of your shipments. Please review our payment options and return policy.

We understand that when quoting and booking a shipment, it is usually difficult to provide the exact sizes, weights, and numbers of your shipping units. Do not be frustrated. That's OK. Just roughly estimate. The actual volume, weight, and number of your shipping from USA units will most likely differ from the number and measurements you provided at the booking time. Upon your cargo delivery to the ocean freight carrier's shipping terminal (CFS), the CFS will calculate and reconfirm the actual number of your shipped units, the overall volume, and weight.

Also, you will receive our final invoice, less the deposit already paid, not upon arrival of your cargo to the destination but at a time when your cargo departed from the USA. I.e., we will invoice you at a time when your sea freight bill of lading (which is the title on your shipping goods) will be generated. Sometimes, we may invoice you upon proof of your bill of lading. Find more about the sea freight bill of lading.

Once again, please: Your invoice will be based on the actual weight/measurements of cargo you have shipped but on the estimated shipping cost calculated at the time of quoting and booking. The invoice may also reflect unaccounted costs from the carrier not included in the initial booking (if any), such as charges related to palletizing, fumigation, GRI that occurred during the shipment, etc. In other words, you pay for what you actually have shipped but that you had estimated to be shipped. If you have overestimated your w/m, then you pay less. If you have underestimated your w/m, you pay more. That's why we request a 75% deposit, but 100%. Note that this billing practice is common in the industry.

You can find out more about the unaccounted costs that may arise during shipping from the US by following this link.

5. How can I find a cargo delivery address? / Back to the FAQ

We work with numerous international carriers and domestic cargo transportation companies (U.S. LTL carriers) to ship overseas freight from the USA. Different carriers have different terminals within a city zone. Terminals located in city areas are listed on our website. You should see the addresses of freight terminals in the price quotes obtained in our online freight calculator. However, carriers occasionally change their freight terminals. Therefore, your cargo delivery address must always be re-confirmed in our email with shipping instructions related to your shipping from the U.S.

Upon your booking request and deposit, we will search for a suitable carrier terminal in the area selected in your booking request. Then we will re-confirm the address and provide one to you in our e-mail with shipping instructions. Having our shipping instructions, you can deliver cargo for international shipping from the USA to the address provided in the instructions. You will have the terminal phone number. You may call the freight terminal in advance to find out about working hours, directions, etc.

Important: Shipping from the USA overseas is a complex process. Each international shipment is unique. To eliminate confusion, you should not accept verbal information as a guide to action (particularly about a shipping terminal location). All commitments MUST be documented in email.

6. What is the Express Release Bill of Lading? / Back to the FAQ

By default, shipping from the USA with AMID Logistics is on express release. Express = Telex release means that upon arriving cargo in destinations, consignees (recipients of shipping from the U.S. goods) do not need to provide a set of original Bill of Ladings for working on the recovery of importing from the USA goods. Goods recovered on express release should be released upon providing a copy of the bill of lading received in a PDF file. No originals are required. Find more about the sea freight bill of ladings at this link.

Several countries worldwide, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and certain African countries, do not accept express releases in shipping from the USA. Carriers should specify this at the time of issue of the bill of ladings. Most of the time, sets of original bills of ladings will be generated in destinations. I.e., in such cases, issuing original bills of ladings during cargo transportation is still not required.

However, suppose, for some reason, a set of original bills of ladings is necessary. Then, upon receipt of the set of originals bill of lading from the carrier, we can mail the set of originals to the party responsible for the international shipping. USPS First Class Mail within the USA is free. Expedited mail must be prepaid.

Please note that if, for any reason, a shipper or consignee requests a set of originals to countries that do accept express releases, then if the carrier agrees to issue such a set, there will be a $50 fee on top of the ocean freight carrier's fee for the issue originals. The shipper/consignee is responsible for the postage. Issuing a set of originals to shipments on express release does not mean that the set of originals is required.

7. Can I amend my Bill of Lading? / Back to the FAQ

After a sea freight bill of lading is issued, the amendment may become quite complicated and may not always be possible, especially if goods arrive at their destination. Upon receipt of your sea freight bill of lading, it is strongly suggested that you carefully review all the information in the bill of lading. If some information has to be changed, then immediately contact us and request an amendment.

Please keep in mind that the information you enter at the booking time will be automatically transferred to your lading bill. While submitting documents online and receiving our responses and updates on your international shipping from the USA, you will have several opportunities to verify and correct the entered info.

After your bill of lading is issued, any amendments to it may be subject to the ocean freight carrier's amendment fees. This fee varies from $70 to $250 or more. Please note that AMID's Logistics amendments processing fee of $50+ may also be added to the ocean freight carrier's amendment fee.

If you need amendments after your cargo arrives at the destination, we suggest you work with your ocean freight carrier's destination agent first. It may be possible to request the agent to re-issue your bill of lading directly at the destination. If you experience difficulties with the agent, you may contact us. We'll attempt to work on these amendments on your behalf. However, there is no guarantee. Also, you should expect additional fees depending on the circumstances surrounding the amendments.

Please note that after your cargo arrives at the destination, amending a bill of lading is not guaranteed and/or may take an uncertain time.

LETTER OF INDEMNITY:

If during your international shipping from the U.S., a set of original sea freight bills of ladings is required, but it needs to be amended or lost, then the ocean freight carrier may request a letter of indemnity. Here is the link with a sample of the letter of indemnity in respect of international cargo transportation from the USA.

8. What is a Cubic Meter and w/m? / Back to the FAQ

A cubic meter is a measurement of volume equal to the space that is one meter wide, one meter long, and one meter high.
One meter = 3.28 feet.
One cubic meter = 35 cubic feet.

Here is the web page about Cubic Meters in respect of international cargo transportation from the USA by sea.

W/m means weight or measurement, whichever is greater. W/m represents the cargo density limit. Typically per Cubic Meter.

Find more about w/m in respect of international cargo transportation from the USA by sea.

9. Should I palletize my shipping boxes? / Back to the FAQ

Palletized and shrink-wrapped cargo have a much higher probability of reaching destinations without damage or loss. When shipping cargo from the USA LCL, it is highly recommended to palletize all shipping items. If you are sending from the USA more than 3-5 boxes, then the ocean freight carrier will most likely not accept loose boxes for shipping from the U.S. It must be palletized anyway. Shippers have to be aware of charges related to palletizing. The charges include:

Cost of pallets and labor. It varies depending on the ocean freight carrier's terminal (CFS). Typically it is $35 to $50 per pallet, including the cost of certified pallets.
Chargeable volume is increasing. It depends on how shipping items will fit into a pallet.

Please find more about palletizing in shipping freight from the U.S.

10. Can I get marine insurance? / Back to the FAQ

Please refer to this web page about marine insurance in shipping cargo from the USA.

11. Do you guarantee transit time? / Back to the FAQ

If your shipment is time-sensitive, you may ask for the nearest vessel schedule upon receipt of a freight quote.

Typically sea freight shipments depart and arrive as scheduled. As soon as cargo is in carriers' possession, carriers always do their best to ship it ASAP to free storage space.

However, delays may occur. The reasons for delays are not just severe weather conditions. Your multimodal LCL shipment's transit time depends on cargo and documents cutoff at CFS, trucking or rail traffic, hubs and seaports conjunctions, and many other factors during your cargo transportation from the United States to the place of delivery in your destination country.

Please understand that as soon as the carrier processes a shipment, there is nothing a freight forwarder can do about that. As soon as we receive updates from carriers, we forward the updates to customers. If there are significant delays, we do our best to find a reason with the carrier and explain our customers. Please be patient.

Shipping from the USA with trans-shipping: If a port of discharge in your bill of lading differs from the place of delivery, then the ETA in your shipping from the USA may not be the ETA to the place of delivery but to the port of discharge, where your cargo should be trans-shipped to the place of delivery (the final destination).

There are different modes of trans-shipping. Cargo can be either re-loaded on another vessel, or there can be ground transportation by rail or truck, or both. So, it will take additional time for your cargo to reach the place of delivery, as stated in your bill of lading.

Ground transportation from a port of discharge to a landlocked city can take 10-15+ additional days. If it is a hub-seaport, from Europe to Africa or Asia to Oceania, for example, it may take 25+ days to reach the final destination.

U.S. CBP inspections: In addition to the routine delays associated with different factors during cargo transportation from the USA overseas, we would like to note separately a possibility of delays related to cargo quarantines by the United States Customs Border Patrol. Such delays are extremely rare. However, if the CBP flags a container for the examination, then the delay may take an uncertain time. Until the hold is released, the cargo will not be able to sail on a vessel.

Furthermore, additional charges will likely be due to the exam, equally divided among all cargo owners loaded in the container. No one can help with that. All complaints should be directed to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Please keep in mind that sea freight cannot guarantee transit time. If you ship sea freight, then sometimes you may experience delays. In some cases, there may be significant delays.

12. Are there any hidden costs in your quote? / Back to the FAQ

There are NO hidden costs in price quotes obtained in our online freight calculator. Quotes are all-inclusive and based on the weight/measurements information provided at the time of quoting-booking.

Here is an approximate payment structure in international multimodal cargo transportation in respect of LCL freight shipping from the U.S.:

Cost for packing and labeling – NOT INCLUDED.
U.S. domestic ground transportation to an ocean freight terminal (CFS) – DEPENDING ON SERVICE REQUESTED
Customs formalities at the origin and the origin THC (Terminal Handling Charges) - TYPICALLY INCLUDED
Actual international ocean freight - INCLUDED
Destination charges (sometimes called "local charges:" Customs, THC, Cargo release, etc.) – NOT INCLUDED
Cost of delivery of goods "to the door" of the consignee (cargo recipient) - NOT INCLUDED.

Your invoice, less the deposit paid at the time of booking, will be based on the actual weight/measurements of cargo you have shipped but not on the estimated shipping cost calculated at the time of quoting and booking. The invoice may also reflect unaccounted costs from the carrier not included in the initial booking (if any). We list these charges below.

Your carrier's rated sea freight bill of lading that includes freight charges breakdown will verify the freight and freight surcharges in your international shipping from the USA.

In other words, you pay for what you actually have shipped, but not what you had estimated to be shipped. If you have overestimated your w/m, then you pay less. If you have underestimated your w/m, you pay more. That's why we request a 75% deposit, but 100%. Note that this billing practice is common in the industry.

The only exception that may lead to a discrepancy in a carrier's freight is a GRI (carrier's General Rates Increase) or a discrepancy in carrier's freight that occurred since a shipment was booked till the goods departed from the USA. Such discrepancies happen extremely rarely. We will inform our customers as soon as possible and work on it in a case-by-case scenario if it does happen. Note that small discrepancies up to +/- $25 may be ignored unless a customer insists on a clarification.

HOWEVER, INTERNATIONAL SHIPPERS MUST BE AWARE OF GENERAL STANDARDS IN THE INTERNATIONAL LCL FREIGHT INDUSTRY. I.e., to understand what is covered in a price quote obtained. That's why, if you are a first-time international shipper and/or are not familiar with shipping international freight LCL, we strongly recommend reading these FAQ and reference sections on our website before starting your international shipment.

Below is a recap on charges that MAY NOT be covered in price quotes obtained in our online freight calculator.

I. Pickup. Pickup rates depend on the type of pickup site and the kind of commodity. When a shipper requests a quote/booking, they have to select the appropriate type of pickup site and the kind of commodity. Otherwise, the price may change.

Residential or businesses with limited access pickups is curbside-services. A pickup driver will load cargo from a driveway, front porch, garage, or another easily accessible loading area. Inside pickups are not permitted. Some additional charges may apply if pickup conditions or areas are out of the regular range. The following charges may occur but are not limited to attempted pickup, debris removal, inside the pickup, waiting time, etc.

You may find more information related to residential or business with limited access pickups on this web page.

II. Price difference due to discrepancy in weight/measurements provided at the time of booking request and the actual w/m of cargo tendered to the shipment. It is hard to predict the exact w/m (i.e., the number of shipping items and their dimensions and weight) at the time of quoting-booking. Actual w/m in your international shipping from the USA will most likely differ from what you provided in your booking request.

After the ocean freight carrier's freight terminal (CFS) accepts your cargo, the CFS sends us a w/m verification of your cargo. I.e., the actual dimensions and weight of your shipping items. Our final invoice will reflect the verified by the CFS w/m, but not the w/m estimated at the time of booking.

If, for any reason, you do not agree with the verified w/m, we will provide you with a copy of the verification document at your request. Then you will be able to contact CFS and resolve the issue directly with CFS.

III. Extra-volume charges due to palletizing your loose shipping items.

Shipping from the USA loose items is unsafe. Internationally shipping cargo should always be palletized. If you ship more than 3-5 items, carriers will palletize your shipping items, regardless of whether or not your request to palletize your cargo. As a result, the chargeable volume of your cargo will increase.

Also, the cost of pallets and labor will be added to the freight. Typically this varies from $35 to $50+ per shrink-wrapped pallet, including the cost of the pallet.

You can find more about palletizing in international shipping cargo from the U.S. overseas on this web page.

IV. Dimensional weight and/or freight class reassignment by an LTL carrier (applies to shipments that require line-haul and pickups).

Pickup and line-haul charges are based either on your cargo's Actual or Dimensional weight, whichever is greater.

Our system helps you determine freight class based on density– one of four characteristics. However, the shipper must consider the rest of the characteristics and change the freight class on their shipment if necessary. You may also call the NMFTA direct at (703) 838-1810 to reconfirm the freight class on your shipment by commodity.

The shipper is held responsible for the freight class declaration. Our pickup/line haul price quotes are based on the freight class declared by the shipper. The declaration of incorrect freight class may result in price schedule changes.

Please find more about dim. weight and freight class regarding shipping from the USA in this link.

V. Optional $35 fee for filing SED (U.S. Shipper's Export Declaration). According to U.S. Customs regulations, all cargo shipping out of the USA must be declared to the U.S. CBP by filing a SED in AES at https://ace.cbp.dhs.gov

The most frequent exemptions from filing SED are:

International shipments of value declared less than US$2500.
Domestic shipments (to Hawaii, for example). However, SED required shipping from the USA to Puerto Rico and shipping from the USA to the United States Virgin Islands.

International shipments without SED (if not exempt) cannot be released for export.

Our online booking form provides options for filing SED:

Shippers can file SED by themselves. We must then receive ITN BEFORE cargo is delivered to an international ocean freight carrier's freight terminal (CFS) for international transportation from the USA.

OR
We can file the SED and obtain ITN on the shippers' behalf based on the commodity description provided in a commercial invoice or valued packing list for the fee of $35 up to two Harmonized Tariff numbers. $15 per Harmonized Tariff number after that.

If you are requesting us to file the SED on your behalf, then WE MUST HAVE FROM YOU:

A valued packing list or commercial invoice, which contains: (1) commodity description, (2) value of your international shipment in USD, and (3) estimated weight and volume.
U.S. federal tax ID (EIN) or not U.S. residents, a copy of a foreign passport.

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM U.S. CUSTOMS: Social Security Numbers (SSN) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED as a valid USPPI ID as of December 3, 2009:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau / U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulation and per the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), Social Security Numbers (SSN) will not be accepted as a valid USPPI ID as of December 3, 2009. Any Authorized Agent that files on behalf of customers using an SSN as the USPPI ID needs to notify their customers that they need to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). USPPIs can obtain an EIN by visiting www.irs.gov/businesses/small and selecting "Employer ID Numbers (EIN)."

OBTAINING THE EIN FOR SED FILING: We found that some of our customers who do not have an EIN obtain one for shipping from the USA overseas online http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/ by requesting an EIN for the Sole Proprietors, to satisfy banking requirements or local law. In this case, you may consider the following steps in this PDF file.

For more information, refer to the copy of U.S. Federal Code 15 CFR Part 30 in this link.

VI. Set of original international sea freight Bill of Ladings (if required).

Most shipments with us are on express releases.

Express = telex release = surrender means that providing sets of original Bill of Ladings to recover cargo at the destination is not required. Cargo shipping from the USA overseas on express release should be released at the destination upon providing a copy of the express release bill of lading received from us in a PDF file. No originals are required.

However, several countries around the world, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Certain countries in Africa, do not accept express release bills of ladings. International ocean freight carriers should specify that upon issuing a bill of lading. We will mail you a set of original sea freight bills of ladings by USPS First Class Mail within the USA/Canada for free. Expedited or international mail must be prepaid. If you request a set of original Bill of Ladings in your international shipping from the USA to countries that DO accept express release, a $50 fee will be added on top of the postage cost.

VII. Port of the entry fee. Most of the time, this fee is associated with international shipping from the USA with transshipments. I.e., your sea freight Bill of Lading shows that a discharge port differs from the final destination.

Most of the time, the fee includes destination charges (if applicable). However, occasionally, it may be added to freight.

VIII. DESTINATION CHARGES. ALL INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS, INCLUDING SEA FREIGHT SHIPMENTS, ARE SUBJECT TO DESTINATION CHARGES. Destination charges (sometimes called local charges) occur at the destinations. Therefore they are not considered freight charges. These charges vary depending on the destination country's import regulations, the port of entry, the ocean freight carrier, and the carriers' destination agents. Destination charges are NOT INCLUDED in ocean freight quotes obtained in our online freight calculator and are on account of the consignee (the receiver of imported goods). As a U.S. Freight Forwarder, AMID Logistics does not connect to destination charges in any way.

The following information corresponds with the explanation of the destination charges to inexperienced, first-time international shippers in this article.

Destination charges can be assessed only on/after the day of entry of shipping from the U.S. goods to the Commerce Zone of the destination country. Consignees must clear their importing goods with the Customs and pay all costs related to the cargo release(s) directly to parties involved in the cargo recovery.

In general, destination charges include (but are not limited by): 1 - Destination Country Government (Customs) related charges, i.e., duty and taxes (if any), harbor fees, fee on entry filed by a destination Customs Broker, etc.; 2 - Destination terminal(s) handling charges (THC) and other charges and fees related to cargo de-consolidation at the destination; 3 - "Door delivery" charges (if consignee requests a "door delivery.")*

*LCL freight does not include "door delivery" at the destination. Cleared with destination country Customs and released by the destination terminal, cargo has to be picked up from the destination freight terminal by the consignee. Most ocean freight carriers' destination agents/terminals offer delivery services for an additional cost. Otherwise, the consignee may hire a local cartage company to arrange a pickup of released goods from the terminal to be delivered "to the door" of the consignee.

NOTE THAT A PART OF OR ALL DESTINATION CHARGES MAY REQUIRE TO BE PAID AT A PORT OF ENTRY, NOT AT THE FINAL DESTINATION. Depending on the destination country's customs regulations, all or a part of destination charges must be paid at the port of entry. The cargo will continue traveling to the final destination freight terminal, cleared with customs. Otherwise, it may be transferred to the final destination in bond and required to be cleared with customs at a bonded freight terminal at the final destination. Also, note that sometimes destination charges may be divided by separate invoices related to particular parties involved in import recovery.

Destination Charges are out of the control of U.S. Freight Forwarders and payable directly to parties related to import recoveries at destinations. As a U.S. Freight Forwarder, AMID Logistics does not connect to destination charges in any way. Ocean freight carrier's destination agents should guide consignees in the complexity of cargo recovery procedures at destinations. Most of the time, the agents are customs brokers as well. However, in certain circumstances, the destination agent may ask you to clear your goods with Customs. Also, in case of problems with your import recovery, we suggest that your first step is to seek an independent customs broker licensed in the country.

Destination charges apply to any import in any country in the world, regardless of whether commercial or personal goods.

Commercial international shipment destination charges depend on the commodity.
Most countries do not charge a duty or tax on household goods and personal belongings. However, it is still subject to all other destination charges. If cargo is exempt from paying the duty for personal LCL shipments, total destination charges may vary from $250 to $600 or more (in the local currency). For sizable shipments 6-12+ cubic meters, these charges may be comparable to destination charges on FCL (full container load) shipments - $600-$1000 or more.

You may want to check in advance with your destination country's embassy or ask your destination country's customs broker about Government (Customs) regulations in your international shipping from the USA to the country.

Typically importers don't have to be present in person to recover imports at the destination. Follow instructions from your destination agent. Provide all necessary information and documents on your international shipping from the USA remotely by phone, fax, or e-mail; pay destination charges in order to get the release on your cargo; and, if you wish, arrange delivery of your goods "to your door" directly with the international ocean freight carrier's destination agent or use any local cartage company of your choice.

IMPORTANT: All operational costs and charges until the freight is recovered will be debited to the consignee, with recourse against the consigner for unpaid charges.

IX. DELIVERING GOODS TO THE CONSIGNEE AT THE DESTINATION (OPTIONAL). As a U.S. Freight Forwarder, we do not offer delivery service from a destination ocean freight carrier's shipping terminal to the consignee's door. Cleared with Customs and released by the destination terminal, cargo should be self-picked. However, most ocean freight carrier's destination agents offer a delivery service for an additional cost. Otherwise, you can hire any local cartage company in your destination country and request that they pick up your released goods and bring them to your door.

X. Depending on the commodity you are shipping from the USA, international shipment conditions, destination country customs, etc., other specific charges may apply to irregular international shipments.

XI. Shipping from the USA a partial cargo. You combine two or more cargo deliveries/dock receipts into one single shipment/Bill of Lading.

Combining two or more cargo deliveries/dock receipts into one single shipment/Bill of Lading called "Shipping a Partial Cargo."

Shipping Partial Cargo is highly restricted by certain limitations and must be approved at the time of booking your international shipping from the USA. Read about Shipping Partial Cargo on this web page.

For more details regarding partial international LCL shipments, please contact AMID Logistics in advance.

13. Can I ship a charity shipment? / Back to the FAQ

The answer is yes. You may arrange an international charity shipping from the USA overseas. However, after your donation arrives at the destination, the consignee (a recipient of the donation) may be unable or may not want to pay destination charges associated with the donation's recovery.

Furthermore, officials in certain countries, particularly in South Africa and/or landlocked countries that receive ocean freight via South Africa, may deny goods entries as long as the commodity is described as a charity shipment, donation, free aid, used or second-hand goods, etc.

Shipping from USA second-hand clothes, books, etc., is prohibited in South Africa. Firstly, shippers must apply for an import permit with the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) before instructing an international shipping company about shipping second-hand goods.

If you are transporting from the U.S. an international charity shipment, then before doing so, please wisely consider the following situations in your charity shipment:

The recipient (consignee) of your charity shipment may not pay destination charges even though you have already transferred the money to pay for the release.
You may be involved in bureaucratic correspondence with the destination country's officials to get approval for your charity shipment's entry into the destination country. Keep in mind that if that occurred, you could not avoid customs penalties and carrier’s storage fees in your international charity shipment due to the entry delay.
If you fail to have the shipping from the USA goods released, be prepared to pay all charges associated with the return of your donation back to the USA or pay charges for the destruction of your charity shipment.

As soon as an ocean freight carrier recognizes that you are shipping from the USA a donation or having a bad experience with charity shipments, they may inform you that your international charity shipment must be shipped on DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) basis with all destination charges prepaid. In this event:

A commercial invoice must be presented to the ocean freight carrier’s destination agent before your international charity shipment is tendered at the origin to estimate total destination charges. Note that it may take time and may not be free of charge.
Actual destination charges may differ from the estimation. Typically it has to be pre-paid based on the estimated cost plus 15-30%.
The consignee should pay the difference if the destination charges exceed the initial estimation. If not paid, the initial funds will be placed towards the destruction of the international charity shipment.

In conclusion, we believe that God bless your kindness. However, poorly planned international charity delivery from the U.S. can cause problems for all parties involved in the charity shipment. Please make your donations prudently.

14. How can I cancel my shipment? / Back to the FAQ

Please refer to our return policy.

15. What if I do not pay your invoice? / Back to the FAQ

As soon as shipping goods are confirmed on board the vessel for the departure from the U.S. and the ocean freight carrier has generated their bill of lading, on/in a few days after the onboard confirmation, we'll email to a party responsible for the international shipment our invoice, less the deposit paid. PAYMENT IS DUE UPON RECEIPT OF THE INVOICE.

If our invoice is not received in a few business days after ETD (Estimated Time of Departure as stated on your shipping documents), do not hesitate to contact us to clarify.

We may email a few reminders. If our invoice is not paid after the final reminder, we will consider such a shipment as a "Risky shipment." The late payment fee will apply. The late payment fee is 3% of the past due amount per day since our second reminder or US$200 minimum, whichever is greater.

Then, several days after the past due penalty was applied, but the invoice is still not paid, we'll cancel the express release on the shipment. As the result of express release cancellation, the consignee will not be able to recover shipping goods at the destination unless they receive a set of original bills of ladings. Expedited mail with the set of originals costs US$200 on top of the carrier's fee for issuing the set of originals. We will NOT take any responsibility for any storage, demurrage, and/or additional costs connected to the cargo release delays at any point on its way to the place of delivery. Cargo insurance, if initially requested, will be canceled, and the paid insurance premium will apply toward the unpaid freight.

If not paid within 30 days from the day of the arrival at the destination, the international shipment may be considered abandoned. I.e., requested to be re-consigned, destroyed, or auctioned to cover the rest of unpaid freight, storage, demurrage, etc. The U.S. and destination's country officials will be notified, and additional fines will be levied.

Please note that UNLESS OUR INVOICE IS PAID, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST THE SHIPPER, CONSIGNEE, OR ANY THIRD PARTY RELATED TO THE SHIPMENT IN ANY ISSUES.

16. What documents should I submit? / Back to the FAQ

When shipping from the U.S. overseas regular cargo, most of the time, you will need to provide the following:

A. If you're shipping from the USA abroad a commercial cargo, then a Commercial Invoice. Typically it is an invoice from a U.S. merchant to a foreign buyer or a purchase receipt. A commercial invoice should describe exporting from the USA goods and the value in US$. Email us a copy of such a document in a PDF file.

If a commercial invoice is unavailable for some reason, then it can be a proforma commercial invoice submitted in the form of a valued packing list. Proforma commercial invoices should be sufficient to get cargo released to depart from the USA. However, customs in the destination countries occasionally request a more specific document. Therefore, we'd recommend always providing copies of original invoices or purchase receipts if transporting from U.S. commercial cargo.

B. If delivering from the USA household goods or personal belongings, it is a Valued Packing List. An inventory list with a value of goods in US$. In valued packing lists, shippers describe shipping goods and assign a value by themselves.

However, Customs in destination countries can reconsider the value of fair market value on the day of entry of the goods to the commerce zone of the country.

C. If the declared value of exporting from the USA goods, no matter commercial or for personal use, exceeds US$2500, then the shipment must be declared to the U.S. CBP by filing U.S. Shippers Export Declaration (SED).

Shippers can file SED by themselves and provide ITN in advance. Otherwise, we can file SED on the shipper's behalf for the fee of $35. Find more about SED on this web page.

D. You may need to provide copies or numbers of some identification documents, such as a copy of your passport, tax ID, license or permit, etc. However, in shipping from the USA General commodity, there shouldn't be anything complicated to provide.

E. Basically, the above is listed as all that you'll need in most cases.

However, some other documents may be required depending on the shipping commodity and destination country.

As U.S. freight forwarders, we guide shippers in the documentation necessary to get cargo released from the USA. However, the consignee's responsibility is to provide a sufficient set of import documents at the destination. Therefore, we always suggest that before you initiate international shipping, contact the consulate of your destination country or a customs broker in the country to find out if there are any special requirements, limitations, or restrictions in shipping your particular goods from the U.S.

Please keep in mind that all documents necessary to release cargo from the USA must be provided before/on the day of cargo delivery to an ocean carrier's freight terminal (CFS).

You can find more about other documentation in shipping goods from the USA abroad on this web page.

17. I’m not in the USA. Can I ship remotely? / Back to the FAQ

Yes, you can. Refer to this web page. Here is in short:

If you are shipping from the USA remotely, then follow these simple instructions depending on whether your vendor (seller) provides free delivery within the USA or not:

If yes, your vendor (seller) provides free deliveries within the USA, then first get a price quote on our website. Then schedule your international shipment as self-delivered to the ocean carrier's freight terminal, i.e., schedule your shipment online via Option A in your price quote. Having your booking a deposit, we will email your vendor our shipping instructions to deliver your order to the ocean freight carrier's terminal (CFS). We'll copy these instructions for you.

These shipping instructions will contain an OCEAN CARRIER SHIPPING TERMINAL ADDRESS (1) assigned to your shipment and CARRIER'S BOOKING NUMBER (2).

Ask your vendor to follow our shipping instructions. Ask your vendor to put the carrier's booking number as the key reference number on all documents related to the delivery and proceed with the delivery to the address provided.

Your cargo will be recognized at the CFS by the CARRIER'S BOOKING#, accepted, and shipped to you. DO NOT CONFUSE THE CARRIER'S BOOKING NUMBER WITH OUR INTERNAL CUSTOMER REFERENCE NUMBER!

Please note that CFSs listed on our website in uppercase, highlighted and WITHOUT asterisk (*), ATLANTA, GA, for example. Shipping LCL freight from CFS is the cheapest way to ship goods from the U.S. abroad. Shipments via terminals WITH asterisk (*), Akron, OH*, for example, will be subject to a line-haul charge added on top of the ocean freight.
If not, your vendor (seller) does not provide free deliveries within the USA, then when getting a price quote on our website, select YES, PICKUP REQUIRE. Then book your international shipment via the quote. It will include a pickup option. We will pick up your order from your vendor for further shipping from the USA to you.

Please note that we will email all information and documents to your consigners (shipper, seller) by default. IF YOU ARE THE CONSIGNEE (RECIPIENT) AND WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE COPIES OF OUR EMAIL, PLEASE NOTE THIS IN THE 'COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS' FIELD OF OUR ONLINE BOOKING FORM (THE LAST BLOCK OF THE FORM).

Upon your authorization, we may also contact your vendor on your behalf. Retrieving and providing general information is free of charge. Resolving time-consuming, more complicated issues in your shipping from the USA will result in fees estimating $60 per hour/$60 minimum.

18. PayPal/Credit Cards payments are limited to up to $750 on the TOTAL shipping cost / Back to the FAQ

Payments via PayPal/Credit Cards are limited by US$750 ON THE TOTAL COST PER SHIPMENT.

We accept credit card payments via PayPal (full or partial) for up to US$750 per shipment. Payments for shipments exceeding US$750 in the TOTAL COST OF SHIPPING must NOT be made via PayPal. Please use other available payment options.

We reserve the right to refund unauthorized payments done via PayPal, less not refundable PayPal transaction fee plus a $50 unauthorized transaction fee without notice.

Payments by credit card via PayPal must pass CVV and full AVS verification. Suppose a payment has been accepted and settled in PayPal, but the AVS did not match, and/or CVV is not passed. In that case, we reserve the right to refund the payment to the credit card holder less not refundable PayPal original transaction fee without notice or request an additional confirmation(s) and/or verification on such payment. In certain circumstances, even though an online payment has passed CVV and full AVS verification, we reserve the right to request additional confirmation(s) and/or verification.

A confirmation toward payments via PayPal/Credit Card: To secure funds transferred to our account via PayPal, before issuing an ocean carriers bill of lading, we will need a reply from the email associated with the payer's PayPal account that: "the payer clearly understands that the ocean freight bill of lading is our final document on their shipment. It is the title on shipped goods and proof of the transfer of the ownership of the shipped goods to the consignee in the ocean freight bill of lading (recipient of shipped goods).

This reply email confirms that: "after receiving the ocean freight bill of lading, our shipping service provided is completed as agreed. Any parties that may be connected to these payment(s) on the shipment done via PayPal will consider this email the receipt of this payment(s) with the payer's signature in it.

If for any reason, the payer will not agree, then he/she may re-pay all PayPal transactions by a U.S. Bank check or transfer funds to our bank account. Please inform us by replying to this email. Then, upon receipt of re-payment(s), we will notify you that the shipping from the USA is paid and refunded PayPal-related payments, less not refundable PayPal transaction fee(s)."

If, for any reason, we will NOT receive such a PayPal payments confirmation email to the statement above or the re-payment via U.S. Bank check or wire, then the issuing of the bill of leading may be suspended. Then the shipment may be considered a Risky Shipment. Additional penalties will apply. Refer to Risky Shipments and our General Terms and Conditions.

19. There is no transaction limit / Back to the FAQ

For payments for shipments exceeding US$750, we accept U.S. Bank checks, business and personal; money orders; direct bank deposits or international wire transfers; and Western Union transactions.

We accept drafts of U.S. bank checks online. After submitting a draft of such a check online, it is unnecessary to mail the original check. We'll deposit the draft.

We may proceed with a shipment upon receipt of a scanned or faxed copy of the check or money order to accelerate a shipment. However, this copy can be considered to be the payer's authorization for electronic funds transfer. In the event of a delay in receiving the original check or money order in the mail, typically later than 7 (seven) calendar days after receiving the copy, we reserve the right to process the fund's transfer based on the amount and the payer's bank information received in the copy of the check or money order.