Ocean

Document

Documents that are necessary for sea transport are packing list, invoice and original HBL/telex released HBL.

Packing list

Number of parcels, weight, dimensions and/or cubic and a description of the goods.

Invoice

You will need an invoice that indicates the value of the goods. If the recipient is to pay for the goods, you need a commercial invoice stating the amount they must pay. If it is a sample or a spare part that the recipient does not have to pay for, an estimated value must still be stated on a proforma invoice.

The following information must be included:

• Item value.
• Delivery terms.
• Goods description.
• Country of origin.
• The buyer’s address and phone number as well as the seller’s address and phone number.
• VAT number and EORI number.
• Any export and/or import licence numbers, if the type of goods requires it.
• Any REX number on the item, the exporter and the exporting country is eligible for duty reduction. Needs to be combined with a declaration of origin.

Original HBL/telex released HBL

The document can be called surrendered HBL or express HBL. This is required in order for us to be allowed to deliver the goods to the recipient. It is important that this document states the same seller and buyer as on the invoice. For the document to be valid, the buyer must have paid the sender for the goods and the sender must have paid any local costs to the local forwarder in the sender’s country.

A copy is issued in connection with the departure of the goods with the boat. An original HBL must be physically available at the forwarder’s office in the recipient country or as a telex by email. We always recommend telex release HBL over original HBL because it is both faster and safer to handle documents digitally than via international mail.

Insurance

If your company ships goods regularly, we recommend that you obtain transport insurance with your own insurance company. We can help take out insurance for a fee. Insurance is needed in case there is damage to your goods and you want compensation for this. The insurance also covers if there is a joint breakdown. However, insurance does not cover costs caused by delays, such as fines, and it is not possible to receive compensation for delayed transport.

In the event of war or other disasters that we at TKL Logistics cannot control, not all of our insurances cover possible delays and extra costs.

Dangerous goods

You will need to submit a safety data sheet (MSDS) when exporting and importing dangerous goods.

Not all transport companies accept dangerous goods and the selection is therefore narrower when looking for transport options via boat. It is easier to find space for FCL shipments of dangerous goods, compared to LCL shipments.

Examples of dangerous goods are: batteries, chemicals and knives.

Transport

Sea transport is usually the cheapest option but it has the longest lead time. There are different shipping options regarding sea transport, depending on the volume of the goods, which also affects the total costs.

•  FCL, full container load. You rent an entire container that you fill with goods. The most common sizes are 20′ and 40′.
• LCL, Less than container load. You rent part of a container and your goods are collected with goods belonging to other companies. This keeps your costs down in case you don’t have enough goods to fill a container.

FCL is relevant for large volumes over 16 to 18 cubic metres.

Booking and delivery

When your goods are ready in the sending country, your supplier makes a booking with our local office or our agent in the sending country. The agent sends the booking to us and we give them instructions on how to book. From China to Sweden, the transit time is between 40–60 days.

When the goods have arrived in Sweden, it takes about two to four days before you can get a container delivered and about seven days until you can get piece goods delivered. We always coordinate the delivery date of the containers with you. LCL goods will be notified one to three days in advance. Please note that delivery to northern Sweden may take slightly longer.

If you lack a loading dock and need the goods to be delivered with a tail lift, or for the container to be placed on the ground, we need to know this well in advance of delivery.

Container

The three most common types of containers are:

• 20 DC that holds approx. 33.2 cbm of air and takes up to 21,000 kg.
• 40 DC which holds approx. 67.88 cbm of air and takes up to 26,000 kg.
• 40 HQ that holds approx. 76.34 cbm of air and takes up to 26,000 kg.

When transporting LCL, it is always safest to have the goods on a pallet. That is because less handling of the goods is required. Remember not to stack the goods higher than 2.2 metres high on a pallet (including the pallet). The goods are then guaranteed to go into the container.

Prices

In order for us to be able to prepare a offer for you, we need the following information:

• Delivery terms.
• Address for collection, if the delivery term is EXW.
• Address for delivery.
• Port or airport the goods will depart from, if the delivery term is FOB.
• Number of packages or pallets.
• The dimensions of the cartons, or of the pallet if the goods have been placed on a pallet.
• Weight of the goods.
• If there are cartons of different sizes and weights, which are not placed on a pallet, we need to know how many cartons there are of each weight and measurement.
• Whatever type of product it is, if it is dangerous goods, we need the MSDS at this stage.
• To learn the insurance fee, you need to submit the value of the product/products.

Delivery terms

During the negotiations between buyer and seller, it is important to agree on which delivery terms are to be used for the transport. The delivery terms determine who will be responsible for which costs and who will be responsible, and thus will be responsible for the insurance during different parts of the transport. The five most common delivery terms are:

• EXW: The recipient pays shipping and is responsible for insurance from the supplier’s door all the way to the delivery address.
• DAP: The sender pays shipping and is responsible for insurance from their door all the way to the recipient’s door. Duty is paid by the consignee.
• DDP: The shipper pays shipping and is responsible for insurance from their door all the way to the recipient’s door. Duty is paid by the sender.
• FOB: Payment and insurance responsibility passes from seller to buyer when the goods pass the boat’s rail or are loaded onto the plane. The port of departure must be specified, Ex: FOB Shanghai.
• CIF: Payment and insurance responsibility passes from seller to buyer when the goods have reached the port or airport in the receiving country. The port of arrival must be specified. Ex, CIF Shanghai. Please note that there is a risk that the shipping company will invoice certain costs upfront to the recipient at CIF. These are costs that are considered to be local costs in the recipient country, but which are included in the sea fee at FOB/EWQ.

Read more about Incoterms here.

Clearance

You must register your goods with Swedish Customs for customs clearance. Concerning both import and export, TKL Logistics can help you get your goods cleared through customs.

To carry out a customs clearance, you need:

• Packing list.
• Invoice.
• HBL for ocean transport.

The customs tax is difficult to determine in advance. There are several factors that influence what the total cost for customs tax will be. Factors that affect customs duty are:

• Transport cost.
• Item value.
• Product type and its static number/HS code.
• The exchange rate.
• Any declaration of origin.

You can contact the customs office to get help identifying which statistical number best fits your product and you can get an estimate of the duty rate. The duty rate indicates how many percent of the goods value you need to pay in customs duty.

VAT number

You need to be registered with customs and have a VAT number to be able to import goods.

Customs credit

You need a customs credit from the customs office in order to be able to pay the customs duty after delivery. If you do not have a customs credit,we will pay the cost and invoice you afterwards. Please note that in that case we charge a fee. If you import often, we recommend that you apply for a customs credit.

Customs credit means that you pay a sum to the customs office which they use as security and then release the goods before the duty is paid. You then have 30 days to pay the fee. Should the customs credit be exceeded, we will pay for the next shipment, and invoice you afterwards, so that the transport will continue. It is recommended that you review your customs credit at regular intervals.

Power of attorney

In order for us to be able to take your goods through customs, we need a power of attorney. It is important that the company that signs the authorization is the same company that appears on the invoices used for customs clearance and is the same company that must pay the customs duty

Country-specific requirements

Certificate of origin

When you import certain products from specific countries, for example India, the product may be entitled to a duty reduction. A declaration of origin is then used in combination with a REX number. This number is indicated on the invoice to reduce customs costs. We need to see a copy at an early stage to ensure that it can be used. You need to archive the original by yourself.

Export licence

Certain products require a permit to be exported. In those cases, an application for an export licence needs to be approved.

Customs clearance in different countries

The requirements and procedures for import and export clearance look different in different countries, but through our network of agents we can help with clearances all over the world. When exporting, always check with your recipient whether they have their own customs officer or not. In case they don’t we make sure that our agent in the recipient country helps with customs clearance. We recommend that you talk to your recipient about the customs regulations in their country, to ensure that you have all the documentation required for the goods to be imported into the recipient country.

Import/export of foodstuffs

If you wish to import/export food, it is important that you have all the required documentation. The documentation varies depending on the products and we recommend that you contact the Customs Office and the Swedish Food Agency to ensure that all documentation is complete.

A list of ingredients must always be presented when importing food.