Who this is for
This part looks technical, and it is — but it is also where a profitable import quietly turns into an unprofitable one.
A first shipment, and no customs broker
You do not know what a bill of lading is, who releases the goods, or what happens if something on the documents does not match. Here the first shipment is accompanied end to end.
The real cost came out higher than planned
You paid for things you did not expect — storage, volumetric differences, port handling. It is worth going through the structure and seeing where the gap was created.
Lead times are unpredictable
Goods that arrive late are missing stock in exactly the season they sell in. Most of the time that is a question of planning ahead rather than of luck.
There is a question about classification or compliance
The wrong customs classification changes the duty rate, and sometimes the question of whether the product can enter at all. Better to establish it before the order is placed.
What the service includes
We coordinate the chain and work alongside customs brokers and freight forwarders — we do not replace them.
- Choosing the shipping route by product, quantity, price and season — sea, air, or a combination.
- Collecting forwarder quotes and comparing them on identical terms, including what does not appear on the price line.
- Coordinating the collection date with the factory, so the goods are ready when the forwarder arrives.
- Checking the shipping documents before they are issued: supplier invoice, packing list and bill of lading.
- Working alongside the customs broker in Israel, including passing on documents and answering queries.
- Establishing the product's customs classification and what it means for the duty rate, before you order.
- Arranging inland haulage from the port to your warehouse or to the customer.
- Tracking the shipment and flagging a delay early enough to respond to it.
Customs clearance itself is carried out by a licensed customs broker, and laboratory testing by an accredited laboratory. We coordinate that work; we are not a laboratory, a broker or an approving authority.
How it works, step by step
Most failures in the chain do not happen at sea but in the paperwork, which is why most of the work happens before the goods move at all.
- 01
Route decision
We calculate the full cost of sea against air for this particular shipment, including what the time does to your cash flow and your stock.
- 02
Quotes and comparison
We request quotes against exactly the same shipment description, and compare them including destination charges rather than the freight line alone.
- 03
Collection
We confirm the order is packed, marked and ready on the date. Goods that are not ready on collection day create a chain of delays.
- 04
Document check
We go over the documents before they are issued. Correcting a document after issue is slow and expensive.
- 05
Clearance
We give the customs broker everything they need, and answer queries as they come up.
- 06
Haulage and receipt
We arrange the haulage from the port, and confirm that what arrived matches the packing list.
What you end up holding
At the end of the process you have a real cost picture, rather than an estimate that turns out to be wrong afterwards.
- A full landed-cost calculation for the shipment, factory to warehouse.
- A comparison of forwarder quotes on identical terms.
- The set of shipping documents, checked before issue.
- The customs classification and its implications, in writing.
- An expected schedule with the decision points along it.
- Confirmation that what arrived matches what was ordered.
Questions about this service
It varies by port of departure, by service and by season, so any number printed here would mislead. What can be said is that the planning has to include the time before loading and the time after discharge, not only the days at sea.
When the product is small and expensive relative to its volume; when stock has run out and the shortage costs more than the freight difference; and on a small first order, where the freight cost is low in absolute terms anyway. For a large, cheap product air freight almost never pays.
A full container is a container that is entirely yours. Groupage is a share of a container shared between several importers. Groupage is cheaper for a small quantity, but it involves extra handling at the port and sometimes extra delay.
No. We coordinate the chain and work alongside customs brokers and freight forwarders, but the clearance itself is carried out by a licensed customs broker. If you do not have one, we can refer you.
Classification in Israel follows the customs tariff order, and the official source is the Israel Tax Authority. We help establish which heading the product belongs to, but the binding determination is the Tax Authority's and not ours.
Plan the shipment before you order
The decisions that set your freight cost are taken at the order stage, not at the shipping stage. Tell us what the product is and in what quantity, and we will go through what it means.
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