FREQUENT QUESTIONS
A freight forwarding agent is a mediator of international carriage operations, he organizes the link between the different means of transport, aimed to insure continuity of the goods; however, he is not the owner of any of said means of transport.
The freight forwarding agent is a specialist in providing professional services to plan, coordinate, control and conduct every operation necessary to carry out national or international transfer of goods, as well as supplementary services such as insurance, inspection at the origin, local transfers, customs brokerage, etc., by any means of transport or communication line. We serve a relevant task as we solve cargo carriage problems posed by foreign trade.
INCOTERMS is the acronym for International Commercial Terms. They are prepared and promoted by the International Chamber of Commerce. Its codes include three letters comprising very commonly used standard commercial terms in international purchase-sale contracts. Internationally accepted definitions are provided as well as interpretation standards of the most common commercial terms.
INCOTERMS are included in a purchase-sale contract to inform and define respective obligations, procedures, and customs documents, as well as costs and risks involved in the delivery of goods from seller to buyer.
What INCOTERMS are not:
On their own:
– No constituyen un contrato.
– No sustituyen a la ley que rige el contrato.
– No define el precio a pagar, la moneda ni los términos de crédito.
– No define la transferencia de los títulos de propiedad.
Applying INCOTERMS in purchase-sale contracts facilitates global commerce and helps the partners of different countries to better understand each other.
In a purchase-sale transaction, an INCOTERM defines the place of delivery of the goods, and how seller and buyer share the costs, document processing and risks.
You should consider certain aspects when deciding on which INCOTERM you are going to use. You should know whether you are interested in controlling part of the cost or engage main transportation to be more competitive, to reduce risks or for better security of the logistics chain.
INCOTERMS FOR EXPORT (recommended):
Multimodal FCA and maritime FAS and FOB are a good option for the seller because he only has to load the goods, transport them to the agreed point and carry out customs formalities.
In the event that the buyer asks the seller to take care of the formalities and costs, CPT and CIP are the most suitable, since the exporter controls the entire logistics chain of his goods until their arrival at the agreed point of unloading without assuming too many risks.
In case the main transport is by sea, CFR and CIF incoterms can be chosen, in both cases the exporter takes care of the formalities and costs until the arrival of the goods at the port of destination.
INCOTERMS FOR EXPORT (recommended):
For an international purchase operation, the most advantageous incoterms are DAT, DAP and DDP, since the buyer is only responsible for customs formalities in the country of arrival, inland transportation to its facilities and unloading.
If the importer does not have sufficient knowledge of the seller and wants to ensure that the goods he has purchased arrive at destination with guarantees and in good condition, he can opt for FAS, FOB or FCA maritime Incoterms.
Should you want to import into Mexican territory, one of the main obligations is to be registered with the importers register. This register was created with the purpose of controlling foreign trade transactions in the country. Registration is a free and easy procedure that includes filling out an electronic application at SAT’s portal; therefore, in order to have your application approved you should be updated with your tax obligations and show customs authorities proof that you are registered with the Federal Taxpayers’ Registry.
This document enables an importer or exporter to designate the country or region where the goods originate from. Its main purpose is that the goods may adhere to preferential regimes and the application of the relevant tariffs at the country of destination.
It is a financial protection service insuring goods during their carriage (trip from A to B) against damage or loss sustained as a result of an accident or unforeseen events.
The goods go through a whole process, therefore, in order to prevent any economic loss, you should insure your cargo. Every carriage type poses its own risks and by insuring the goods from the beginning of the process is important as in any inconvenient situation due to delays, damage or loss, you shall have the peace of mind and will receive an indemnity in the terms of the insurance policy.
The pre-clearance at origin is an international practice that consists of the review of containers in the loading countries in order to verify that their shipment complies with Mexican regulations.
Main benefits of this process:
Express shipment dispatch: Customs clearance time in Mexico is reduced by 24-48 hours, allowing immediate release of the product for sale.
Advance and accurate knowledge of the shipment:
Facilitates the fulfillment of dispatch in:
– Clasificación arancelaria
– Elaboración de pedimentos
– Cálculo de impuestos
– Determinación de regulaciones
Elimination of additional costs:
In Puerto Mexico for concepts such as:
– Validación del cumplimiento de regulaciones no arancelarias
– Maniobras de previo
– Almacenaje
– Demoras
– Re-etiquetado de mercancías
Elimination of customs fines or penalties:
It prevents non-compliant shipments, as well as extra costs.
Prevents theft and shortages:
By verifying the exact quantities loaded and the use of special seals, the risk of theft and missing units is avoided.
Products whose nature can cause great damage and even endanger human life and the environment during their production, storage and transport. The UN classifies dangerous goods into nine classes: explosives, gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing substances and organic peroxides, toxic and infectious substances, radioactive substances, corrosive substances and miscellaneous dangerous substances.
For the international transport of this type of goods it is necessary to comply with regulations established by the bodies responsible for each type of transport: IMDG (International Maritime Organization) Maritime Code, ADR Agreement on the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road or IATA Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.
The IMO is the International Maritime Organization, an organization that requires cargo to be accompanied by a dangerous cargo declaration (DGD) and it is used in maritime transport to inform the shipping line that dangerous goods are being transported.
A BL is a document that justifies the existence of a contract of carriage in a maritime operation between a port of departure and a port of destination, it justifies the cargo, the place of origin and the place of destination, it is indispensable for any type of international maritime exchange.
The BL is used as a receipt of the goods loaded on the ship and the state in which they are, provides the proof that there is a contract of carriage, which is why the ownership of the goods rests with the person who has this document because without it the goods cannot leave the port of destination.
Yes, you can, by analyzing the type of goods and the urgency of the shipment. In the event of general cargo that may be carried by sea, Henco offers you consolidated cargo services, which is employed when the goods are not enough to fill up a container, the space is shared with this and other clients or importers, and you will only pay for the space you share.
– Contenededores de Carga Seca: 1 x20’ DC / 1×40’DC / 1×40’ HC
These containers are available and prepared for any normal dry cargo. E.g. pallets, bags, boxes. The 40'HC container has the same dimensions as a 40'DC and is only 15 cm higher.
– Contenedores abiertos: 1×20’ OT / 1×40’ OT
These containers have a removable tarpaulin roof and are used for transporting heavy or large cargo, loaded and unloaded from the top. E.g. heavy machinery, marble slabs, rollers, etc.
– Contenedores Flat Rack: 1×20’ FR / 1×40’ FR
They are containers with fixed or folding terminals, they transport oversized cargo. E.g. Machinery
– Contenedores refrigerados: 1×20’ RF / 1×40’ RF
These containers have their own cold generation equipment and transport cargo at constant or sub-zero temperatures. E.g. Meat, fish, fruits, etc.
– Contenedores aislantes (insulado)
These containers do not have refrigeration equipment and transport cargo at a constant temperature. E.g. Apples, fruits, wines, etc.
– Contenedor tanque
There are multiple applications and designs for these containers. There are lined containers for the transport of corrosive chemical products, or for the loading of oils and wines.
Ports in the Pacific Ocean: Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Ensenada and Guaymas. Ports in the Gulf of Mexico: Veracruz, Altamira, Tampico and Progreso.
Demurrage is a charge applied for the use of equipment (not space), after free time granted by the shipping company has expired. Storage is a charge applied for the use of space at the containers’ terminal, after free time has expired.
Air freight is calculated on the basis of the gross weight of the cargo or the volume weight, whichever is greater.
First we must calculate the volume of the load, the formula is length x width x height in cm, the result is divided by the factor 6,000 cm³, this to obtain the "volume weight". The latter is compared against the gross weight of the load to determine the greater.
For example, if a shipment weighs 25.4 kg, and has a length of 70 cm, a width of 35 cm and a height of 100 cm, the freight calculation will be as follows: 70 cm x 35 cm x 100 cm divided by 6,000 cm3, which gives a volume weight of 40.8 kg. Comparing the volume weight (40.8 kg) with the gross weight (25.4 kg), we notice that the volume weight is higher and, therefore, should be considered for the freight calculation. First, however, the volume weight must be rounded up to half a kilo: 41 kg, which will be multiplied by the unit air freight applicable to the shipment.