International Sea Freight Forwarding Services
Quality Sea Freight Forwarding to and from Australia
In the last 5 years, Australia has seen a massive surge in demand for quality sea freight forwarding services. This has been due to an increase in trade with China, increased demand for raw materials, and new free trade agreements signed by Australia. To meet these new market demands, sea freight forwarding companies like Custom Brokers have evaluated ways to streamline our supply chain processes and find new partners with updated technologies.
If you’re looking to import or export goods from Australia, you need Custom Brokers, the right partner and a reputable sea freight forwarding company that understands your business needs and has strategic locations to help you get your goods where they need to go as quickly as possible. As one of the biggest global sea freight forwarders, we offer smart solutions customised to every client. Let us know how we can help you!
Why Partner with a Sea Freight Forwarding Company Like Custom Brokers?
There are many reasons to partner with a sea freight forwarding company like Custom Brokers. One of the most important factors is that we can provide you with a single point of contact for your logistics needs. When you’re shipping goods across different countries and borders, you want to make sure that all of your documents are in order, that the goods are properly marked, and that everything is accounted for.
All of these details can be challenging to manage without the help of an expert. Custom Brokers, a sea freight forwarder with years of experience in the industry, can act as a single point of contact for you and your suppliers so that you don’t have to spend your time managing details such as bills of lading. Custom Brokers can also help you to find the best shipping options so that you can get your goods to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible, saving both you and your customer’s money.
What to look for in a Sea Freight Forwarder?
When you’re looking for a reliable sea freight forwarding partner, there are a few key things that you should keep in mind. First, find a company that can handle all of your logistics needs. While many smaller companies offer a wide range of services, they may not have the resources to handle larger or more complex projects. You want to make sure that your company has the right resources to handle whatever types of projects you have in the pipeline.
Next, look for a company with a strong customer service and support team such as Custom Brokers. While logistics are important, service is key. You want to work with Custom Brokers because we genuinely care about your company and the clients that you serve.
You also want a company that has the technological resources that you need such as Custom Brokers. While many smaller companies offer lower prices because they don’t have the same overhead as their larger competitors, this can come at the cost of technological resources. You want to make sure that your sea freight forwarder has the tools and resources that you need to manage your projects efficiently.
Benefits of Shipping by Sea to and from Australia
When you’re shipping by sea, the journey can take several weeks or even months. An added benefit of sea freight forwarding services with Custom Brokers is that clients can select the routing that’s best for your goods and your business needs. This opens up a number of options that are generally not available when you’re looking at air freight forwarding services. With Custom Brokers’ sea freight forwarding services you also have more control over the timing of when your goods will arrive. While air freight forwarding services are often quicker, sea freight forwarding services are more reliable. If there is an issue along the way, with Custom Brokers you can be assured that your goods will arrive at their destination on schedule.
What Custom Brokers Offers to Help You
Custom Brokers is a sea freight and freight forwarding company that provides high-quality, inexpensive, and on-time freight forwarding of freight and cargo. With our global network of suppliers and freight forwarding agents, Custom Brokers can customise our services to your demands and deliver your items from the supplier’s door to yours on time and on budget. We, as experienced freight forwarding agents, keep our customers updated and inform them frequently about the status of their shipments. You will always know what is happening with your freight forwarding and get an accurate sea freight quote for delivery charges and times.
Our sea freight forwarding services include:
- Import & export sea freight forwarding
- Containerised shipping - 20’ & 40’ containers (FCL), less than container loads (LCL), special equipment, flat rack & open top containers
- Break bulk cargo & RoRo
- Consolidation of shipments (FCX) – If you purchase from multiple suppliers, we can consolidate the cargo into one container
Our specialists will determine the most economical and secure paths for your freight forwarding. In addition, we will assist you in obtaining and evaluating all the necessary documents. Choose our door-to-door international sea freight forwarding service for peace of mind, which includes pick-up to your door and comprehensive management from beginning to end.
Frequently Asked Questions on Sea Freight Forwarding To and From Australia
Sea freight is the procedure of transporting large quantities of goods via cargo ships. Containers are filled with goods, and then the containers are loaded onto a vessel, which will take them to their destination country.
When you’re shipping goods across borders, it’s important to have all of your documents, goods, and accounts in order. With the help of a sea freight forwarder like Custom Brokers, you don’t have to spend your time managing the details of your shipment – we’ll act as a single point of contact for you and your suppliers!
It is important to note that there are exceptions to the general import sea freight process and that these should be discussed with your international freight forwarder. The process typically consists of the following 10 stages, even though sometimes there are exceptions:
- Origin booking – The shipment is usually booked at the origin, e.g. Shenzen for an import from China to Australia.
- Origin clearance, loading and trucking – The goods are cleared, loaded and trucked to the vessel.
- Sea freight – The freight is shipped to the Australian port of destination
- Docs issued – The required documentation is issued and handed to the shipper and/or the importer.
- Arrival at the wharf – Freight arrives at the Australian destination seaport, e.g. Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle (Perth), Townsville.
- Import clearance – Import clearance should be underway prior to arrival at the wharf. Doing as much as possible in advance will make for a smooth arrival and a fast release.
- Customs / Quarantine – Depending on the type of goods duty may apply and certain Quarantine actions have to be taken.
- Wharf availability – The window advised by the terminal for each vessel in which freight must be collected in order to avoid storage penalty.
- Delivery to the site – The freight is delivered to the importers’ site.
- Return empty container – After containers have been emptied they are returned. At container parks, they are parked until being reused by carriers.
There are 4 types of sea freight: FCL, LCL, RORO and Break Bulk Shipping.
FCL
FCL or Full Container Load allows you to have a container filled with cargo. It can be 20ft or 40ft, including flat racks and open-top containers. If you have enough goods that can fill your container, FCL is the right choice for you. It can also ship massive items like furniture, cars or machinery.
LCL
LCL or Less than Container Load is a type of shipment wherein the goods don’t fill the whole container. And in order for the container to be filled, it will be shared with other consignees to maximise the space. When the ship arrives at the designated port, the goods will be ungrouped to avoid confusion, especially because it’s international cargo shipping.
RORO
RORO or Roll On, Roll Off is the perfect choice for those who need vehicle shipping services. The vehicles will be driven into the RORO ship – blocked, secured, braced and tied to make sure they won’t be damaged on the shipment at any time.
Break Bulk Shipping
If you have bulk cargo that is too large for containers or not self-propelled, you can opt for Break Bulk Shipping.
Speak with one of our friendly customs brokers to discuss your sea freight forwarding needs across Australia.
The main difference between sea freight and air freight is the speed of delivery. Sea freight is generally much cheaper than air freight, but it takes longer to transport goods by ship. Air freight is more expensive but much faster, making it a good option for time-sensitive shipments. When deciding which shipping method to use, you’ll need to consider factors like cost, transit time and the type of goods you’re shipping. If you’re shipping perishable goods or high-value items, for example, air freight may be the better option.
Get in touch with one of our friendly customs brokers today to discuss your sea freight forwarding needs!
Supply chain delays and soaring consumer demand have led to shipping containers backing up around the world including transhipment ports, meaning inordinately long wait times for consumers and making it much more expensive for companies to ship their goods.
Another common cause of delays is local port congestion. The high docking fees and port congestion have caused significant delays, with some ships waiting over a week outside the port (at sea) before they can berth and unload. Rising transportation costs have also delayed item deliveries from heightened consumer demand.
If your freight is damaged in shipment, the first thing you should do is contact the carrier to file an intent to claim. If your shipment is insured, the second thing you should do is contact your marine insurance company and submit a claim to them along with a copy of the intent to claim notification made to the carrier. Typically the carrier and insurance company will talk directly to establish a settlement/outcome whilst the insurance company pays you out per the terms of your insurance coverage minus any excess and liabilities.
If you do not have marine insurance, getting settlement from the carrier can be difficult. The terms and conditions of the bill of lading provided by the carrier also limit their liabilities significantly. So even if they agree that the cause of the damage is their fault, you may only be given a settlement equivalent to a fraction of the value of the goods. Therefore we highly recommend all clients take out a marine insurance policy.
Generally the answer is no, unless you specifically purchased the container prior/during transit. Carriers will supply shippers with a container as part of the agreement to ship the cargo between two ports. It is the responsibility of the shipper/transport company to arrange the collection of the container from the appointed container yard overseas. Similarly, upon arrival into Australia the container will be delivered to the importer for unpacking, on completion the container must be returned to the nominated container depot stipulated by the carrier.
