Written by our operations, customs and consultancy team — the explanations we give clients before they ship.
A practical breakdown of all eleven Incoterms 2020 rules: where risk transfers, who pays freight and insurance, and which term to quote for ocean, air and container shipments from India.
Read the guideWhen full container load beats less-than-container load, how LCL charges really build up, the typical 13–15 CBM break-even point, and how to avoid destination surprises.
Read the guideThe complete sequence of documents for an Indian export shipment: proforma invoice, IEC and AD code, shipping bill, bill of lading, certificate of origin, LEO and realisation.
Read the guideHow airlines calculate chargeable weight, why the volumetric divisor is 6000 for air and 5000 for courier, worked examples in cm and inches, and how to reduce a dimensional penalty.
Read the guideHow an import clears Indian customs: IGM, bill of entry filing, assessment, RMS facilitation, duty payment, examination, out-of-charge and delivery — plus how detention and demurrage accrue.
Read the guideA practical guide to shipping dangerous goods: the nine IMDG hazard classes, UN numbers, packing groups, packaging and marking rules, and the documents Indian exporters must file for DG cargo.
Read the guideCorrect reefer temperature settings for fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy and pharmaceuticals, plus ventilation (fresh air exchange) rules, humidity control and pre-cooling steps that protect temperature-sensitive cargo.
Read the guideWhen and how Indian export documents must be legalised: apostille under the Hague Convention, MEA attestation, chamber of commerce certification, and embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries.
Read the guideWhat a switch bill of lading is, why traders use it to hide supplier identity or split shipments, the legal risks, and the correct procedure to avoid fraud and disputes.
Read the guideWhich countries require a consular invoice, what information it must contain, how it is legalised by the destination country's consulate, and how to avoid common rejection reasons.
Read the guideHow high sea sales work in India: the meaning, the transfer of ownership before import clearance, required documents, customs procedure and GST treatment for the original importer and the high sea buyer.
Read the guideWhich products need BIS certification before import into India, the difference between ISI and CRS registration, the registration process, labelling rules and how to avoid customs holds.
Read the guideDaily Quiz
Test your trade knowledge. Pick an answer for each blank, then check your score — the correct options are highlighted so you can learn as you go.
10 questions · 21 answers to pick
VLCC & ULCC (crude carriers) run in ___ trade, whereas cruise ships and container ships run in ___ trade.
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Homogeneous large-quantity shipments (dry or liquid) are carried in ___ vessels, whereas heterogeneous multiple cargoes move in ___ vessels.
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Container shipping was introduced in ___; the first vessel to carry containers was ___; and the innovator of container shipping was ___.
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'Logistics' originally came from a ___ word used in the ___ context.
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___ terms are organised by the ICC for international commercial terms governing tasks, costs and risks, whereas ___ classes are used for handling hazardous shipments under IMDG norms derived by IMO.
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The Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization officially changed its name in May 1982 to ___.
___ frames the Foreign Trade Policy and licences in India.
Foreign exchange comes in from ___ and goes out in ___.
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Indian Customs comes under ___.
Match the documents: export customs document filed by the exporter ___; import document filed by the importer ___; legal document issued by the carrier to the exporter for carriage of goods ___; import document issued by the carrier to the importer for releasing goods ___; negotiable instrument made by the exporter addressed to the importer ___.
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10 questions · 10 answers to pick
How many Incoterms are there in the ICC Incoterms 2020 edition?
Working capital facilities to exporters are provided by ___.
Which is NOT a function of a Bill of Lading?
A clean Bill of Lading is ___.
The traditional number of original B(s)/L issued to an exporter is ___.
In export or import, goods are NOT classified under which category as per customs policy?
What is IMF?
The FMC of the USA regulates ___.
The term 'Charter Party' is used in ___.
Which is NOT a type of chartering?
