Freight, read between the lines.
Rate trends, customs changes, and routing intelligence from the operators who book your freight.
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18 articles
How Import Duties and Taxes Are Calculated (Step by Step)
Every import duty bill traces back to three inputs — the tariff classification, the customs value, and the country of origin — applied by customs at entry, not by a freight forwarder in advance. This guide walks through each step of that calculation, where taxes stack on top, and why no quote can price it before filing.
FOB vs CIF: who pays for ocean freight and insurance under each term?
FOB and CIF both show up constantly on ocean freight purchase orders, and both get treated as interchangeable when they aren't. The real split is who books and pays for the main freight leg, who buys the cargo insurance, and how much that insurance actually covers. Here's how the two terms divide those costs.
Customs Clearance Status Explained: Clearing vs. Released
A tracking page that just says "clearing" for three days tells you almost nothing. This guide walks through each customs status in the lifecycle — not started, clearing, released, held — what's actually happening behind each one, and what it means for your delivery date and your bill.
Customs broker vs freight forwarder: what's the difference?
A freight forwarder moves your cargo from origin to destination; a customs broker gets it legally released once it arrives. The two roles get treated as interchangeable more often than they should be, and mixing them up is a common way shipments end up delayed or held at the border.
Certificate of origin explained: what it is and when you need one
A certificate of origin tells customs where your goods were actually made — and it can be the difference between a duty-free entry and a full-rate one. This guide covers what the document contains, the preferential vs non-preferential distinction, who issues it, and the shipments where skipping it causes real delays.
What is a customs exam fee, and why do some shipments get charged one?
A line labeled "exam fee" showing up on a customs invoice usually means a container sat at the port longer than expected — and nobody explained why. This guide covers what a customs exam fee actually pays for, the different types of exams, why a shipment gets selected, who's responsible for paying, and how to reduce the odds it happens to you.
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