Your shipment’s cross-border journey

Interactive explainer

From supplier to recipient

01 Collect
Match products and parcel references before suppliers hand over the goods.
02 Prepare
Check, measure and pack the shipment. Keep each carton linked to its contents.
03 Transport
Send the prepared shipment through the booked international service.
04 Deliver
Complete destination procedures and confirm the final delivery record.

Before dispatch

Confirm the goods, destination and importer before choosing transport. Check product restrictions and prepare matching invoice, packing and shipment details. Agree who books collection, supplies customs information and pays each charge. Use one shipment reference across the booking, cartons and documents so each participant can reconcile the same goods.

Across the border

Goods move through collection, export handling, international transport and import clearance. Some steps overlap. A customs broker can assist, but someone still needs to answer questions and provide accurate supporting records. A physical arrival, customs release and permission to collect are different events; do not treat them as interchangeable.

At destination

After release, arrange final delivery or warehouse receiving. Match the delivered quantities to your order and record any damage. Close the shipment only after checking delivery evidence, discrepancies and the final invoice. Receiving is also the moment to compare actual handling charges against the agreed scope and explain any differences.

Example: two suppliers, one receiver

Suppose two suppliers send ten cartons to one consolidation warehouse. Give each supplier the same customer reference and separate carton numbers. Confirm whether all ten must arrive before dispatch. If one carton is missing, obtain a written decision to wait or split; a tracking number alone cannot settle that choice.

Budget each handover

Draw a simple cost map: supplier collection, warehouse handling, export work, main carriage, destination clearance and final delivery. Mark the payer beside each item. Ask separately about inspection, waiting, storage and failed delivery. A low international freight figure says little about the total if destination charges remain outside the offer.

Close gaps before they become delays

A common mistake is assuming the next party already has the documents. Send a pre-alert with the packing list, references and receiving contact, then ask for confirmation. Keep one issue log with an owner and next action. Close it after the recipient accepts the goods and disputed quantities or charges are resolved.

Before you ship

Name one contact for each handover.
Keep invoice, packing list and tracking references together.
Check quantities and condition when receiving.

Official references

General planning guidance. Requirements and charges depend on the goods, destination and service; confirm the applicable rules before shipping.