Packaging Requirements

Your pallet(s) must match the International shipping standards of all the others in the container and the ship in total. That means secure wrapping and clear labelling to the standards of the receiving country: some need dedicated ‘export wrapping’ services.

Be aware that some countries require fumigated, heat treated or plastic pallets. Your LCL shipping forwarder may be able to supply and palletise using these as an extra service.

LCL Customs Clearance

The extra charges mentioned above may include customs entry filing, a customs bond, import duty, sales tax and additional tariffs that depend on your goods’ origin and nature.

There are also likely to be delays due to bureaucratic processes and incorrect completing of forms. Make sure that you have checked and used the right Customs codes: they vary by country outside the EU, and countries in the Americas use a different number of digits.

It is important to get this right because you will only have a few days’ grace before demurrage charges start to be imposed on the goods that have not moved. Your customer may be paying for this part of the process but he will not thank you if there have been errors at your end.

Prohibited Goods

If you are moving house abroad, yes you can use LCL: but if you want to move a vehicle in or out of the USA or some other countries, LCL is not allowed because there are other procedures that the authorities will not allow the shipping agent to carry out. There are other goods that may be prohibited under national import/export laws: as with all matters, seek advice from your groupage shipping experts. They are bound to have come across your issue before.