International freight forwarder is the abbreviation of "cargo forwarder", and international freight forwarder is international freight forwarder. With the development of international trade, the freight forwarding industry has gradually developed, eventually becoming a huge specialized industry. International freight forwarding involves several major entities: cargo owners, freight forwarders, shipping agencies, carriers, and related port terminals, airport freight stations, major yards, various freight stations, and various warehouses, which complement each other to complete the import or export of goods.

1. What is international freight forwarding?

Freight forwarding is the abbreviation of "cargo transportation agency", and international freight forwarding is an international freight forwarding agency. International freight forwarding involves cargo owners, carriers, customs, entry-exit inspection and quarantine (CIQ), entry and exit or customs borders. The transportation distance is long, the cycle is long, there are many uncertain factors, and the risks are relatively high, so it is much more complicated than domestic freight forwarding.

The predecessor of international freight forwarding was customs brokers. Most of the employees came from international trade manufacturers or foreign trade enterprises. They mainly handled the international trade business and transportation customs declaration of the factory or the company. With the development of international trade, the freight forwarding industry has gradually developed, eventually becoming a huge specialized industry.

In the development of the freight forwarding industry, in order to reduce the intermediate links, some countries once tried to cancel the freight forwarding and let the cargo owner directly contact the carrier without going through the intermediate link of the freight forwarding, but in the end they all failed, and it did not work at all.

International freight forwarding involves several major entities: cargo owners, freight forwarders, shipping agencies, carriers, and related port terminals, airport freight stations, major yards, various freight stations, and various warehouses, which complement each other to complete the import or export of goods.

2. What is the main job of freight forwarding?

According to the different objects of the freight forwarder, the main work of the freight forwarder is also different. The service objects of freight forwarders include serving the consignor, serving the carrier, and serving the customs.

1) According to the requirements of the cargo owner, recommend the best mode of transport (sea, air, truck, railway, etc.), plan the best transport route (direct, transit), and select the most suitable carrier (airline, shipping company, logistics company) , courier companies, etc.).

2) As an intermediary between the carrier and the cargo owner, book space with the selected carrier on behalf of the cargo owner.

3) According to the requirements of the owner, provide corresponding basic logistics services such as delivery, loading and unloading, warehousing and distribution, as well as value-added logistics services such as unpacking, distribution, palletizing, packaging, weighing, and labeling.

4) Accept the entrustment of customer declaration and inspection, and provide services such as agency inspection and agency declaration, including instructing customers to make relevant documents, checking documents, declaration to customs, follow-up declaration, and cooperative inspection.

5) Issue the freight forwarding bill of lading/waybill by yourself or request the owner's bill of lading or airline waybill from the carrier, and send it to the owner in time.

6) Agency certificate of origin, insurance agency, foreign exchange exchange, settlement of freight and miscellaneous expenses, collection of payment for goods, etc. (if necessary).

7) Handle any unexpected situations, such as damaged packaging, damaged or lost goods, etc. during transportation, ask for a certificate of damage, and assist the shipper to make a claim to the carrier or insurance company.