Apart from the Customs clearance formalities during the loading of export items, as an exporter, you will be coordinating with the carrier too. The services required may be Less than Container Load (LCL) or Full Container Load (FCL).
Additionally, various disclosures must be made while loading and dispatching the goods. It includes special disclosures if the goods are hazardous, perishable, have temperature requirements, etc. Your carrier will also confirm the packing and labelling of the shipment with you.
In this infographic, we discuss the various steps that are part of the loading activity. It generally starts with the preparation of the checklist and its presentation to the Customs Officer. It allows them to verify, examine or draw samples from the goods based on this checklist. The containers are stuffed at the docks, and the cargo is sealed. The shipper marks and codifies the sealed cargo, at which point a custodian remains entrusted with the goods. The custodian sees to it that the cargo is carried to the gateway port where the container is opened, and the shipping line takes custody of the cargo.
The cargo is then re-stuffed by the shipping line. During this process, other activities such as the paperwork and official formalities also continue. For example, the generation of a "Shipped on Board" endorsement and the Export General Manifest takes place during this process. The carrier, too, has to document the loaded cargo and carry out their own set of onboarding formalities. Another important point to note is that all the activities carried out at the gateway port must be done in the presence of Customs authorities.
