Why your Consignments may be delayed during the Yuletide

Under normal circumstances, longer delivery time is known to be a major challenge peculiar with sea freight shipping. But as it is, the menace also affects air freight during the yuletide or holiday periods, with no sign of a different expectation this year. But what might be the major cause of the delayed shipping in December particularly? 

If there is one piece of warning service providers offer their clients/customers in any type of business, (especially logistics) before the yuletide periods, then it is definitely on time-consciousness. Relatively, in shipping (whether importation or exportation), the clients should have a better plan by consulting a more reliable freight forwarding company to advise and guide through the process, earlier enough before the December rush. 

Every year, it gets worse as shipping delay threatens the Christmas and New Year holidays and this year won’t be an exception. 

Most interesting yet unpleasant, is the fact that most people have plans to take advantage of the yuletide rush to amass sales but for the delays, this might not happen. Many importers have had expectations to receive their consignment in order to prepare for several events in the yuletide such as partying, gifting etc, but would be cut short by the menace. 

What we expect our clients to do is to give us a call in to seek advice, request a quote online and get the best shipping guide in order to avoid delayed shipping in December.

But What Are The Causes Of Delays?

Shipment delays are caused by several factors. About a week ago, 12th of December, 2019 to be precise, FedEx and UPS were reportedly facing shipping delays due to the holiday surge. Obviously, this is basically speaking of congestion as more people are ordering or importing goods within this period. 

On the other side, more goods are entering the port through importation/exportation. And so, there is a high expectation of the arrival of consignments by millions of people around the globe, at the same time. 

Consequently, certain other factors may affect cargo movements. They are;

1.     Disruption of flight arrangements in air shipping of goods.

2.     A large influx of goods for import or export

3.     Logistics Constraints within the period

4.     Lack of proper coordination of the freights

5.     Heavy travelling by air. There is a high volume of passengers over cargo leading to hike in the cost of shipment of cargoes, especially by air. 

6.     Weather condition or Climate change, especially in air freight.

7.     Thorough Customs Checking process where the service is 100% customs clearing.

8.     Delay of Vessels within the yuletide period

Read Also: How to Avoid Customs Debit Note

What Can I Do To Avoid Delayed Shipping In December

Well, to prevent delay, you want to request a Quote much earlier. Ensure all shipping arrangements are made before the rush hours. The earlier the shipping arrangements, the better for all of us as we would not have to witness any form of delay in the arrival of your consignments.

How Much More Days Am I To Wait For My Consignment?

Unfortunately, we ask the same question. How many more days are there to wait for our clients’ deliveries? 2 days, 1 week? 1 month more? Apparently, there is an uncontrollable condition probably responsible for this challenge which takes place this time, every year.

However, the situation could have been controlled should there have been an earlier consultation as our professionals are ever ready to attend to the immediate need of her clients.

Read Also: Why Consider Air Freight Shipping Over Other Shipping Methods

Engaging The Services Of Freight Forwarding Company

You definitely need the services of a qualified freight forwarder. In our opinion, it is the best option if you want to avoid delays. It’s so because, with the professionals, you’re bound to have all your worries shouldered and all mistakes voided by an able company in due time, with all necessary paperwork perfectly put in place for you.

At BowaGate Global, our professionals understand the best shipping time, best shipping company and way around customs clearing. To avoid delayed shipping in December period, there’s more likelihood that you would require some professional guides. Using our premium service can save you a heart-ache. We also understand the various documents required for customs clearing.

BowaGate Global has got a highly discounted rate for you if you are thinking of shipping within the yuletide period. We know you would need real-time assistance on how to save money importing by air or any other shipping services. On this note, we have our lines open so you can talk to a freight expert to further assist you.

Read Also: What you need to know about Customs Clearance in Nigeria

Read Also: How to Save More Money by Importing by Air

Let’s Guide You Through The Process

Give us a call on (+234)814 7068 472. Our lines are open during business hours. You can also send an email to info@bowagateglobal.com.

We are experts in Freight Forwarding and a Licensed Customs Agent. We handle customs clearing and freight forwarding with ease. Our services are cheap (affordable), fast (swift) and reliable. We can help you avoid delayed shipping in December.

Leave your business in our hands, and we’d deliver, be it Import, Export, Freight Forwarding, Clearing/Customs Duty Brokerage, Groupage Freight, Warehousing,Consolidation, Air Freight Consolidation, Shipping Globally, Door to Door Freight Shipping, etc.

 Request a Quote HERE. For more information, write to us HERE. To have a chat with us directly via Whatsapp, click HERE.

How to Save Money on Shipping Cost of imported goods by Air freight shipping.

If there is one thing to look up to when importing goods to Nigeria, it is with having to consider every way possible to reduce the air shipping cost. To achieve this, you’re required to challenge the status quo by taking advantage of all available solutions, no one stone left unturned.

The high cost of air freight shipping is one, among many factors, capable of having an adverse effect on the overall profit margin of imported goods. This is one reason to take every possible step in avoiding expensive shipping.

Shipping cost is a scary factor for importers, especially when importing goods by air. Airliner operator charges goods according to the weight of the items on the scale. The measured weight of the goods is what the importers will pay for. The chargeable weight by the airliner can either be in kilogram or pound depending on the country of origin.

With the suggestions in today’s post, we streamlined the solutions to a few ‘hard-to-do-without’ solutions that can help you save money while importing by air freight shipping.

Table of Contents

Maximize Proper Packaging Efficiency

Badly packaged consignments can increase the shipping cost of air shipping of the goods. You need to know that when volumetric weight is great than the actual weight of the goods, the airliner may decide to use volumetric weight to determine the cost of shipping rather than the actual.

Let’s say, for instance, if an importer has 3 packages of the same weight to import, more space will be occupied if imported separately, unlike when merged as one.

Volumetric weight is the formula calculated as Length x Width x Height divided by 6000. This is the formula used to ascertain the space an item is likely to occupy in the cargo.

If goods are properly packed, the volumetric weight may be prevented from exceeding the actual weight.

Ultimately, the weight of the shipping item should be considered important as it determines the cost of air shipping the goods.

Reducing Customs Delays To Avoid Fines

You don’t want to incur fines in the course of shipping by air.

So, therefore, don’t delay customs. It is best practice to ensure a clear label on products is made, proper packaging and correct paperwork. With these put in place, you would definitely be preventing huge fines that can lead to an increase in expenses while shipping internationally.

Use Consolidation To Handle Smaller Shipments

A retailed consolidation is in arguably an important option. It simply provides an opportunity to combine your Less Than Container Load shipments with other nearby importers shipping to the same location, with same mass retailers. Everyone wins here.

In this arrangement, you only pay your share of a reduced shipping cost to ship your goods via air freight.

Consider Sea Freight Shipping

Well, sea freight shipping may be an alternative, but not the best if you are looking at the fast delivery. Airfreight shipping, no doubt, is a faster mode of transportation. While sea freight shipping may linger for almost two months to get to the port of destination, shipments moved by air arrive within 3 to 7 days.

However, sea freight is over 70% cheaper and could be an alternative to help reduce the cost of shipping in order to maximize profit on imported goods.

Meanwhile, if you are bent on shipping via air, maintain other methods to reduce cost and not this.

Engaging The Services Of Freight Forwarding Company

You saw it right, you definitely need the services of a licenced freight forwarder. This, in my opinion, is best as with the professionals, you’re bound to have all your worries shouldered by an able company.

To send your goods to Nigeria, you will need the services of a freight forwarder. Freight Forwarder understands the best shipping company to use in order to maximize profit for the importer. It always depends on the quantity of the items with weight. One of the aspects that freight forwarder can assist is in the area of packaging.

If you are are you thinking of shipping within the yuletide period, we have a gift packed in a highly discounted package for you. We know you would need real-time assistance on how to reduce your shipping cost. On this note, we have our lines open so you can talk to a freight expert to further assist you.

For your expert and professional freight forwarding, contact BOWAGATE GLOBAL LIMITED for a reliable quality cargo services that includes IMPORT, EXPORT, FREIGHT, CLEARING/CUSTOMS DUTY BROKERAGE, WAREHOUSING, WORLDWIDE SHIPPING…………

 Visit our website: www.bowagateglobal.com to request a quote

Contact   (+)2348186078330, Whatsapp 2348147068472 

Email:  info@bowagateglobal.com

5 Important Import Documents Required for Customs Clearance

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Everything in Customs Clearance is about proper documentation. To this, no importer can do without dealing with customs documents. As a matter of fact, customer clearance involves the preparation and submission of documents required to facilitate export or imports into the country.

Another way to describe this is that it is “the act of passing goods through customs so that they can enter or leave the country.” In passing goods to and fro or through customs, documents must be given by customs to the shipper to show that customs duty has been paid and the goods can be shipped.

In this post, we’d be touching on some most important documents required for customs clearance. Some of the documents involved are :

1.    

Exports Documentation: Purchase order from Buyer, Sales Invoice, Packing List, Shipping bill, Bill of Lading or air waybill, Certificate of Origin and any other specific documentation as specified by the buyer, or as required by financial institutions or LC terms or as per importing country regulations.

2.     Imports Documentation: Purchase Order from Buyer, Sales Invoice of the supplier, Bill of Entry, Bill of Lading or Air waybill, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, and any other specific documentation required by the buyer, or financial institution or the importing country regulation.

Also, See Different Types of Bill of Lading and Relative Transportation Mode.

We’d be dwelling on 5 most basic Import documents required for Customs Clearance purposes. All the documents are equally important that they must be sorted before approaching the customs. However, these are basic and must be explained. So, if you are an importer, whether you import by Air or by Sea shipping, within the global network,  this post is for you.

Most importers are oblivion of the importance of these documents as they risk being deprived due to incomplete or inadequate preparation. Know about these documents can solve over 40% of the problems importers and exporters make. These documents must be sorted out either by the importer or with the assistance of the freight forwarders involved.

An Importer must be knowledgeable on the best method to choose freight forwarding companies in order to reduce cost and get the goods safely to the port of destination for the shipping process. The documents needed must be timely to avoid demurrage from the country of origin of the goods.

 

Read About: Airport Customs Clearing in Nigeria

The following are the 5 important documents needed for the shipping process of goods to Nigeria.

Form M

This is a mandatory statutory document to be completed by all importers for the importation of goods into Nigeria. This simply implies that without the form, goods can not be approved for importation into Nigeria.

The documentation process is put in place by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). In other words, this document is issued by the CBN through Commercial Banks for import permit procedure. It states the product Harmonized Codes for customs import duty, the amount as well as other basic information.

All imported goods to Nigeria must have Form M attached.

See Also: How to Process and Obtain Form M in Nigeria

Bill of Lading or Airway Bill

A bill of lading is just like a ‘receipt’ and it is one of the most important documents required for customs clearance purposes. It is a legal document or contract between the carrier and shipper. This document is issued by the shipping company that transport the goods from the ports of loading to destination. The bill of lading contains details of the type, quantity, and destination of goods being carried. See this post for more about Bill of Lading.

It also carries the information of the shipper, consignee and the notifying party of the imported goods. Details of ports of loading and discharging are included in the document. When a carrier receives a shipment, it is important he obtains a document which must state the details of the shipment, the Shipper, Carrier, Exporter, Consignee and Notify.

See Also: What you need to know about Customs Clearance

Agency Certificate

Without obtaining approvals or certifications from agencies responsible for a related type of consignment, the customs clearance process may not work out well. This type of certificate usually depends on the goods you are importing.

For manufactured goods, SONCAP Certificate will be issued by the Standard Organization of Nigeria. For importation of food items, cosmetics, drugs etc, NAFDAC certificate must be issued. NDLEA and NAFDAC certificates are required for clearing of imported drugs. NESREA certificate is required for customs clearance of second-hand goods.

For more explanation or clarity, you’d need the service of a freight forwarding company for professional guides and advise. They’d explain the exact Agency certificate that will be needed for the shipping process, in order to prepare you for success.

Commercial or Pro Forma Invoice

This is a monetary value declaration of goods. It is always issued by the seller or the shipper of the goods. This invoice will be needed in two ways. For form M and Pre Arrival Assessment Reports by the customs for import duty.

Insurance Certificate

This is a document indicating the type and amount of insurance coverage in force on a particular shipment. It is used to assure the consignee that insurance is provided to cover loss or damage to cargo during the shipment process. It is needed to cover any loss or damage during shipping of the goods to Nigeria.

For this, you need to approach any reputable insurance company for issuance of the certificate. An insurance certificate will be needed when raising Form M at the banks for imported goods. This certificate is usually needed when raising a Form M for imported goods, at the bank.

Important! Should you consider Air Freight Consolidation?

Do you have any questions about your goods documents issuance for your next shipment? or do you want to learn more about the documents required for customs clearance or talk to us about your Shipment?

Give us a call 0818 607 8330 or send an Email to via info@bowagateglobal.com.

For expert and professional freight forwarding, book a quote. We offer cheap (affordable), fast (swift) and reliable quality cargo services that include Import, Export, Freight, Clearing/Customs Duty Brokerage, Groupage Freight, Warehousing, Consolidation, Air Freight Consolidation,Shipping Globally, Door to Door Freight Shipping, etc.