From enquiry to shipment

This is the sequence a container programme actually follows with us, and what is expected from each side at each step.

1. Enquiry

Tell us the destination port, the products and quantities, the pack format and the container configuration. If you do not know the pack format yet, tell us the market and the channel and we will suggest one.

The more specific the enquiry, the faster and more accurate the response. An enquiry that says "please send your price list" cannot be answered usefully, because the price depends on the lane, the volume, the incoterm and the pack. An enquiry that says "one 40-foot high cube of 400 g tomato paste, CFR Mombasa, need 30 months shelf life at arrival" can be quoted the same day.

2. Specification confirmation

Before we quote we confirm the things that make a quotation binding: grade, pack, label language, required certifications, destination conformity regime and shelf-life requirement. If your market has a rule we have not accounted for, this is the point to raise it.

3. Proforma invoice

We issue a proforma with the products, HS codes, quantities, unit prices, incoterm and named place, port of loading and discharge, freight basis, payment terms, the document pack included, and a validity period.

Validity is short and that is not a negotiating tactic. Ocean freight on our lanes moves week to week, and a quotation that is honoured for a month is a quotation that has been padded to survive a month. We would rather quote tight and re-quote.

4. Payment terms

Terms depend on the lane, the volume and whether we have traded before. In broad terms:

• First order: advance payment, or a confirmed irrevocable letter of credit
• Established relationship: a deposit against balance on documents, or an unconfirmed credit
• Letters of credit: we will tell you before the credit is opened whether we can comply with the terms as drafted. Have that conversation first. Amending a credit costs money and time on both sides.

Bank details are issued on company letterhead and the account name matches our licensed company name exactly. If anything purporting to be a change to our bank details reaches you, telephone us on a number you already held before acting on it.

5. Production or picking

Products held in stock are picked from the Dubai warehouse. Products made to order go into production or consolidation, with the lead time stated on the specification page and confirmed on the proforma.

6. Inspection and conformity

Where the destination operates a pre-shipment regime, inspection is arranged now, before loading. Where you want a third-party inspection of your own, this is the point to book it, and you are welcome to.

7. Loading

Container stuffed, sealed, container and seal numbers recorded and reflected on the packing list. Photographs of the loaded container are available on request and we recommend asking for them.

8. Documents

Drafts to you for approval, then originals issued and couriered or presented to the bank depending on the payment terms. Under a letter of credit, documents are presented to the bank within the presentation period stated in the credit.

9. Transit and arrival

You get the sailing details and the vessel. Transit times on our corridor pages are indicative and re-verified regularly, but they are not a guarantee. The current Gulf routing situation means transit on several lanes is materially less predictable than it was, and any lane going via the Cape adds substantially to the journey.

We will tell you the current expectation for your lane at quotation stage. We will not commit to a transit time on a proforma, because that is a commitment neither we nor the carrier can honestly make right now.

Response times

We reply within one working day. The UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Enquiries arriving then are picked up on the next working day.