Many factory salesmen have been doing foreign trade for a year or two, but they still cannot distinguish customs interception and order interception, container-free period and stacker-free period. If something goes wrong, they either pay more for the shipment, or the goods cannot catch up with the ship.This article explains clearly the complete timeline of shipping exports from booking to sailing: what is at each node, which document is on, and what will be lost if you step on a hole.Shipping schedules change a lot before and after Golden Week, which is the most easy time to step on pits. It is recommended to check and conduct self-inspection.
1. A complete timeline of a cabinet
| node | meaning | Common pits |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | Apply for space from the shipping company or freight forwarder and get the booking number (S/O number) | If you only confirm verbally that you did not get the SO, the shipping schedule may be squeezed out |
| SO（Shipping Order） | Booking confirmation form: The ship's name, voyage, place of container collection, and customs interception time are all on it | I didn't check the SO item by item, but I didn't realize that the time was correct until the customs cut. |
| the cabinet | Go to the designated yard with SO to pick up empty containers and return them to the factory for loading | There is a shortage of boxes in the peak season, and there are no boxes to carry at the counter delivery point |
| Loading containers into port | After loading and customs declaration, the factory returns the containers to the port area | Delayed loading of containers and missed arrival time |
| Cut-off | Deadline for heavy-container entry and release information | The port is congested, and the entire voyage is cancelled one hour late |
| Order cut-off (SI Cut-off) | Deadline for submitting replenishment of bill of lading to shipping company | Order modification fee will be incurred if the replenishment is late |
| Set sail (ETD) | Ship leaves port | Typhoon and empty flight caused the port to jump, and the ship schedule was postponed without notice |
2. Understand key information on SO item by item
After receiving the booking confirmation (SO), focus on checking these fields: vessel name and voyage (Vessel/Voyage), container pick-up point and container return point, customs cut-off time (CY Cut-off), order cut-off time (SI Cut-off), and free container period (Free Detention). Booking in peak season requires a closer look: Does the SO mark This booking is subject to confirmation-this line means that the shipping company may still cancel your cabin without having been finally confirmed?
Special reminder: The customs cut-off time is divided into two standards: POL Cut-off and destination port transfer connection. Transferred goods depend on the customs cut-off time at the port of departure, but the connection time at the transfer port determines the overall timeliness. There are many empty flights around the Golden Week, and the probability of transit ships skipping port is higher than that of direct ships. Direct voyages are preferred for urgent orders.
3. Intercept customs, intercept and release, and intercept orders. Don't confuse them anymore
- CY Cut-off:Heavy containers must enter the port at this time and complete entry of arrival information. Later than the interception, the ship has nothing to do with you, and the expenses incurred (empty trailer running and returning the container) will be borne by you.
- Customs Release Cut-off:The deadline for customs release information. The cabinets entered the port, but they were not allowed to catch up with the customs declaration and were unable to board the ship. During peak season, customs brokers queue up and declare customs 2-3 days in advance is a safe practice.
- Order interception (SI Cut-off /Supplementary material interception):Time limit for submitting the bill of lading replenishment (consignee or consignor, product name, body of parts, etc.). If the materials are replenished later than the order interception, the light is the bill change fee, or if the bill cannot be posted on the manifest and the container will be dumped.
The three are usually "order interception is the earliest, customs interception is the second, and interception and release is the last" or they vary according to the port. After receiving the SO, the three times above are first copied into the scheduling table, and the production, container loading, and customs declaration nodes are reversed.
IV. How to calculate the box-free period and the stack-free period
Free Detention is the number of days given by the shipping company that boxes can be used for free at the port of destination, and a Demurrage fee will be charged on a daily basis for overdue periods; Free Demurrage (partly called Free Storage) is the number of days given by the terminal at the port of destination, and a storage fee will be charged for overdue periods. Both fees can be high and are usually discussed separately.
Practical points: First, when booking, confirm with the shipping company the number of days free of containers and write them into the SO. Generally, the port of destination is 7-14 days, and some ports in the Middle East and Africa can get more than 21 days; Second, if the customer is slow in customs clearance (such as common in Southeast Asia and South America), apply in advance to extend the free period, which is much lower than the cost of negotiating afterwards; Third, the time limit for Empty Return must also be confirmed, and if the box is returned late, the charge will still be charged.
There is another point that is easy to overlook: the starting date of free containers and free piles does not equal the date of arrival in Hong Kong. Most ports will reset the timing for ship replacement at the transit port from the completion of unloading (actual or expected earlier). When discussing the container-free period, the "day from which will be calculated and whether the transfer will be accumulated" will be clearly confirmed and included in the booking order.
5. 5 practical suggestions for booking in peak seasons
- Book shipping space more than 2 weeks in advance, and the customs interception time is written. The shipping schedule confirmed orally is not reliable in peak season.
- Priority is given to direct ships for urgent cargo and transit is avoided-empty flights and port jumps around the Golden Week are concentrated on transit voyages.
- Keep an eye on the PSS peak season surcharge and mid-month GRI price increase window, and clearly write the validity period of the quotation to avoid free shipping.
- Leave a buffer for the waiting time at Origin Port: Recently, the average waiting time at the port has been lengthened due to the weather, and the delivery time has been promised to stay for an extra week.
- Agreed with the freight forwarder on an exception notification mechanism: port jumps, container dumping, and shipping schedule changes must be notified on the same day and included in the booking agency agreement.
common problems
1. What should I do if I miss the cut-off time?
Contact the freight forwarder as soon as possible to confirm three matters: whether there is still a possibility of remediation for this voyage (there is a grace period after customs closure at some ports), the next shipment schedule, and the division of responsibilities for the expenses incurred. Customers are then notified of the new estimated arrival time. During the peak season, shipping companies have little room for accommodation in late cabinets, and the core is to reverse the cut-off time into the production plan.
2. Are box-free period and stack-free period the same thing??
No. The container-free period is the number of days when the shipping company's boxes are used for free, and the demurrage fee is paid to the shipping company; the stacker-free period is the number of days when the terminal is free to store, and the storage fee is paid to the terminal. The two are calculated independently, and double charges will be charged if both are overdue. Confirm separately at the time of booking, and markets where consignees are slow to clear customs must apply in advance for an extension of container free.
3. Is it normal for SO to say subject to confirmation??
Peak seasons are common, but it means that the cabin is not finally locked and the shipping company has the right to cancel it. Countermeasures: Require freight forwarders to confirm the shipping space in writing again one week before departure. Consider paying for locking the cabin or selecting cabin protection products for urgent cargo, and prepare alternate shipping schedules at the same time.
--Qihang AI Foreign Trade Research Institute·Let China Intelligent Manufacturing Set sail to the sea| Foreign trade customer consultation: 180-0327-6609
