The Freight Forwarders in general perspective

-
A freight forwarder must ave intimate knowledge of the Customs Act and its Regulations and be able to advise his client accordingly. He also must have good general knowledge of many other areas of commerce or at the very best be in the position to know how to ascertain the information required in any particular situation. There is no doubt that a broader spectrum of knowledge a freight forwarder has will enhance the value of his service to his customers.

There is one most important function of a freight forwarder which must not be overlooked and this can be seen by his office rather than outside. Bear in mind that the freight forwarder is entrusted with confidential information about his customer's goods and transactions. He is in possession of negotiable documents. He is handling a large sum of money on behalf of his customers and he is a businessman who offers the expertise to the business community for a price consideration to the value of his service.

Clearly, the objective of the freight forwarder must be as follows:
  1. To provide maximum security for funds and documents entrusted to him;
  2. To ensure that only the correct amount of duties, taxes and charges are paid to the various interest parties;
  3. To effect clearance of goods in the shortest possible time;
  4. To ensure that his customers' affairs are handled with utmost discretion;
  5. To maintain the confidence of both his customers and the Customs Department;
  6. To operate efficiently and profitably in accordance to the law.
It is therefore compulsory that the freight forwarders must be fully alert to the advancements and developments in relation of the rules, regulations and laws relating to the trade, customs and forwarding services.

Popular posts from this blog

The Making of a Better Customer Service

-
Image
INTRODUCTION In every organisation or company, those who happen to become the first to come into contact with customers are the ones who are going to leave an indelible impression. We call these employees as front-line staffs. Their way of contact and handling customers are important to ensure that the customers return for more of their services. The core issue of customer service is to lessen the disgruntled and dissatisfied customers, therefore further improving the relationship with them. The results will be an obvious turnaround for the organisation or company’s image and business. As such, to manage these front-line staffs and to develop a comprehensive plan to enhance customer service in an organisation is a very important part. This program will help executives and supervisors in charge of front-line staffs to acquire skills, useful tips and techniques in this area in order to enhance the corporate image, increase productivity and businesses. COURSE OBJECTIVES ...
Read more

Chartering

-
When a shipper has a large quantity of cargo especially bulk cargo such as coal, grain, ore and timber, he may wish to charter a ship suitable in size to transport the cargo to his buyer. This form of transportation is covered by a contract of affreightment called a Charter Party. There are basically two types of Charter Parties: Demise Charter Party A demise or "bareboat" charter party is one where the chaterer is responsible for providing the cargo and the crew whilst the shipowner merely provides the vessel. In effect, the chartered appoints the crew, this taking over the full responsibility for the operation of the vessel. A demise charter party for a period of time which may vary from a few weeks to several years. Non-Demise Charter Party A non-demise charter party is a contract where the shipowner provides the vessel and her crew whilst the charter merely supplies the cargo. There are two types of non-demise charter parties: Voyage Charter Party - It is an agreement for...
Read more

Hanjin Shipping collapse may be the beginning of the end for profitable global trade

-
Image
By David Dodwell, SCMP Hanjin Sooho may mean nothing to you or I, but for perhaps thousands of Chinese exporters, the name is currently the source of despair, perhaps panic. As many of us talk abstractly about faltering global trade growth, Hanjin Sooho is the hard distressing reality of the challenge facing global trade for many traders here or in China. Hanjin Sooho is under arrest in Shanghai port – one of 20 or more vessels trapped by the collapse in August of South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping, at least 10 of them in China alone. Hanjin was the world’s seventh largest shipping line, and the first shipping collapse in 30 years. As Hanjin fell into bankruptcy, so its ships – and the cargos in them – have been frozen wherever they sat. As one expert shipper noted: “Ships have been seized. Some are staying out of port to avoid being seized. Some are just puttering around, loaded or unloaded.” Industry experts say more than 500,000 containers are trapped on these ships, with cargos on bo...
Read more