How is an international freight quote formed?
When a freight forwarder works independently and has the autonomy to partner with whoever suits him, it is common for such logistics operator to look for international freight options in several countries, especially in those where most freight is FOB, which means it is decided at the place of destination.
In these cases, it is important to understand well what are the details that comprehend a freight quote, so as not to miss sending any information, and what are the specifics of that destination so that, when your company requests a price, does not get surprised with additional expenses.
What is an international freight quote?
Any import or export that takes place in Brazil can be quoted through an international freight quotation, usually made by a freight forwarder, to foresee what costs are there in an operation, even if all the cargo details are not available.
Quotations can be in BID or SPOT format, and there is no right or wrong model, each company needs to adapt the model to its needs. Quotations can be an All In or VATOS model – the first one was practically created with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.
BID
They are quotations in the form of a bid competition launched to the market, generally valid for over three months and it is common in companies with high volumes but without enough professionals, where it makes no sense to quote on a case-by-case basis.
SPOT
They occur in single imports or exports, normally not continuous or where company policy requires a specific quotation. It is more common for cases that are outside the routine of the foreign trade professional and quite applied to companies with low volume of processes.
All In
Quotations are presented from the beginning informing all the values comprised by the proposal, which do not include extra costs or unforeseen expenses. It is widely used for door-to-door quotes.
VATOS – VALID AT TIME OF SHIPMENT
These are the cases in which the values applied in the quotation will be those valid at the time of shipment. This often happens in the maritime modal, since the period between the closing of the freight and the arrival of the cargo can be around 45 days, and it is not possible to predict a cost, or when or if a cost may vary according to market conditions.
What are the points of attention?
Before anything else, it is important to know the INCOTERM of the operation, which is the negotiation defined between buyer and seller. Regardless of which it is, it is possible for the freight forwarder to operate part of the process or it as a whole or even just one of the parts of the logistics, such as road transport, for example.
In Brazil, for example, the importer cannot have the taxes collected by third parties, therefore, it is useless to send a DDP quote to Brazilian agents, as they will not be able to transfer the values. They can, however, estimate the costs for the purposes of studies and comparisons, but they will never be able to operationalize this INCOTERM.
What rates should be included in a shipping quote International?
In addition to common local fees, such as THC (Capatazia in Portuguese), BL Release, ISPS, Deconsolidation, there will still be indirect costs that are not informed, often paid by the importer, such as storage and the Siscomex fee (import system usage fee), but are not limited to these, as any detail in Brazilian operations can generate extra costs.
What information is required to request an international shipping quote?
There are essential details for an international freight quote, such as, for example, the INCOTERM, weight and measures, the number of volumes – boxes, pallets, containers -, type of product – if it needs temperature control, if it is dangerous, if has high added value –, shipment forecast, origin, destination, and modal.
There are some data that are not essential, however, if presented the quotation will be quite accurate, namely: who will pay the freight, when the quotation will be closed, what is the urgency for cargo to arrive in Brazil and if there is any restriction of country of transshipment or connection, which is quite common for some products.
What happens in cases of unquoted rates?
Many international logistics players in Brazil make careful planning regarding logistics costs since any excess value directly impacts the price of the product for the consumer. As the exchange rate variation is high, Brazilian freight forwarders do not usually accept price revisions after the shipment has been approved, as such measure may affect the relationship between importer and exporter.
For cases in which it is necessary to change values, it is more practical to consider in the initial quotation what the possible costs of each operation would be, whether they are only estimates or due.
What tariffs should be considered in an international freight quotation?
Every international freight quote must contain some basic items, necessary according to the chosen INCOTERM, and which would cause inconvenience to the importer or exporter if be missing, such as:
FREIGHT
This is the basic cost of transport, which makes up the price of the product and will be present in any modal, regardless of who will make the payment. Even in cases where the freight is paid by the exporter and is included in the cost of the product, it must be shown on the shipping document.
THC
This is the cost of moving the cargo between the pier at the port and the vessel or from the runway to the aircraft. In Portuguese it is called Capatazia and must be mentioned in maritime cases as it composes the value of the freight to be taxed in Brazil.
BAF and FSC
Bunker Adjustment Factor is ship fuel and Fuel Surcharge Charge is aircraft fuel. They can be floating or not but need to be mentioned on the bill of lading.
PICK-UP and DELIVERY
More common in cases where INCOTERM EXW and DAP are applied, delivery and collection costs need to be present in international freight quotes for door-to-door cases.
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
Mandatory in EXW and DDU cases, customs clearance in Brazil can only be carried out by a company authorized by the importer or exporter. It is not common for the owner of the cargo to appoint as representative a forwarder without knowing him first, so it is important to pay attention to this.
Conclusion
There are important details that need to be present in the international freight quotes, and the freight forwarder who knows all the secrets of quotation in Brazil takes the lead. Get close to a specialist freight forwarder who has mastered international transport, send your quote requests to Savilog.