The most fearful thing about cross-border e-commerce is that freight costs are too expensive. Usually, the more you buy, the more expensive it is. High international shipping costs often make shopkeepers afraid to buy. Today, I want to introduce one of the most cost-effective modes of transportation, container transportation.

Photo by VanveenJF on Unsplash

Container transportation is also divided into LCL(the cargo in the container has most cargo owners) and FCL(the cargo in the container has only one cargo owner). So there is no need to worry about the problem of "I don't have so many purchases."

What kind of scale can be counted as a large order?

The correct answers are cases 1 and 2. To deliver products by container in bulk, large orders are limited under the condition of 3 suppliers or fewer and the total product amount of JPY 2,000,000 or more. Once the LARGE ORDER process has begun, we will work with you and the vendor to coordinate final quantities, book the container shipments, and arrange customs clearance from Japan.

How much can you save by large order?

Obviously, with large orders, products can be transported for much less money than by air. So let's look at how much cheaper it is to ship products, based on an example that happened at SUPER DELIVERY.

✪Container✪
Since the cost of container transportation is calculated based on the cargo volume, we calculate the total product volume of 8.74 m3 using the three dimensions of each carton. The cost of LCL to California is approximately 246,923 yen, including customs clearance and storage at the port. In addition, insurance is calculated by the total value of the goods *110%*0.3% (0.55% for fragile goods). So the total shipping cost is 247,738 yen.

✪Air and postal shipping✪
The total weight of the goods is 686 kg. Calculated by the cheapest air freight SAL in the JAPAN POST, each parcel must not exceed 30kg. 30kg = 32,700 yen, so the freight is 32,700 * 868 / 30 = 747,740 yen. No insurance. The cheapest JAPAN POST shipping also requires 747,740 yen, approximately three times the price of a container.

*The above are estimates only, and costs may vary depending on the season and the external environment.

I hope you have found that containers are a much cheaper means of shipping. However, although container shipping is cheap, it takes longer to process because we have to make arrangements with the vendors, adjust the shipping schedule, conduct customs clearance, etc. Therefore, Submitting a large order request is recommended when there is enough lead time.

LCL&FCL

There are two main types of container transportation, "FCL" and "LCL". "FCL" is an abbreviation of "Full Container Load", which means that the consignee of the entire container is one person. "LCL" is the abbreviation of "Less than Container Load", which refers to small goods that are not filled with an entire container, which is multiple orders that use a container for export transportation.

Container sizes are divided into 20ft, 40ft, and 40HQ. The amount of content is 33.0m3, 67.6m3, 76.0m3. However, due to the difference in the size of the goods and the need to use the tray, the actually usable volumes are 28m3, 58m3, and 62m3.
When the total cargo capacity is less than 10m3, it can be transported by LCL. If you want to use FCL to transport, you can adjust the number of products again, so that the entire container is filled.
In fact, the price of LCL is calculated according to the volume of the goods. The price of FCL is calculated according to the entire container.
That is to say, if you use FCL, as long as the volume of the goods is within the usable volume range, no matter how many products are purchased, the same shipping cost.

Terms of trade

Incoterms are a universal trading condition worldwide. It is used to determine the scope of cost payment and risk burden between exporters and importers.

Typically, SUPER DELIVERY sends products in the form of DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid). The seller shall bear all costs and risks of shipment to the specified destination. However, the buyer will assume import customs formalities and customs duties.
However, if containers are used in SUPER DELIVERY, we typically process  on CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) conditions. The exporter will bear all costs and risks before the goods are delivered to the port designated by the importer. The importer needs to handle the port unloading, customs clearance, and inland transportation.

Large order consultation and purchase process

1．First, you must register as a SUPER DELIVERY member because we need to provide information about the importer company or store when communicating with the manufacturer.
2．Check with each company for the quantity and price of each item you want, and gather information before making a large order consultation.

✪✪Raise inquiries to vendors from an item page
Select any product page you would like to raise an inquiry, click on the "Purchase Request・Inquiry" text below the product details, and you can ask vendors for product information.

3．Consultation through the SUPER DELIVERY large order consultation page.

✪Through the above webpage consultation, you can request large order estimation to SUPER DELIVERY. When you raise request, you need to provide the vendor name, SD code, set number, quantity and price or each items.

4．We will reconfirm the price and available inventory with the vendor.
5．Communicate item prices and quantities with importers. Calculate the container capacity at the same time. Then choose the right transportation method. Finally, adjust the quantity again.
6．Proforma Invoice for the issuance of international remittances. In the case of credit card and PayPal, this file is not required. Depending on the country in which the user is located, a contract for sale and purchase will also be required.)
7．Order and remittance.
8．Book a cargo shipping schedule.
9．After receiving the remittance, the vendor will deliver the goods to the designated export warehouse of the shipping company within the specified time (3-7 days before customs clearance).

10．Customs clearance, departure. (in front of the goods to the importer's national port, we will issue a bill of lading, invoice and packing list to the importer for customs clearance and delivery.)
11．The goods arrive at the port and the transaction is completed.

Currently, in SUPER DELIVERY, you can consult in four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. If you would like to purchase in bulk, please feel free to contact us.
At the same time, we publish relevant content in the SNS of the following countries every day, you can always consult us!

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SUPER DELIVERY is a Japanese largest wholesale e-market place. Import high quality and design products from Japan shortly!