Like any business activity, international trading achieves the best results when the preparation is right. One of the main things we have learned from operating our free ExportAnswer email reply system is that too many companies do not give adequate preparation time when shipping their products across the world.

For example, if you are shipping regular quantities of product by air, road, or sea, you should know what each unit weighs, how many will fit into a box, how many boxes will a standard pallet hold, and how many pallets will fit into a container. This is basic stuff, and we have worked with companies where there has been too much reliance on guesswork. If the weights and dimensions of the product shipped do not match the weights and dimensions on your documentation, then you are likely to incur delays at the receiving port, possible Customs and demurrage charges, and you will be late delivering to your customers.