Wine Vision Global Exporting

Shipping Your Wine

In most cases, the freight forwarder is hired by the importer, but often a customer will ask you, their supplier, to recommend a freight forwarder.

What to Look for in a Freight Forwarder

A full range of services
Your freight forwarder should be able to offer the following services:

Air freight: for emergency shipments

Ocean freight: from your facility to the port of import, or if you require, directly to the importer’s location in the foreign market

Consolidation: the capability to combine your shipments promptly with similar cargo from other exporters in a larger container to reduce shipping charges. It is especially important that wine shipments, like all sensitive cargo, be placed in containers with other cargo that will not cause damage to the wine and will not be stored above the deck, where it is subject to the vagaries of the weather.

Banking: (if you require it), the ability to prepare and present your export documents to the bank for collection and deposit to your company’s account

Importing: if you are asked to sell your export customer’s products in the U.S., your forwarder must be able to clear your incoming shipments through U.S. Customs.

Availability

Proximity of your office to your forwarder is important. In an emergency, the ability to drop off last-minute original documents at the forwarder’s may be critical.

Your forwarder should have branch offices or affiliates throughout the U.S. and in the major export markets you service. It is much easier to trace a misplaced shipment without the cost, complications, and delay of involving a third party.

Convenient operating hours are important. Depending on the urgency of your air shipments, you may require a forwarder who is available after normal business hours to help you expedite your shipment.

From an article by John Jagoe, publisher of Export Sales and Marketing Manual, supplied by Artie Christ, Manager - Wines & Spirits, J. E. Lowden & Co., International Freight Forwarders, www.jelowden.com

What About Insurance?

To ship without insurance is to run the risk of damages, losses or delays that can be costly to your business. Shipping mishaps, whether through mishandling, heat, contamination, water, theft, fire, jettison -- to name a few – do occur, although major cargo losses are rare.

It is customary for the importer to pay for the marine insurance, however, the supplier is usually responsible for loss or damage occurring before the goods are placed on board the vessel or aircraft.

It is recommended that you discuss the issue of cargo insurance with your freight forwarder.

Required Forms

Importation of Wine or Grape into the European Community (340k)

North American Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin (379k)

Indicates an Adobe Acrobat document. This requires that you have the Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Click here to download a free version from Adobe.

To Top