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Eastern Europe Shipping Blog

Expert tips on smarter shipping between the U.S. and Eastern Europe, including shipping of heavy goods.

How to Reduce Ocean Shipping Cost Per Ton

I.C.E. Transport | Sep 27, 2022 7:30:00 AM | heavyweight freight, ocean shipping

Ocean shippers can and should get the best container rate they can get. But you will get the most cost savings when you think in terms of reducing ocean shipping costs per ton – in other words, shipping the same volume of freight in fewer containers. If you can max out your payload on every load, you can ship 25% fewer containers and realize up to a 6-figure yearly savings, depending on how many containers you ship.

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Transatlantic Freight Forwarder Update

 

For transatlantic freight forwarders like I.C.E. Transport, it's been interesting to see the sharp contrast in ocean freight prices and congestion issues between Transpacific and Transatlantic freight.

It's really a tale of two oceans.

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Heavy Freight Shipping Companies Enable Big Savings

I.C.E. Transport | Aug 25, 2022 10:02:19 AM | heavyweight freight

 

For global shippers of wood, metals and other dense cargo, heavy freight shipping companies will charge you more for over-the-road heavy hauls. But, in the process, they can help cut your total freight shipping costs as much as 20%.

The savings are on the ocean shipping leg of the journey.

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How to Get an Accurate Ocean Freight Shipping Quote

I.C.E. Transport | Aug 16, 2022 8:38:34 AM | ocean shipping

 

“I have 10 pallets of product to ship in a container from New Jersey to Poland. Can I get a freight quote fast? I can provide specific details later.”

Believe it or not, quote requests like this are not unusual. But to get an accurate ocean freight shipping quote in a timely manner, you'll want to provide freight forwarders accurate details – and as much as you have.

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Downside of Missing or Incorrect Shipping Documents for Export

I.C.E. Transport | Jul 26, 2022 10:00:00 AM | ocean shipping, Customs clearance

 

These days lots of things can slow down your container – from carrier cancellations to port disruptions to labor shortages. Things that are totally out of your control. So why in the world would you risk delays and added costs from something that's totally in your control – shipping paperwork?

Get your shipping documents for export right and avoid shipment delays, customs inspections, unhappy customers, and disputes about who pays for added fees.

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Ocean Shipping: Small Business Shipping Tips

I.C.E. Transport | Jul 12, 2022 7:30:00 AM | ocean shipping

 

In 2019 (pre-COVID), Walmart imported close to 900,000 ocean containers worth of cargo (20-foot equivalent units) into the US.

We're guessing you shipped fewer than that.

Size matters in ocean shipping, and the big shippers leverage volumes to command better rates and better access to capacity. And better service – they may actually get their calls returned, while your calls to carriers and large forwarders go unanswered for days.

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How to choose a freight forwarder: does size count?

I.C.E. Transport | Jun 28, 2022 7:30:00 AM | ocean shipping, freight brokers

 

When you need a freight forwarder to handle your overseas shipments, you face a dizzying variety of choices – from huge global enterprises to smaller specialty firms. How to choose a freight forwarder that matches your needs? The answer isn’t simple.

Here’s a look at what to expect as you evaluate possible partners, large and small.

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How much does customs clearance cost?

I.C.E. Transport | Jun 9, 2022 7:00:00 AM | Customs clearance

 

When you bring goods into the US, of course you expect to pay for transportation. But as you plan an import, remember that it also costs money to clear the cargo through US Customs, even when the product isn’t subject to any duties.

How much does customs clearance cost? As with so much in life, it depends.

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Smart Ocean Container Loading Can Help Cut Ocean Shipping Costs

 

Ocean container shipping has become very expensive – in some cases triple what it was pre-pandemic. So, you don’t want to ship more containers than needed for your volume of freight. That requires smart ocean container loading.

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Ocean Shipping is a Mess, and We Need to Fix It

Mark Ling, I.C.E. Transport | May 12, 2022 7:00:00 AM | ocean shipping

 

Who out there remembers the Liner Conference System?

The system allowed two or more ocean shipping companies to provide scheduled cargo service on a particular trade route under uniform rates and common terms.

On 18 October 2008, European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition (DG Comp) Regulation 4056 was repealed, effectively bringing an end to the 125-year conference history. In principle, that ended a system of collective rate-setting dating back to the first conference, the Calcutta Steam Traffic Conference, set up by British cargo lines in 1875.

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