Shipping Guideline
Everything you need ready before the cargo moves
Most shipping delays trace back to one of three things: a missing document, a wrong weight, or packing that could not survive the journey. This page covers all three, so your consignment leaves on the first available flight or sailing.
01 Documents to send with your booking
Send these as PDF or clear scans when you request a rate. We will tell you within the same day if anything else is needed for your HS code or destination.
- Commercial invoice — showing full value, currency and Incoterm.
- Packing list — per carton or pallet, with gross and net weight.
- Letter of credit or purchase contract, where applicable.
- Certificate of Origin — GSP Form A, EUR.1 or chamber-issued as required.
- EXP form for export shipments from Bangladesh.
- ERC / IRC copy and your BIN certificate.
- MSDS and DG declaration for anything classified as dangerous goods.
- Regulatory permits — DGDA, BSTI, plant quarantine, Department of Explosives, as applicable.
02 How weight is calculated
Air freight and express are charged on whichever is higher — the actual scale weight or the volumetric weight of the space the cargo occupies.
Air & express: (L × W × H in cm) ÷ 5000 = volumetric kg
Ocean LCL: 1 CBM or 1000 kg, whichever is greater
- Measure the outside of the packed carton, not the product.
- Round each dimension up to the nearest centimetre.
- Give us both figures — we will quote against the chargeable one.
- Re-weighing at the airport is final; a large gap means a revised invoice.
03 Packing your cargo
- Use new, double-walled cartons for air and export-grade cases for sea.
- Cushion contents so nothing shifts when the carton is tilted or shaken.
- Seal with reinforced tape on all seams — H-taping, not a single strip.
- Palletise and shrink-wrap anything over 50 kg or more than six cartons.
- Fumigate and stamp wooden packing to ISPM-15 where the destination requires it.
- Mark each piece with shipper, consignee, carton number and total count.
- Remove or cover old labels and barcodes from reused cartons.
04 Restricted and prohibited goods
The following either cannot be carried or need approval before booking. Declare them at enquiry stage — an undeclared item found at screening delays the whole consolidation.
- Currency, negotiable instruments, gold and precious stones.
- Live animals, human remains and perishable goods without prior arrangement.
- Firearms, ammunition, explosives and fireworks.
- Narcotics, and any substance controlled under Bangladeshi law.
- Lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, adhesives and lighters — DG rules apply.
- Counterfeit goods and anything infringing a trademark.
- Items prohibited by the destination country's own import list.
05 Booking cut-off times
- Express pickup in Dhaka — call before 3:00pm for same-day collection.
- Air freight — cargo at our warehouse 24 hours before departure.
- Ocean FCL — booking 5–7 days before vessel ETD; container returned 2–3 days prior.
- Ocean LCL — cargo received 4–5 days before ETD for stuffing.
- Hand carry — a few hours, subject to seat and visa availability.
06 Insurance
Carrier liability is limited by convention and is almost always far below the value of your goods. We recommend all-risk marine or air cargo insurance at invoice value plus 10%. Ask for it with your rate request and we will quote both together.
Not sure what applies to your shipment?
Send us the invoice and packing list. We'll tell you exactly what is missing before you commit to a booking.
Ask our teamTell us what you're shipping. We'll quote it today.
Send the weight, dimensions and destination — you'll get a rate, a transit time and a named person handling the file.