International Business And Overseas Shippers

By Author: sky2cinc
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A freight forwarder or agent generally arranges international cargo movements; they are also termed as international freight forwarders because they manage international logistics and documentation. Freight forwarding services may involve carriage, storage, distribution and insurance of goods, collecting and receiving payments and documents. Freight Shippers contact different carriers to carry their customers’ goods and give advice to the customers about the necessary requirements for documentation and rules in the destined country where the shipment is heading for. When the consignment arrives in the country, either their correspondents or branch offices look after it and inform the customers about the same. In the recent years, the world market has seen tremendous changes; the international business has grown significantly so have the roles of freight forwarding companies and agents.

The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association or FIATA is an organization which has more than 40,000 members and spreads over 150 countries around the world. The body ...
... is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. FIATA has been recognized as the representative of the freight forwarding industry by many private, government authorities. FIATA forms rules and regulations to control the freight forwarding industry.

Apart from FIATA, there are different freight forwarding bodies in different countries; they have defined roles for a freight forwarder in their respective countries ; in Canada, it is the Canadian freight forwarder Association, formed in 1948, establishes regulations to safeguard the interest of the overseas shippers; in the UK, trade forwarders do not need to have a license to operate, however, many of them are the members of the British International Freight Association; trade forwarders in the UK, also offer export packing services because they consolidate different goods from various consignors and make it into a full load to transport it to the European countries.

In the USA, the companies, which handle international shipping freight, must possess a license issued by the Federal Maritime Commission; they are referred as Ocean Transportation Intermediaries who can be an ocean freight forwarder or a non-vessel commission carrier (NVOCC). A sea freight forwarder can be an individual or company; they send goods through common carriers; they book and arrange storage for the goods and shipments on behalf of the shippers; an NVOCC works as a common carrier, provides ocean transportation, and issues his own bill of lading but does not operate the ocean transportation vessels. A company can get an ocean freight forwarder and NVOCC license and can act in both roles for the same shipment as well.