The first shipment is rarely delayed by the freight. It is delayed by things that should have been sorted weeks earlier — a missing registration, an Incoterm nobody agreed, a commodity code nobody checked. This is the setup sequence, in the order it actually needs doing.
The short answer
Before your first shipment: confirm you can legally import the goods, get the registrations your customs authority requires, agree the Incoterm and payment terms with your supplier, classify the product, and choose who will clear customs. Only then does quoting freight make sense — every one of those decisions changes the quote.
1. Check the goods can be imported
Before anything else, confirm the product is admissible and what it needs. Restricted categories are broader than people expect: food, cosmetics, electronics with radios, children's products, batteries, anything with wood packaging. Each may need an agency approval separate from customs. Finding this out after the container sails is expensive.
2. Get your registrations
- US importers — a customs-recognised importer number (commonly your EIN), and a customs bond for commercial entries. A single-entry bond works for one shipment; a continuous bond makes sense from a handful a year.
- EU/UK importers — an EORI number, plus VAT registration where applicable.
- Everywhere — check whether your specific commodity needs an import licence.
3. Agree terms with the supplier
Two agreements, both before the order:
- The Incoterm, with a named place — "FOB Shanghai", not "FOB". It decides who arranges each leg and where risk transfers. See Incoterms 2020.
- Payment terms, and what triggers each stage. Deposit, balance against documents, or a letter of credit for larger orders.
Also agree who produces which documents. A supplier who has never issued a certificate of origin will not discover that at the last minute if you ask early.
4. Classify the product
Get the HS code before you quote, not after. It determines the duty rate, whether restrictions apply, and whether a trade agreement gives you a preferential rate. Where classification is genuinely unclear, many customs authorities issue binding rulings — slow, but definitive. Start with how to find the right HS code and the HS code lookup.
5. Decide who clears customs
Three options: a customs broker you appoint, your freight forwarder's in-house brokerage, or filing yourself. Most first-time importers should not file themselves — not because it is forbidden, but because the error modes are expensive and unfamiliar. Whoever files, you remain liable as importer of record.
6. Choose a forwarder
Look for genuine experience on your specific corridor and commodity, not general size. The vetting questions are in how to choose a freight forwarder, and the credential checks in how to find a verified one.
7. Then quote the freight
With the Incoterm agreed, the commodity classified and the destination confirmed, you can finally brief providers properly — the fields are in what a forwarder needs to quote.
A realistic first-shipment timeline
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Registrations and bond | 1–2 weeks |
| Supplier terms and classification | 1 week, in parallel |
| Quoting and booking | 2–5 days |
| Production and cargo ready | Supplier-dependent |
| Ocean transit, Asia to US/EU | Several weeks — check current transit times |
| Customs clearance | 1–5 days if documents are clean |
Build slack into the first one. Everything after it moves faster because the setup is done once.
When you are ready for quotes, post a freight request and let providers who cover your lane respond.
