Getting the goods to you … that's the hard part!

While the Internet has exploded with many solutions that get suppliers and buyers closer together, we are still a few years away from the "beam me down Scotty" transport technology of the Starship Enterprise and cannot yet send 40 foot containers in an e-mail attachment. Until that's possible, we will have to deal with the rather primitive traditional modes of merchandise transport; sea and air cargo.

SHIPPING ALTERNATIVES:

Sea Cargo
Two alternatives exist for sea cargo depending on the volume to be shipped: FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) basis.

FCL (full container load) means that a buyers has ordered enough goods to fill or occupy an entire 20 or 40 foot container. This is the most economically feasible shipping alternative as the price is based on a contract or fixed rate for a full container. Another benefit of FCL shipping is that the departure date of the goods is more flexible and can be more closely synchronized with the production schedule as the shipper is not forced to wait for consolidation, as is the case with LCL shipments.

LCL (less than container load) means that a shipper does not have enough merchandise to fill or occupy a full container. When many shipper's goods occupy a single container, each shippers shipment is considered to be LCL. In this case each shipper must wait until the freight forwarder accumulates enough goods of other shippers to fill a 20 or 40 foot container. In fact, in some cases, it's cheaper to ship a half-full (or half-empty depending on your philosophy) container than to ship on an LCL basis, as shipping companies charge a high price per cubic meter for LCL shipments. As mentioned above, if merchandise is shipped on a FCL basis, the price is based on a contract rate for the entire container and not calculated on a per cubic meter basis.

Air Cargo
Air cargo is also a feasible alternative if the items being shipped are small and light weight, or if fast delivery is critical. Again, two basic levels of service exist: express courier and standard air cargo service.

Air cargo service is used when freight is to be moved by air transportation. Selection of this method to ship merchandise depends on many factors. Normally, air cargo is used when time is of the essence or the merchandise being shipped is small, light weight or of high value. For example, jewelry is normally shipped by air cargo.

Express courier service is used if the delivery time is extremely urgent. Examples of express courier service are Federal Express (FedEx), DHL, TNT and Emery. This is the fastest possible way to get the goods to their final destination (door-to-door). However, the rate are extremely high and take a big bite out of profits.

FREIGHT FORWARDER APPOINTMENT:
Before the goods can be shipped (sea or air cargo) a freight forward must be appointed. In the RajaCraft.com marketplace there are three alternatives.

Buyer Appointed Forwarding Agent:
Customer is king! So, if the buyer has has already established a working relationship or prefers a specific freight forwarding agent, the buyer can make the appointment at the time the order is placed and the supplier is obligated to ship the the merchandise through the designated cargo agent.

Supplier Appointed Forwarding Agent:
If the buyer does not have a preferred shipping agent, a supplier will normally have an existing business relationship with a forwarding agent. If the buyer is comfortable accepting the suppliers selection, this is an alternative. RajaCraft.com does not endorse supplier forwarding agents and cannot offer any guarantee on the quality of service offered.

RajaCraft.com Marketplace Appointed Forwarding Agent:
RajaCraft.com has a service alliance with DFDS Transport. In the event that the buyer and supplier do not appoint a forwarding agent, RajaCraft.com will appoint DFDS Transport as the designated forwarding agent for the transaction between the buyer and supplier. DFDS Transport is a professional organization with a global logistics network and offers a high standard of international service and competitive shipping rates.

WHO PAYS WHAT?
If the order placed meets the minimum quantity the buyer will qualify for the published FOB (port of departure) prices in the RajaCraft.com catalog. This means that local transportation, packing, container stuffing, fumigation or treatment costs and export documentation costs are paid by the supplier. The buyer is obligated to pay the freight transportation cost, cargo insurance, import clearance, applicable duties and local transport at the country of destination, unless the cargo rate paid is for door-to-door service (normally very expensive). These are the general conditions, however, the shipping terms and conditions must be negotiated and agreed to between the buyer and supplier.

ORDER CONSOLIDATION:
Since RajaCraft.com is a Marketplace composed of many suppliers, we will only consider consolidation of orders placed by a single buyer with multiple-vendors on a case-by-case basis. While we would like to offer this service on an unconditional basis, it is not yet feasible to do so. Our member suppliers are spread throughout this 17,000-island archipelagic nation, which provides some unique logistical challenges. Please inquire about this possibility if you are interested.

REFERENCE RATES - SHIPPING COSTS:
For your information, listed below are some reference rates from Semerang Indonesia to various ports worldwide. These rates are given for guidance only. They are approximate and are subject to fluctuations beyond our control. If your destination is not listed and you would like more information, e-mail RajaCraft.com and we'll arrange a rate quotation from DFDS Transport, our service partner.