Documents that decide it

Landed cost: the decision our desk makes at booking

landed cost is settled on paper long before the cargo reaches a port. These are the records that actually carry the decision.

The base record: the delivery order at destination

Supporting evidence consists of the delivery order at destination. Inconsistent values here are the most common reason a file is queried, so our documentation desk reviews them at the origin cutoff against the invoice rather than at the destination terminal.

We keep the original and the declared version side by side so a discrepancy is visible before filing.

The supporting evidence: the HS classification used at origin

The destination then asks for the HS classification used at origin. Because we filed from one pack, the broker can respond without rebuilding the history of a Shenzhen-origin shipment to a US importer, and any amendment is logged in the shared document pack.

Missing or inconsistent values here are the most common reason a file is queried.

What the destination asks to see: the power of attorney on file

The base record for landed cost is the power of attorney on file. It is issued at origin on a Shenzhen-origin shipment to a US importer, and every later document should quote the same value; we keep the original next to the declared version in the shared document pack.

The destination broker works from the same set we filed from, which shortens any query cycle.

The failure point we see most often: The commercial invoice carries one description while the packing list carries another; the broker then has to ask which version is authoritative.

Have this ready before filing: Carrier schedule, cutoff times and the free-time terms at destination.

Build the document chain once and reuse it on repeat lanes; the second shipment is far quicker.

Questions importers ask us

Is this the same for air and ocean shipments?

The principle is the same but the cutoff is not. Air cargo is screened and built into a ULD hours before departure, while ocean files follow the shipping instruction cutoff, usually several days before sailing.

Can you quote this as part of a door-to-door rate?

Yes. Tell us the origin, destination and Incoterm and we will show the origin charges and destination charges on separate lines rather than folding them into one figure.

Can Hovmar review landed cost for our next shipment?

Send the commercial invoice, packing list and intended routing before cutoff. Our Shenzhen desk will check the file and flag gaps while they are still easy to fix.

Where this fits in your shipment

Planning a shipment from Shenzhen?

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Notes from the Hovmar Logistics team in Shenzhen. Confirm current requirements with your licensed broker before filing.