Sequence we follow

A working note on wharfage from our Shenzhen team

On a Section 337 sample shipment to a US law firm, wharfage is handled as a sequence rather than a single form. This is the order our compliance desk works through it.

First: the commercial invoice and packing list

The second check is the commercial invoice and packing list. We compare it against the commercial invoice and the booking confirmation; when the two disagree we hold the file and ask the shipper for a corrected copy. That is a short pause at origin and a much longer one at destination.

We log this in the exception register so the destination side reads the same version we do.

Then: the Incoterm and its named place

Last comes the Incoterm and its named place. We confirm it at the handover to the first carrier and note the outcome in the exception register. If the shipment is queried later, the answer is already in the file instead of being assembled from an email thread.

Doing it here costs minutes; fixing it after departure costs days.

Finally: the insurance certificate where cover is arran

Wharfage is checked against the insurance certificate where cover is arranged. On a Section 337 sample shipment to a US law firm, our compliance desk records the outcome in the exception register at the origin cutoff, because a change after that point needs a carrier amendment. The destination broker receives that same version, not a later reconstruction.

If a value changes at this point we reissue the file instead of sending a correction by email.

The failure point we see most often: The booking is confirmed before the product data is final, and the amendment has to be raised after the transport document is issued.

Have this ready before filing: The Incoterm with a fully specified named place, plus the agreed division of charges.

Keep the steps in this order and the record stays consistent from origin to delivery.

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 wharfage 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.