B-4- Packaging of your goods : a real protection tool


During the tranportation, goods change hand and change transport. All these manipulations are risks of degradation. It's therefore necessary to pack the goods with in mind these risks, the modes of transport used, the goods transported and the country of delivery.

It will be indeed necessary to adapt the packaging type depending on the transportation chosen, sea transportation, land transportation, air transportation, rail transportation, multimodal transportation and finally containers transportation. Indeed, when your transportation needs a pre-carriage or a post- carriage, risk of damage are more important.

It will also be appropriate to think about the additional costs that can result from the packaging like for example the export crating of the goods.

4-1- Risks and liabilities.

In general, it's the exporter who packS the goods and pays the costs. However, if you are an importer, if you want to be sure to choose the appropriate packaging, you should get some advice from your exporter. It's the one who knows the best risks of its goods. In general, the carrier who knows very well the risks into the delivery country, can give you also good advice.

It's advisable to have your goods packed by your exporter. The exporter can then pass the additional packaging costs on the sale price.

Depending on the choice of the company in charge of the packaging, importer or exporter, it will be possible not to use some of the Incoterms. However, in most of the Incoterms, it's the exporter that supports the packaging in its costs.

4-2- Packaging and insurance

The packaging is often not enough if you want to protect correctly the goods during the transshipment (transfer goods from one transport to another). The exporter or the importer must plan to get an appropriate insurance in order to protect himself against the good risk, especally if he doesn't want to have any "inadequate packaging".

4-3- Packaging configurations

Depending on whether the goods are carried in bulk or packaged, you must for the second scenario choose carefully the appropriate paletts. The paletts can be made of wood, metal or plastic. Most often, the exporters or the importers choose the wood because of the price.

4-4- The standards

Indeed, there is standards and regulations for wood packaging that the exporter or the importer should not forget to consult.

4-5- Packaging and transportation reservations

Finally, the goods packaging is special as far as when it is damaged, the goods are also often damaged. As soon as you receive your goods, you will have to inspect the packaging and eventually issue handwritten reservations.