Booking

Booking is the operation in international trade where the cargo owner or their freight forwarder applies to a shipping company or carrier to reserve space. It is a key step in the cargo export process. Usually after goods are ready and the shipment date is confirmed, the exporter or freight forwarder submits a Booking Note to the shipping company based on cargo volume, weight, destination, etc. Once confirmed, the shipping company issues a Shipping Order (S/O), and the cargo owner arranges trucking, customs declaration, and loading accordingly. Use cases include sea export under mainstream trade terms such as FOB, CIF, and CFR. Precautions: understand the cut-off time for customs and port in advance to avoid delays due to overbooking or peak season; booking information must be consistent with the customs declaration and bill of lading, otherwise customs clearance may be affected; if the cargo is not loaded on time, dead freight may be incurred. Unlike Charter, Booking is a sporadic space reservation under liner shipping, while Charter is a long-term lease of a whole ship or part of its space; compared with Consignment, Booking emphasizes the action of applying for space, while Consignment focuses on the legal relationship of delivering goods for transport.