Sea Freight

Sea freight is the most important mode of transportation in international trade, referring to logistics services that transport goods from the port of origin to the port of destination by ship. In customer management, sea freight typically involves booking, container loading, customs declaration, bill of lading confirmation, and arrival notice, requiring close communication with freight forwarders, shipping companies, and customers. Use cases include: delivery of goods under trade terms such as FOB, CIF, CFR; cross-border transportation of bulk commodities and goods with low time sensitivity. Precautions: 1) Clarify the division of costs and risks between buyer and seller under the trade term (e.g., under FOB, the buyer is responsible for sea freight); 2) Pay attention to shipping schedule, voyage, transshipment, and peak season space shortage risks; 3) The type of bill of lading (original/telex release/sea waybill) affects control of cargo rights; 4) Destination port charges may cause customer disputes and need to be confirmed in advance. Compared with air freight and express delivery, sea freight has lower cost and larger volume but slower speed, suitable for non-urgent, large-volume goods. Compared with land transport, sea freight is more suitable for transoceanic transportation. In customer management, it is necessary to regularly update freight rates, track cargo status, and handle exceptions to improve customer satisfaction.