Field notes
Freight Handoffs Importers Often Forget
Sourcing work does not end when the plant accepts your purchase order. The handoff to freight is where many first-time Taiwan shipments stumble, especially when the buyer, the factory, and the forwarder each assume someone else owns the packing list details.
Confirm who issues the commercial invoice and in which language. If your customs broker needs specific product descriptions, give the plant a template before production finishes—not after the container is sealed.
Agree on Incoterms in writing and map them to actual addresses. Ex Works from an inland plant is a different cost picture than FOB at Keelung. Ambiguity here shows up as surprise trucking bills.
Ask how cartons will be marked and photographed before loading. A simple photo set of stacked pallets with visible marks saves days when a claim arises at destination.
Finally, set a single contact for document questions during sailing. When three people answer email, corrections arrive late and containers sit. One named owner keeps the paper trail coherent.