Importing or exporting goods can sound complicated: suppliers, documents, ships, flights, customs, ports, costs, insurance, and cargo clearance. In practice, when the process is organised and managed by a professional who coordinates everything, international shipping becomes far clearer and more manageable.

This is where the international freight forwarder comes in. A freight forwarder organises and coordinates the movement of goods from one country to another. The forwarder is not necessarily the owner of the ship, aircraft, or truck — they are the manager of the entire logistics process.

What Does a Freight Forwarder Do?

A freight forwarder can handle various stages of the process depending on the client's needs:

• Collecting goods from the overseas supplier
• Coordinating inland transport to the port or airport
• Booking space on a vessel, aircraft, or truck
• Evaluating sea, air, and land shipping options
• Preparing shipping documents
• Coordinating with overseas agents and customs agents
• Tracking the shipment
• Coordinating customs clearance
• Arranging delivery to the client's warehouse, business, or home

Not every shipment requires every step. Some are straightforward; others require standards checks, import licenses, regulatory approvals, special handling, insurance, storage, unloading, or oversized transport.

New Importer — What You Need to Know

If you are importing goods into Israel for the first time, understand that the price you pay the overseas supplier is only part of the picture. Beyond the product cost itself, additional charges may include:

• Inland transport from the supplier to the port or airport
• International freight
• Port charges and fuel/security surcharges
• Import duties, customs, and VAT
• Customs brokerage
• Standards tests or approvals
• Storage, if there is a delay
• Inland transport within Israel
• Cargo insurance

New Exporter — What You Need to Know

If you are sending goods from Israel abroad, the process is similar but in reverse. You need to know the destination, who is receiving the goods, the trade terms, who pays for transport, and which documents are required for the consignee to receive the goods. For exports, pay particular attention to:

• A clear commercial invoice and accurate description of the goods
• Appropriate packaging and correct marking of cartons or pallets
• Certificates of origin, if required
• Compliance with the destination country's requirements
• Early coordination with the overseas buyer on shipping terms

Sea, Air, and Land Shipping — What's the Difference?

What Is Door to Door?

When a client requests a Door to Door quote, this means the forwarder is pricing the entire route from the collection point to the final delivery address — for example, from the supplier's warehouse in China to the client's warehouse in Israel.

What You Need to Know About Incoterms

One of the most important elements of a shipping quote is the trade terms agreed between buyer and seller — Incoterms:

• EXW — The buyer is responsible for almost the entire process, including collection from the supplier.
• FOB — The supplier delivers the goods to the port of origin and loads them onto the vessel.
• CIF — The supplier includes freight and insurance to the destination port, but not necessarily clearance or inland delivery.
• DAP — The forwarder delivers to the destination address, but typically without paying import duties.
• DDP — The price generally includes import duties and broader seller responsibility — but verify this carefully.

For new importers: do not sign an agreement before understanding who pays for each stage and who bears each risk along the way.

Information Required for a Door to Door Quote

To provide an accurate quote, a freight forwarder needs clear information about the goods, collection point, destination, trade terms, and any special requirements. The more precise the information, the more reliable the quote — and the fewer surprises later.

Example of a Good Quote Request

Bottom Line

To receive a good Door to Door shipping quote, it is not enough to ask "how much does it cost to ship from China to Israel?". You need to know what the goods are, where to collect from, where to deliver, the weight and volume, the trade terms, the value, and whether there are any special requirements.

The more precise the information, the more accurate the quote, the fewer surprises, and the more professionally the shipment can be managed.