General Trade Consolidation to Syria

The cargo

The cargo

General trade is many orders rather than one. The cargo on this programme includes consumer electronics and general goods bought in Yiwu and Guangzhou, and office furniture from Turkey and China. It also includes paper rolls, food-grade cocoa, coffee and spices, and IMDG Class 8 industrial chemicals.

Those goods do not share one handling rule. Electronics are high in value for their weight. Furniture is bulky and easily marked. Paper rolls are heavy, round and need bedding and blocking. Food-grade goods and chemical cargo are kept apart. Each line is assessed on its packing, weight, volume and classification before a container plan is made.

Logistics pattern

How we handled it

The origins were Yiwu and Guangzhou for electronics and general goods, and Turkey and China for office furniture. Our Guangzhou partner has worked the Chinese origin with us since 2004, which is where the supplier collections and the origin consolidation are run from.

Part loads moved as LCL. Cargo from several suppliers was collected, tallied against each supplier invoice and built into one container. Where the onward box had to suit a different route or a different buyer, the cargo was cross-stuffed at Jebel Ali, and cargo waiting on a late supplier stayed in store until the shipment was complete. Office furniture from Turkey moved by road.

Routes followed the origin. China to Latakia direct. China to Mersin, then road transit to Syria. China to Jebel Ali as a transhipment, then on to Syria. Turkey to Syria by road.

Loading was planned for the mix, not the average. Heavy paper rolls were bedded and blocked low in the box; electronics and furniture were loaded clear of them; food-grade goods were loaded away from chemical cargo. Class 8 industrial chemicals went through a dangerous-goods review before booking, with the safety data sheet and the classification from the shipper and carrier acceptance confirmed first. Each shipment carried its own document set to Syria, and our Damascus office prepared the import file before arrival. See LCL consolidation, cross-stuffing and dangerous goods. HS Code, duty and customs-clearance decisions rest with the customs authorities and the appointed customs broker.

Typical challenges

Typical challenges

Consolidation is where cargo compatibility, timing and documents meet in one container. These are the points we plan for from the first enquiry.

Dangerous goods

Class 8 chemicals in a mixed programme

Industrial chemicals classified under IMDG Class 8 are reviewed before booking, never after. The shipper provides the safety data sheet and the classification. Packing, marking and documents are checked against them, and carrier acceptance is confirmed before the booking goes out.

Chemical cargo is not consolidated with food-grade goods. Where a buyer orders both, they are planned as separate shipments or separate containers. Our dangerous goods page sets out the review, and food and agriculture logistics covers the food-grade side.