International Export Crating

Crate Pros takes great pride in helping connect people and companies with their possessions all over the world, and partnering with an experienced export crating and shipping company like us can save you time, money, and heartache in the future. Leveraging our expertise and experience with international customs compliance will not only ensure your freight arrives in a timely manner, but it will also project the best image of your company with your international customer or vendor recipient. Below are three important considerations with your next export crating project:  

Export Materials Compliance: International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM-15) is the governing document that describes how wood packaging material is to be regulated in international trade. This organization that created and maintains the regulation is the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Here in the United States, the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) is charged with the enforcement of compliance with ISPM-15 regulations through accredited third-party agencies. These agencies audit companies like Crate Pros at least monthly to ensure compliance with the ALSC’s Wood Packaging Management program in support of ISPM-15. By maintaining monthly compliance through detailed record keeping and operational processes, Crate Pros maintains our ISPM-15 certification and allows us to be able to stamp export crates with our uniquely identifiable number as a part of the “wheat stamp” that can be traced backed to our company should there be any issues found when clearing customs in a destination country.

Mode of Transport & Timeline: Often times mode of transport and timeline are dictated by budget, but it is important to know how you will ship the items (ocean, air, truck, or rail) before they are crated. For example, with ocean transport, freight is often exposed to high levels of moisture, even inside of a crate that is located inside of an ocean shipping container so the application of moisture protection on the equipment will be important to prevent rust on exposed metal or possible damage to electronic components. In addition, the mode of transportation can also affect packaging design decisions as well. For example, the maximum height to fit into an ocean container is 101 inches (40-foot high-cube container), so we may need to modify a standard crate design in order to fit your equipment onto that container. An experienced export crater like Crate Pros can lead you through this decision process and help you navigate the export crating, shipping, and documentation process.

Documentation: Along with our partner ocean and air transport partners, we will guide you through the documentation process to ensure your freight does not get detained prior to departure or once it arrives in the destination country. From filing your Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Export System (AES) to working with you to create a Commercial Invoice with accurate HTS Codes, we will help guide you at every step. Some countries like Kenya have strict pre-export verification of conformity inspections that need to be completed prior to departure, so leveraging our 20+ years of experience worldwide logistics, we will ensure your documentation is completed correctly and that receipt of your freight in the destination country will go smoothly.