In today’s ultra-competitive business environment, smart companies are looking for ways to become more competitive. For many Australian businesses, importing from China has proven to be a successful tactic. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 19% of all imports into Australia come from China, which equates to just over $47 billion AUD. Major import commodities include mining equipment, building materials, telecom and electrical equipment, garments, furniture, and other home furnishings.

Read on to discover how you can ensure your importing process is functioning as efficiently as possible.

Infrastructure and cargo volume contribute to the large congestion that happens outside of India’s major ports. With queues that can take anywhere between 24-72 hours to clear, Indian companies who regularly export out of India, and its local forwarders have to manage and manoeuvre past this congestion. Properly managing this congestion has to be done in order to ensure their cargo catches their intended vessels to meet delivery dates. Here are some of the major ports in India and the market realities that they face

Cargo is considered to be out of gauge if it exceeds the standard dimensions of a container by length, width or height. Some examples of out of this can be machinery, vehicles, specialised artworks or mining equipment. It is important to select a dedicated project team that can offer solutions for all types of oversized cargo. When cargo is outside of the standard dimensions we encourage our clients to submit the complete dimensions, the weight and a picture or drawing (if available). Cargo details need to be submitted through to the ships planning department to determine suitability and approval. This can sometimes take a few days so we highly recommend that any OOG shipments be forecasted to your dedicated customer service member as early as possible. Read on to find out how you can be prepared for any challenges in your out of gauge cargo.

One of the biggest challenges for any business owner is managing fluctuations in demand and the peaks and troughs that result. In peak seasons, the mission for the supply chain manager is to ensure sufficient products are flowing to customers to meet demand. When a trough occurs, controlled and efficient inventory planning is essential to avoid issues such as obsolete inventory and the subsequent locking up of capital.

To overcome these potential problems, the supply chain needs to be flexible, and provide cost-effective, timely supply and control of product flow. Sea freight can meet these requirements if it is used sensibly and planned carefully. The services of an experienced sea freight forwarder can be invaluable in ensuring the optimum outcome. Read on to find out how you can be prepared for any challenges in your freight operations.