Start with the commercial agreement
A successful export begins before anyone books a vehicle or asks for an airline rate. Confirm exactly what the buyer has ordered, the quantity, specification, currency, payment terms and required arrival date. Agree the Incoterm in writing because it determines where cost, responsibility and risk pass between seller and buyer. “Door delivery” is not precise enough: the quotation and invoice should identify the named place and the agreed Incoterm version.
Check that your business registrations and banking arrangements support the transaction. Depending on the product and shipment, this may include an Importer Exporter Code, GST details, an authorised dealer bank relationship and product-specific registrations. TCSL can coordinate shipment information, but your customs broker, bank and relevant authority should confirm regulatory requirements.
Build one consistent shipment file
Prepare a commercial invoice and packing list using clear, defensible information. Product descriptions should explain what the goods are and what they are made of rather than relying on internal model names. Confirm the HS classification with a qualified customs professional, record the country of origin, and make quantities, values, net weight and gross weight consistent across documents.
- Verify the consignee's legal name, address, postcode, phone and tax or importer number where required.
- Check whether the destination needs a certificate of origin, test report, licence, fumigation record or other product evidence.
- Confirm whether wooden pallets or cases require ISPM 15 treatment and visible marks.
- Keep signed approvals, buyer instructions and final document versions together.
Pack for the whole route
Export packing must survive collection, terminal handling, stacking, vibration and climate exposure. Use strong outer packaging, immobilise the contents, protect edges and moisture-sensitive surfaces, and mark handling or orientation instructions clearly. Measure and weigh only after final packing. Those figures affect chargeable weight, vehicle planning, airline acceptance and container utilisation.
Plan the hand-offs before pickup
Share the cargo-ready date, packed dimensions, weight, commodity, value, origin, destination and Incoterm when requesting freight. Ask what the quote includes at origin and destination, how long it is valid, which dates are estimates, and what documents must be ready before collection. Allow time for customs processing and carrier cut-offs rather than treating the sailing or flight departure as the only deadline.
Finally, send the buyer the planned route and document requirements. Decide who will answer customs questions at destination and how duties or taxes will be handled. TCSL helps Kerala exporters connect these details into a practical courier, air-freight or sea-freight plan so the first shipment starts with fewer avoidable surprises.
