Logistics
Freight, customs and getting cargo home.
- Logistics
Packing for Sea Freight: Container Sweat, Mould, Rust and ISPM-15 Pallets
A container crossing from Asia is a moving climate chamber. Why moisture condenses inside sealed boxes, how much desiccant a 40ft actually needs, what VCI does that oil does not, and the wood-packaging rule that gets shipments held at the border.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
Cargo Arrived Damaged: How to Claim Against the Carrier, the Insurer and the Factory
Three possible defendants, three different deadlines, and one window at unloading where the evidence either gets captured or is lost forever. What to do in the first 72 hours, why carrier liability is capped far below your invoice value, and how to tell whose fault it actually was.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
The Red Sea and Suez: How Routing Changed Asia–Europe Transit Times
Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope added roughly 10–15 days to Asia–Europe voyages and has persisted far longer than anyone forecast. What the situation looks like in 2026, why announced returns keep being suspended, and how to plan lead times that survive either outcome.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi4 min readRead article - Logistics
Freight Rate Indices (SCFI, FBX, WCI): How to Read the Market Before You Book
Four public indices tell you what containers cost this week, and each measures something slightly different. What they include, what they leave out, why your quote never matches the index — and how to use them as negotiating leverage rather than a price list.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
Golden Week and China's Other Shutdowns That Move Your Delivery Date
Chinese New Year gets all the attention, but five other holidays stop production every year — and the makeup-workday system means the official dates are not the working dates. The 2026–2027 calendar and what each one does to lead times and port congestion.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi4 min readRead article - Logistics
Why Container Quotes Differ Threefold: THC, GRI, PSS, BAF and the Rest of the Bill
The ocean freight line is rarely the biggest number on a shipping invoice. What each surcharge actually pays for, which ones are negotiable, which appear only after booking, and how to compare two quotes that look nothing alike.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
Chinese New Year 2027: The Production and Shipping Calendar for Importers
The holiday is 6 February 2027, but the disruption runs from December to March. Month-by-month deadlines for orders, production and booking, why quality drops on both sides of the break, and how to plan a first quarter that does not run dry.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
Demurrage and Detention: What the Port and the Carrier Charge You For, and How Not to Pay It
Two different clocks, two different owners, one invoice that arrives after the goods are already yours. How free time works, what a day costs, why the clock starts earlier than you think, and the checks that stop most of these charges before they begin.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
How to Check a Chinese Certificate Is Genuine: A Five-Step Verification Protocol
Fake, expired, borrowed and out-of-scope certificates all look identical as PDFs. The registries that let you check a notified body, an accredited laboratory and a conformity document in minutes — plus the red flags that make verification unnecessary.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
Food-Contact Certification for Goods from China: LFGB, FDA, EU 1935/2004 and GB 4806
"Food grade" is a marketing phrase, not a compliance status. Which rules govern tableware, packaging and appliances that touch food, why migration testing has to match your actual use conditions, and what a real Declaration of Compliance contains.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
RoHS and REACH When Importing from China: What They Restrict and What Proof Looks Like
There is no such thing as a "RoHS certificate". What the ten restricted substances are, how REACH differs, why China RoHS is not the EU version, and what evidence actually holds up — test reports per homogeneous material, not a one-page PDF.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
EAC Certification for Kazakhstan and the EAEU: Declaration, Certificate and Registry Checks
Who is allowed to be the applicant, how a declaration differs from a certificate, why batch and serial schemes mean different money and different timelines, how to verify a document in the official EAEU and Kazakh registries, and how EAC differs from ST-KZ.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
CE Marking on Chinese Goods: What It Means and How to Check the Certificate Is Real
CE is a manufacturer's declaration, not a certificate someone issues — which is exactly why "we have CE" from a supplier proves so little. What CE actually requires, when a notified body is involved, how to verify one in the NANDO database, and why the famous "China Export" logo is itself a myth.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi5 min readRead article - Logistics
Ukraine's Technical Regulations: The Declaration of Conformity for Imported Goods
UkrSEPRO certification ended in 2018 and most importers still buy documents they no longer need. How Ukraine's technical regulations actually work, who may sign a declaration, why registering it is voluntary — and what changes when the ACAA agreement with the EU arrives.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Certification for Goods Imported from China: Which Documents You Actually Need to Sell
A Chinese certificate is not permission to sell. What your destination market requires, who becomes legally responsible once you import, when testing has to start, what it costs — and the three documents importers confuse with each other.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Certificate of Origin for China Goods: Types, Why It Matters and Customs Preferences
A certificate of origin confirms where goods were made — and it drives the duty rate, anti-dumping measures and access to preferences. The forms (CO, Form A), when the document is mandatory, and how not to lose money on the wrong paperwork.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi4 min readRead article - Logistics
Customs Broker for China Imports: Why You Need One and How to Choose
A broker saves you not hours but thousands of dollars on the right HS code and a clean customs pass. What the service includes, what you pay for, the questions to ask before signing, and how to avoid "grey" schemes.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi4 min readRead article - Logistics
Packing List for China Imports: What It Is and What It Must Contain
A packing list is the "map" of your shipment — how many packages, what weight and volume, what's in which box. How it differs from the invoice, which errors get stuck at customs, and what to check before shipment.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi4 min readRead article - Logistics
Bill of Lading in Sea Imports from China: Types and How It Releases Your Cargo
The B/L is the one document that decides whether you take delivery of your container. Original vs sea waybill vs telex release, master vs house, straight vs to order — and how to release FCL/LCL cargo from China without losing control.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi7 min readRead article - Logistics
The Commercial Invoice in China Imports: Mandatory Contents and How to Check It
The commercial invoice is the single document customs uses to set your customs value, duty and import VAT/GST. Here are its mandatory fields, how it differs from a proforma, why it drives valuation, and the errors that trigger delays or value adjustments.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Cargo Insurance for Imports from China: When You Need It, What It Covers, What It Costs
A carrier's liability is not insurance. We break down ICC A/B/C clauses, the CIF minimum-cover trap, the General Average surprise bill after Ever Given, and how to file a claim that actually pays.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi8 min readRead article - Logistics
Rail vs Sea Freight from China: Transit, Cost, Reliability and When Each Wins
A 2026 comparison of rail and sea freight from China: real transit times (16–25 days by rail vs 35–50+ by sea), landed cost, cargo restrictions, the Red Sea and Suez effect, and a practical guide to choosing the right mode for your cargo.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi7 min readRead article - Logistics
LCL vs FCL Shipping from China: How to Choose the Right Option
LCL vs FCL for importing from China: the CBM break-even point, how LCL is billed under the W/M rule, transit times, damage risk, and exactly when to switch to a full container.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Shipping Routes from China to Ukraine and the CIS in 2026: Sea, Rail, Road
How commercial cargo actually moves from China to Ukraine and the CIS in 2026 — by sea via EU ports, up the Danube through Constanța, by rail through Małaszewicze and the Middle Corridor, and direct into Kazakhstan. Transit times per route and which lane fits which cargo.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Container From China in 2026: The Full Price Breakdown
What actually makes up the cost of a container from China — base freight, BAF/THC/ISPS surcharges, demurrage and detention, rail versus sea, and what a quote does NOT include. Ranges as of 2026 — confirm your lane.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi7 min readRead article - Logistics
Container Shipping From China in 2026: The Complete Importer's Guide
Sea, rail and air freight, container types, real 2026 rate dynamics and how goods actually move from China to your market. A practical guide for businesses shipping anything from one pallet to a full container.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi8 min readRead article - Logistics
How to Find the HS Code for Import: The Method, Not a List
A step-by-step method to determine your product's HS code using the WCO Harmonized System and the GRI rules. The code sets your duty, import VAT/GST and permits — for commercial importers.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi7 min readRead article - Logistics
Import Documents from China: The Complete Checklist for Commercial Shipments
What documents you need to import from China — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, sales contract, certificate of origin, customs declaration and product permits. Who prepares each, and why customs needs it.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Landed Cost Calculation for China Imports: The Full Formula
The complete landed cost of importing from China — goods, freight, duty, import VAT, broker and hidden fees — with the correct formula and a worked steel-container example.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Customs Clearance for Commercial Cargo from China: Duties, Import VAT and the Process
How a business (legal entity) clears a commercial batch from China: the step-by-step customs process, what you pay (import duty + import VAT), how customs value works, the undervaluation risk, and the broker's role.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi6 min readRead article - Logistics
Incoterms 2020 for Importing from China in Plain Words: FOB, CIF, EXW, DDP
Incoterms 2020 for importing from China in plain words: who pays and who bears the risk under FOB, CIF, EXW and DDP, and which term to choose for a container shipment.
Arkadii Vakhnovskyi9 min readRead article - Logistics
Sea freight vs air freight from China: which to choose
How to decide between sea and air for your shipment — cost, speed, and the cargo that forces the choice for you.
Andy Wang6 min readRead article