What kind空輸What makes an agent truly professional and reliable?

When selecting an air freight forwarder, three core competencies should be the primary focus:

• Airline resource coverage：A high-quality agent should hold IATA accreditation and maintain long-term partnerships with at least three major airlines (e.g., Air China, Lufthansa, Emirates).
• Experience in handling special cargo: Provides professional packaging, declaration, and transportation solutions for hazardous materials, cold-chain, and high-value cargo
• Digital service capabilities: By 2025, industry standards will require agents to provide real-time cargo tracking systems (such as WebTrack) and electronic bill of lading services.

What key charges should an air freight quotation include?

A standardized quotation should clearly distinguish the following cost items:

• Basic freight (charged based on the greater of volumetric weight or actual weight)
• Additional Fees:
  • Fuel Surcharge (Q2 2025 average airline charge: $0.45/kg)
  • Security insurance premium (typically 0.3% of the cargo value)
  • Airport handling charges (vary significantly across hub airports; for example, HACTL in Hong Kong charges 12% less than Shanghai Pudong)
• Prepaid at destination (including customs clearance, warehousing, delivery, etc.)

How to prevent air cargo from being detained by customs?

In accordance with the latest 2025 trade compliance requirements, special attention must be paid to:

• HS code declarations must be precise down to the 8–10 digit level, especially when involvingSemiconductors, medical devicesgoods in sensitive categories
• The attached documents must includeDeclaration of Origin(especially exports to the EU must comply with CBAM carbon border adjustment mechanism reporting requirements)
• リチウム電池Goods must be accompanied by a UN38.3 test report and1.2-meter drop test certification

What are the common causes of air freight delays?

Industry data from the past three years indicates that the main causes of delays include:

• Flight circuit breaker (the dynamic circuit-breaker mechanism will remain in effect in 2025; a multi-hub routing plan is recommended)
• Cargo security screening anomaly (accounts for 38% of delay cases; advance X-ray pre-screening is required)
• Document mismatch (especially when the discrepancy between the commercial invoice and the packing list exceeds 5%, manual review will be triggered)

How can I buy air cargo insurance in a cost-effective way?

It is recommended to adoptAnnual open policy + per-shipment additional coverageCombination plan:

• Basic coverage includes major accidents such as fire and crashes.
• High-Value Cargo SurchargeAll Risks
• Pay special attention to the war-risk exclusions; for Middle East routes, we recommend taking out separate coverage.

How to reduce air freight logistics costs?

Three Efficiency-Boosting Strategies Recommended by Veteran Freight Forwarders:

• LCL Consolidation Optimization (AI-based stowage system can reduce volumetric weight by 15%)
• Dynamic booking strategy (keep an eye on airlines’ quarterly promotions—for example, in Q4 2025 there’s a cabin rebate policy on China–U.S. routes).
• Pre-clearance customs processing (declaring 72 hours in advance grants access to the customs fast-track lane)

How to effectively claim for lost or damaged cargo?

Be sure to followFour-Step Evidence Collection Principle：

• Take photos immediately upon arrival at the destination portUnopened condition video
• Obtained from the airline or ground handling agentAbnormal Situation Report
• Issued by a third-party inspection agencyLoss Assessment Report
• The claim application must be submitted within14 calendar dayssubmit within

What are the special requirements for air freight in emerging markets?

Special considerations for Africa and South America:

• Nigeria needsSONCAP CertificationOriginal documents attached with the shipment
• Brazilian customs clearance requires mandatory provisionImporter's CNPJ Tax IDand the VAT Pre-payment Certificate
• Saudi Arabia executesSABER systemMandatory certification: electronic certificates must be uploaded 48 hours in advance

How to choose the optimal air freight route?

It is recommended to adopt a multi-dimensional evaluation model:

• Timeliness: Refer to the airline's official announcementOTP On-Time Performance(2025: Lufthansa led with 92.7%)
• Economics: Compare transshipment costs across different hub ports (e.g., transiting via Dubai saves $0.8/kg compared to Singapore)
• Stability: Avoid politically sensitive regions (Ukrainian airspace remains a high-risk area at present)

How significant is the impact of digital transformation on air freight forwarders?

By 2025, the industry has achieved three major technological breakthroughs:

• Blockchain waybill (average customs clearance time reduced by 12 hours)
• Intelligent Early-Warning System (predicts 80% of potential risks 72 hours in advance)
• Digital Twin Warehouse (inbound efficiency increased by 40%, mis-shipment rate reduced to 0.3%)