Fashion shipping has always been a major headache for all those apparel businesses catering to the European and American markets. You need to make sure the shipping items reach their destination without a scratch due to the strict distribution compliances of those markets. Many times businesses have to bear the brunt of product recall just because of botched-up shipping work. If you are running a Fashion business in Egypt or Jordan, you may want to reach out to the overseas market. However, the logistical nightmare of shipping and the risk of canceled contracts due to messed-up consignments could be holding you back. If this is the case, then read on. We are going to discuss different ways to ship Fashions overseas and the factors you need to consider to make the procurement process smooth.
Air and Sea Freight: The Two Ways to Ship Fashions
You two have options when it comes to shipping Fashions from the Middle East to the American and European markets: air freight and sea freight. However, choosing between the two is one hell of a task. If you have found a Fashion shipping service that offers both sea and air freight but you are not sure about choosing which one, then factor in the pros and cons of both. Let’s talk about the air freight first. There is no doubt that air freight has changed the shipment landscape. It has exponentially expedited the turnaround and transit times. However, you also need to factor in its downsides if you want to keep it a feasible option for your Fashion shipping.
Use Air Freight for Your Fashion Shipping If:
You Need to Deliver the Consignment in the Least Possible Time
Let’s suppose a Jordanian merchandiser promises a wholesaler in Texas to deliver a consignment of men’s button-down shirts within three months via regular sea freight. However, the consignment of those 4,000 shirts has been delayed due to a manufacturing lag. Now, the situation is the merchandise only has 10 days remaining to meet the 3-month deadline. It has now two options to work with:
- Hastily package the consignment and ship it via vessel that would take anywhere between 28 to 45 days to reach the destination port.
- Thoroughly pack and prepare the consignment and then book it through air freight for Dallas. The shipment will fly from the Queen Alia International Airport to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport within 1-2 days.
Option 1 entails a lot of risk for the Jordanian business. The missed deadline is not going to bode well for the wholesaler. Moreover, the crackpot packaging of the consignment is going to make this a double-whammy. The Jordanian merchandise will certainly save shipment costs by sticking to sea freight but with a risk of losing a potential long-time client and many contracts. This screwed-up shipment will also go on to blot its reputation in the region. On the other hand, option 2 involves higher shipment costs, but it will allow the business to ensure quality compliance and meet the promised deadline. The shipping overspent here is going to serve the business well in the long run.
You Need to Ensure Minimal Risk to Your Fashion Consignment
Suppose an Egyptian fashion supplier receives an order for bespoke blazers from a high-end European brand. Although sea freight is safe, its long transit time increases the risk of damage, especially for GOH (Garment on Hanger) items. In such cases, opting for air freight, even with ample lead time, is preferable. This ensures the supplier is liable for the shortest duration, delivering within a day or two. The supplier can also factor the higher air freight cost into the price of the blazers, and the European brand will appreciate the diligence in choosing air over sea freight. Lastly, a consignment of bespoke apparel is more likely to be not too bulky. This means you can easily find a single booking in your preferred timeslot with your Fashion shipping service. Let’s also have a quick rundown of some of the other benefits of using air freight for Fashions
Lesser Shipping Insurance Premium
Air is considered the safest way to travel and transport. Moreover, airports all around the world have the utmost security measures in place. This inevitably drops the cost of insurance for items shipped through the air.
You Don’t Need to Overfill Your Inventories
You get a transit time of not more than a week with air freight to ship your items anywhere in the world. This means your Fashion products don’t have to sit in the inventories for long stretches to get out of fashion. If you establish regular air freight for your apparel shipping to the overseas market, then you can run your manufacturing process more in sync with the demand and orders.
Accurate Shipping Dates
If you have promised to deliver a consignment on the 26th of June, then you will be able to deliver it on time with air freight only. Such accurate and pin-point shipping dates can’t be promised in any other shipping method (not even for land freight)
Use Sea Freight for Your Fashion Shipping If:
You Are Dealing in Thousands of Pieces and Tons of Volume
An Egyptian fashion company has contracted to deliver 40,000 pairs of jeans to an American enterprise over the next year. Opting for air freight is not feasible due to high costs. Instead, sea freight is ideal for such bulk shipments. A 20-ft container can hold 9,000-11,000 pairs of jeans, allowing the company to ship the order in four installments, each reaching the destination port within six weeks. This method can halve the logistical expenses. In short, large fashion shipments should be sent by sea.
If Your Shipment Entails a Large Volume of GOH (Garment On Hanger)
If a company is making silk apparel and has promised the buyer to ship them unfolded, then there is only one option to consider, i.e., GOH. You can deliver GOH via both air and sea freight. However, GOH on air freight costs a lot more than the sea. So, if the company has to ship a large volume of GOH, air freight is going to eat into a large chunk of its profits. Meanwhile, getting a full GOH container in the sea freight is not going to cost you that much for a pretty simple reason: the humungous volume you get in a shipping vessel. When the largest airfreight carrier can’t carry more than 250 tons, an average container vessel can float more than 100,000 tons of cargo.
You Are Eyeing to Establish a Steady Supply-Chain
A company with multiple buyers in the same region should rely on sea freight for a stable supply chain. Supplying several buyers overseas usually doesn’t involve tight deadlines, allowing you to serve multiple buyers from one port. While sea freight offers large shipping volumes at lower costs, it also has some downsides to be aware of.
It Involves a Lot of Documentation
In comparison to air, sea freight entails a lot of paperwork, particularly if you are taking care of all the imports and customs requirements on your own. You can, however, get around this red tape by hiring the experts for such services.
You Have to Pay More in Duties
For many countries, shipping through the sea involves more taxes and duties. If you are handling a small Fashion cargo, then consider this factor because chances are that air shipping may come in more cost-effective and handy for you. If you are not sure of the long list of duties and taxes payable at the port of destination.
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