How are brush orders shipped, and what do the trade terms mean?
Brush orders usually ship by air express for samples and small runs, and by sea for bulk. FOB, CIF and DDP define who pays freight and who clears customs. The right term depends on whether you have your own freight forwarder and how much of the import process you want to handle.
Air and sea
Air express suits samples and small orders where speed matters more than unit freight. Sea freight suits bulk orders of cartons, where the cost per brush falls sharply but transit runs in weeks. Brushes are light for their volume, so carton dimensions matter as much as weight.
What the terms mean
FOB means the seller delivers to the named port and the buyer takes over from there. CIF adds cost, insurance and freight to the destination port. DDP means the seller delivers duty-paid to the buyer’s address. Each shifts risk and paperwork; the cheapest quote is not always the lowest landed cost.
Documents
A commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading are standard. Certificates of origin or test reports may be needed depending on the destination. Tell us the market at quotation stage so the documents are prepared once, not twice.
Common questions
Which shipping term should a first-time importer use?
Many first orders use CIF or DDP so the freight and clearance are handled, then move to FOB once the buyer has a forwarder.
How are brushes packed for export?
Brushes are packed to the approved inner packaging, then into export cartons sized for the shipping mode.