What are the steps and shipping methods of international shipping?

The seven steps of international shipping are divided into: export haulage, origin processing, export declaration, sea transportation, import customs clearance, destination processing and import transportation.
1. Export haulage
The first step in international ocean freight is export haulage, which involves the transfer of goods from the shipper to the freight forwarder's premises. For goods with a small volume, the freight forwarder will choose to transport them to the export consolidation center (the warehouse at the origin) and wait for centralized consignment. Export haulage usually chooses road (by truck), rail or combined transportation. As for the cost, it is generally paid by the shipper, but it can also be negotiated and paid by the consignee.
2. Export declaration
For each shipment that is about to leave the country, relevant procedures must be carried out to meet regulatory requirements. Customs declaration is a process of formulating a declaration and submitting the required documents to the customs, which can only be carried out by companies with customs declaration qualifications and recognized by the customs (so-called customs brokers).
Export customs declaration can be completed by a freight forwarder with customs declaration qualification, or it can be operated by a customs broker directly designated by the shipper. The customs broker does not necessarily participate in any other part of the ocean transportation process. Export customs declaration must be completed before the goods leave the country, if not done by the freight forwarder, usually before the goods enter the freight forwarder's warehouse of origin.
3. Processing at the origin
Origin processing includes the physical handling and inspection of all goods from receipt at the origin warehouse to shipment. While there is a lot of work involved, it is all coordinated by the freight forwarder. Simply put, when a freight forwarder receives a shipment, it inspects it (tally), plans loading, merges it with other shipments, packs it into a container and transports it to the port of export where it is loaded onto the ship. During these processes, the costs incurred are paid by the shipper or consignee.
4. Sea freight
In this link, the freight forwarder signs the container transportation contract with the shipping company. In this case, the shipper or consignee cannot directly contact the shipping company. As for sea freight, it is borne by the shipper or consignee. However, it should be noted that this includes various surcharges, such as fuel surcharges, currency depreciation surcharges, etc., which are all borne by the shipper or consignee.
5. Import customs clearance
Import customs clearance usually begins before the goods reach the country of destination. Import customs clearance is handled by the freight forwarder or the customs broker designated by the consignee, who makes a declaration form, declares to the local customs together with relevant documents, and goes through various procedures stipulated by the customs. Generally speaking, import customs clearance procedures must be completed before the goods leave the bonded zone of the destination country.
6. Destination processing
The goods also need to be processed in the destination country before they can be released to the consignee. Destination handling involves transferring the container from the ship to the shore, from the port to the freight forwarder's warehouse in the destination country. Also includes unloading of the container and preparation of the cargo for pickup by the consignee. Note that under normal circumstances, you must pay all the fees before you can receive the goods. As for the payment party, it can be the shipper or the consignee.
7. Import transportation
The final step in international shipping is to deliver the goods to the consignee. Generally speaking, the freight forwarder or the transportation company designated by the consignee will transport the goods from the freight forwarder's warehouse to the designated delivery address, but the specific unloading is done by the consignee. Of course, you can also pay an additional fee and let the freight forwarder or transportation company handle it.