Know Your Costs and Risks Before You Ship
A structured logistics review delivered in 48 hours: freight mode, landed cost estimate, Incoterms analysis, customs documents and FBA compliance — all reviewed by a specialist, not generated automatically.
Why This Exists
Most freight problems were avoidable
The majority of costly logistics errors — wrong HS code, missing customs document, FBA rejection, unexpected duty bill — happen because the importer reviewed their supplier's quote but did not review their logistics plan. A supplier is not a logistics consultant. A freight forwarder quoting on price is not analysing your customs position.
The assessment exists to provide what the freight market rarely offers: an independent, structured review of your shipment before you commit — delivered in writing, at a fixed price.
of first-time importers encounter an unexpected customs charge on their first shipment
FBA shipments from China require a correction before the FC will accept them
typical cost of a logistics error that a pre-shipment review would have caught
is all it takes to have an expert review your plan before you book
Deliverables
What You Receive in Your Report
Every assessment covers these six areas. The depth of review and format of delivery varies by package.
Route & Mode Recommendation
We review your cargo weight, volume, urgency and destination and recommend the optimal freight mode — air, sea or rail — with realistic transit times and cost ranges. Not a generic table, but a specific recommendation based on your shipment.
Incoterms Risk Analysis
Suppliers frequently quote EXW or FOB terms that expose you to costs and risks you may not have budgeted for. We review the Incoterm in your supplier's quotation and flag any clauses that increase your landed cost or customs liability.
Landed Cost Estimate
A full breakdown of estimated freight cost, import duty, VAT or GST, customs handling fee, port charges and last-mile delivery. This gives you a real number to plan around — not a freight quote with hidden add-ons arriving later.
Document Checklist
Every shipment to every destination requires a specific set of documents. We produce a checklist tailored to your cargo type, HS code and destination country — including any certificates, compliance declarations or origin documents your customs broker will require.
Amazon FBA Readiness Check
If you are shipping to Amazon, we check FBA compliance: carton weight and dimension limits, FNSKU label placement, shipment creation requirements and the implications of sending directly from China versus using a prep centre.
Supplier Quote Review
We read your supplier's price confirmation or pro forma invoice and flag any terms — payment conditions, origin surcharges, packaging exclusions — that are likely to increase your final cost or create disputes at point of shipment.
Packages
Three Assessment Tiers
Choose the depth of review that fits your shipment complexity. The assessment cost is credited against your first Latynex freight booking.
Route review for a single shipment
Full pre-shipment review for growing importers
Supply chain review for complex operations
Assessment fee credited against first Latynex freight booking. All prices exclude VAT where applicable.
Process
From Submission to Report in 48 Hours
Submit Your Shipment Details
Complete a short intake form: origin city, destination, product type, approximate weight and CBM, your supplier's Incoterm and any specific questions you have. Attach your supplier quote if available.
Payment and Confirmation
Choose your package and complete payment. You will receive a confirmation within one business hour with the name of the consultant assigned to your assessment.
Expert Review
A logistics specialist reviews your shipment scenario in full — not an automated output. We check freight options, customs position, documents, Incoterms and any FBA requirements.
Report Delivered in 48 Hours
You receive a structured PDF report covering route recommendation, landed cost estimate, document checklist, Incoterms risk flags and specific recommendations. Business and Strategic packages include a follow-up call.
Act on Your Findings
Use the report to negotiate with your supplier, brief your customs broker or proceed with Latynex freight booking. Starter clients have one round of email follow-up. Business and Strategic clients receive a call.
What We Examine
Six Review Areas in Every Assessment
Your Supplier's Quotation
We read the actual pro forma invoice or price sheet — checking Incoterm, payment terms, packaging specification, origin surcharges and any conditions that affect what you pay at destination.
Your Freight Route Options
We compare air, sea and rail for your specific origin city, destination port or address, and cargo profile. We flag where one mode is significantly better on cost, speed or risk.
Your Customs Duty Position
We look up the correct HS code for your product and the applicable import duty rate for your destination country, including any trade agreement benefits or anti-dumping duties that apply to China-origin goods.
Your Document Readiness
We identify the exact documents required for customs clearance at your destination — commercial invoice requirements, packing list standards, certificate of origin, product compliance declarations and anything destination-specific.
Your Receiving Infrastructure
Whether you are delivering to an Amazon FC, a third-party warehouse, or your own premises, we check that the planned shipment format and routing is compatible with the receiving party's requirements.
Your DDP or DAP Options
We calculate what DDP delivery costs versus standard DAP or FOB, and advise whether DDP is cost-effective for your shipment type and destination. This is a frequently misunderstood cost area.
Example Findings
What We Find in Practice
These are real categories of finding from completed assessments, with identifying details removed. They illustrate the types of issue the review is designed to surface.
Supplier quoted EXW Shenzhen. Importer had not budgeted for origin handling, export declaration or Shenzhen airport charges. Actual cost was €840 higher than the initial freight quote.
Assessment flagged the gap before booking. Importer renegotiated to FCA Shenzhen airport, reducing the total landed cost by €620 versus original plan.
Client was routing through a freight forwarder who applied a 22% markup on destination customs brokerage. Assessment identified that the ISF filing was also being billed separately at $95 per shipment, undisclosed in the original quote.
Switched to a direct customs broker arrangement. ISF and duty entry combined at $120 flat. Annual saving across 6 shipments: approximately $1,400.
Product was classified under the wrong HS code by the client — one that attracts 5% import duty in UAE instead of the correct 0% rate. This had been applied across three previous shipments.
Correct HS code identified and documented. Client submitted a duty refund claim for the prior shipments and corrected future import declarations.
Client was separating shipments from three suppliers into three separate rail consignments, each paying the minimum LCL surcharge. Total monthly freight cost was €3,200.
Assessment recommended consolidation at origin warehouse in Guangzhou. Combined into one FCL rail departure. Monthly freight reduced to €1,750 — a 45% reduction in freight cost with no change in transit time.
Risk Reduction
The Risks the Assessment is Designed to Prevent
Each of these scenarios results in a delayed shipment, an unexpected invoice or a rejection at destination. All are preventable with a pre-shipment review.
Customs delay at destination
Missing or incorrect customs documents identified only at port of entry.
Assessment delivers a pre-departure document checklist. You confirm all documents before the shipment leaves China.
Duty underpayment or overpayment
Incorrect HS code used on customs entry — common when importers self-classify.
We confirm the correct HS code and applicable duty rate for your product before you book freight.
FBA rejection at Amazon FC
Carton over weight limit, incorrect FNSKU label placement, or wrong shipment type selected.
FBA readiness check confirms carton spec, label format and FC routing before goods leave China.
Hidden freight costs on delivery
Forwarder quote excludes destination handling, customs entry or last-mile — items added at invoice stage.
Landed cost estimate covers all cost elements. You know the full number before committing.
Incoterm dispute with supplier
Importer assumes FOB but supplier applies EXW with additional origin charges.
Incoterms review identifies ambiguity in supplier quote and recommends clarification before order placement.
Cost Context
The assessment pays for itself
A single FBA shipment rejected at the fulfilment centre and returned to China costs between €400 and €1,200 in freight alone, plus the delay. A missed duty refund opportunity on a misclassified product can represent several hundred euros per shipment, compounding across multiple orders.
The Starter assessment at €99 covers a single pre-shipment review. The average finding of value in our assessments exceeds the assessment fee on the first shipment alone. The Business and Strategic assessments are designed for businesses where the shipment volumes mean that a 5–10% improvement in landed cost is a material number.
Typical value found by package
Indicative ranges based on completed assessments. Not a guarantee of saving.
Assessment credited against freight
If you proceed to book freight with Latynex, the assessment fee is credited in full against your first freight invoice — so the cost of the review is effectively zero if you ship with us.
FAQ
Common Questions
Questions about scope, process and what to expect from the report.
Related Services
Next Steps After Your Assessment
The assessment tells you what to do. These are the services that help you do it.
DDP Shipping
All import duties and VAT pre-paid — one all-in landed cost quote from China to your door.
Amazon FBA
Air and sea freight direct to Amazon FCs, with FNSKU prep and FBA compliance built in.
Warehouse & Consolidation
Multi-supplier consolidation and FBA labeling in China before export.
Book Freight
Ready to ship? Get a freight quote — assessment clients receive priority response.