Conclusion
Freight forwarders, in particular SME, are essential to make supply chains work, they provide an invaluable range of services such as groupage / consolidation enabling the smaller shipper to engage in international trade when otherwise they might not be able to do so.
Links the shippers and carriers
Interfaces with inventory systems at ports and airports
The freight forwarder:
Connects via their IT systems with commercial systems to facilitate the movement and tracking of cargo
Provides access via IT to essential customs and other regulatory systems
Simplifies the commercial arrangement for their customers often on favourable credit terms
There are simply too many shippers and consignees for the carriers to successfully manage all their client relationships, particularly given national regulatory and commercial variations. It is the freight forwarder who gives the individual, nationally based trader the opportunity to engage in international trade.
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