A shipment that sits in port costs money every hour. A customs hold caused by wrong documentation wastes weeks and destroys project timelines. Plutonia's Logistics & Customs Division eliminates both — managing sea freight, air freight, consolidation, and customs clearance with documentation prepared to destination-country specification before goods leave origin.
Plutonia's Logistics & Customs Division is a full-service international freight and customs management operation that arranges sea freight (FCL and LCL), air freight, express courier, and multimodal transport from origin to destination — and prepares all import documentation including commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, bills of lading, and destination-specific compliance documents. It is designed to eliminate the documentation failures and logistics gaps that cause customs holds, demurrage charges, and delivery delays.
Origin port, destination port/address, cargo dimensions and weight, commodity type, Incoterms preference, and required delivery date submitted. Plutonia provides freight quotation with sailing options.
Commercial invoice, packing list, and all required export/import documents prepared and verified for consistency before booking. HS codes confirmed. Certificate of origin application filed.
Freight booking confirmed with carrier. Container assigned. Loading supervised where required. Bill of lading issued. All documents sent to client for customs pre-clearance preparation.
Container tracked from origin to destination. ETA updates provided. Customs clearance documentation submitted to destination broker in advance of vessel arrival to prevent clearance delays.
Goods delivered to warehouse, project site, or FBA. Complete documentation package provided: B/L, commercial invoice, packing list, CO, inspection certificates, customs entry, and delivery confirmation.
| Situation | Without Plutonia | With Plutonia |
|---|---|---|
| Customs hold — 47 days. Demurrage $18,000 | ✗ Wrong HS code, invoice value inconsistent with packing list, missing certificate of origin. Shipment held at Port of Mombasa for 47 days. | ✓ All documents checked for internal consistency before departure. HS codes verified against destination tariff schedule. CO application filed before vessel departure. |
| Wrong Incoterms — buyer pays unexpected $40,000 in freight and duty | ✗ Buyer agreed CIF without understanding that CIF does not include customs clearance. Arrives at destination and faces $40,000 in clearance costs not budgeted. | ✓ Incoterms advisory provided at quotation stage. Full landed cost calculation including freight, duty, VAT, and clearance provided before order confirmation. |
| Lithium battery shipment refused by airline | ✗ 3,000 lithium batteries shipped without IATA DGR documentation. Airline refuses cargo at origin. Order delayed 3 weeks while sea freight re-arranged. | ✓ DG classification assessed before freight booking. IATA DGR documentation prepared by certified specialist. Carrier acceptance confirmed before booking. |
| Consolidation error — wrong goods in container | ✗ LCL consolidation includes another buyer's goods mixed with client's shipment. Client receives wrong items. Correct goods located 2 weeks later in wrong warehouse. | ✓ Plutonia controls its own consolidation process. Each client's cargo photographed at warehouse receipt and matched to packing list before container loading. |
FCL (Full Container Load) means the buyer's cargo occupies an entire shipping container — either a 20ft (approximately 28 CBM, 20 tonnes max) or 40ft (approximately 68 CBM, 26 tonnes max). The buyer pays for the whole container regardless of whether it is full. FCL is more cost-effective per CBM above approximately 15–20 CBM, offers faster port-to-port transit (no consolidation handling), lower cargo damage risk, and better documentation simplicity. LCL (Less than Container Load) means the buyer's cargo shares a container with other shippers' goods. The buyer pays only for their portion of container space, measured in CBM. LCL is more cost-effective for small shipments (1–15 CBM) but adds handling risk, requires consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at destination, and typically adds 5–10 days to transit time.
The most common and recommended Incoterms for buyers importing from China are: FOB (Free On Board) — supplier delivers goods to the origin port, loaded on the vessel. Buyer arranges and pays for freight, insurance, and all destination costs. This gives the buyer control over freight choice and cost. CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) — supplier arranges and pays for freight and insurance to destination port. Buyer pays customs clearance and onward delivery. Use with caution: CIF does not include customs clearance, and buyers often underestimate destination costs. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) — supplier (or their agent) delivers goods to buyer's address with all costs paid including customs clearance and duties. Highest cost but simplest for buyers. Plutonia provides a full landed cost calculation under any Incoterms scenario before order confirmation.
The Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is a mandatory requirement for all commercial imports into Nigeria above $2,000 in value. The PAAR is generated by the importer's clearing agent through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) eTrade platform, using the destination inspection report issued by an approved scanning/inspection company (SGS, Cotecna, or Bureau Veritas). The critical requirement is that the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, combined certificate of value and origin, and SON conformity certificate (for regulated products) are all internally consistent and match the physical goods. Plutonia prepares all documents to NCS specification and coordinates with the destination clearing agent to ensure PAAR is applied for before vessel arrival — preventing the port congestion delays that result from post-arrival PAAR processing.
Customs clearance costs and timelines vary significantly by destination country, product category, and documentation completeness. Indicative ranges: Nigeria — 5–20 business days with complete documentation; 30–90 days with documentation issues. Kenya — 3–10 business days with complete documentation. UK — 1–3 business days with correct CHIEF/CDS declaration. US — 1–5 business days for standard clearance; Customs Examination (CET) adds 3–10 days. UAE — 1–3 business days with complete documentation. Customs brokerage fees typically range from $150–$500 for standard shipments. Duties are calculated on CIF value at destination-country tariff rates. Plutonia provides a full pre-shipment cost estimate including duties, taxes, and clearance fees before goods are shipped.
Submit your logistics requirement — origin, destination, cargo type, timeline — and receive a freight quotation with full landed cost breakdown within 24 hours.