When shipping to the Middle East by sea and choosing a freight forwarder, I strongly suggest you confirm these three points. They are very closely related to your export tax refund. Right now, over 90% of companies face issues with their tax refunds because of these points.

1.  Confirm the Type of Bill of Lading

    You need to ask your freight forwarder if the bill of lading they issue is a house bill of lading or a master bill of lading. If they give you a house bill, ask if they can also provide the master bill as supporting proof. You will need this for your export tax refund.

2.  Check if They Are an NVOCC

    Ask if your freight forwarder is a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC). If they are not, the house bill of lading they issue might not be valid.

3.  Ask About Separate Invoices

    Confirm if the forwarder can issue separate invoices for different services. For example, an invoice for domestic trucking, one for customs declaration, one for port fees, and one for the international freight charge.

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The same goes for air freight to the Middle East. Do not just compare prices! Ignoring these three points could cause big delays and cost you unnecessary money.

1.  Check the Timeline Details

    Don’t just believe “it arrives in three days.” You must confirm the latest time you can deliver your cargo to the warehouse and the cut-off time for customs declaration. If you miss these, your goods will have to wait for the next flight, and your whole schedule will be messed up.

2.  Clarify Responsibilities and Safety Procedures

    Air freight security is very strict. You must ask what happens if your cargo fails the security screening. Also, ask if there is official paperwork when the cargo is handed over. If you don’t clarify this in advance, people will just blame each other if something goes wrong.

3.  The Most Important Point: Ask if They Are a Direct Airline Agent

    This is key. It determines if your cargo will be bumped when space is tight during peak season, and if your shipping costs will suddenly go up. Only a direct agent can give you stable space and reliable control over pricing.

Get these three points clear to find a reliable air freight partner. It will save you money and stress!

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Take our company, DL Logistics, as an example. We secure 20 pallet spaces every week on two major airlines. We are a primary consolidator for air freight to the Middle East, which is what everyone calls a direct agent. You might think, “It’s normal for an air freight company to have pallet spaces.” But did you know that 90% of companies offering air freight to the Middle East are just middlemen? They wait until they have cargo to go look for space. Even the better ones only have 2 or 3 pallet spaces a week. Our capacity is 10 times that. We are at the top level and are truly one of the top five players for air freight to the Middle East.

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Also, if you are in foreign trade, you need to know the difference between palletized cargo and loose cargo in international air freight.

Palletized cargo usually consists of large pieces. Typically, palletized cargo needs to be shipped on a wide-body aircraft. A narrow-body aircraft won’t work because its cargo door is small. For narrow-body planes, no single side of a package can exceed 0.8 meters, or it may not fit. Of course, if you are using a freighter aircraft (all cargo), there are fewer restrictions on piece size.

What is loose cargo? Loose cargo is small items, like individual cartons. Besides cartons, there are other types, such as small bags or small bundles. Loose cargo is not loaded directly onto the plane. First, these small pieces are packed into standard aircraft containers (Unit Load Devices) before being loaded onto the aircraft. Understanding this will help you navigate the process when you send air freight to the Middle East.