Hong Kong Expat FAQs Expat Articles Accommodation Work in Hong Kong Nightlife News Hong Kong Expat Dating Hong Kong Hotels

International Shipping and Relocation

Axel, who has many years of experience in the shipping industry, offers some down to Earth advice on taking your possessions with you when moving overseas.

Some people just sell or throw away their stuff to buy new, once arrived.
Others want to take everything, furniture, beds, fridge a.s.o. Moving time is a good time
to sort out what you don't want or need anymore and to decide what you want to take along.

Once clear with this, call a removal company (yellow pages or friends will help) or better, call two or three, ask the for a survey and a quotation divided in 4 parts...

  1. Origin service
  2. Freight and charges
  3. Destination service
  4. Insurance

For an accurate service it is important to show the surveyors each and every item you want to take. This includes the contents of all the cabinets, drawers etc. Furniture, can it be dismantled?

Based on the survey you will receive an estimate for weight and volume. I.e. you will be told what to expect after packing in kilograms or pounds and in cubic meters or cubic feet. This is the basis for any calculation and the survey should allow for an error of +/- 10%. Your final payment will be lump sum or on actual weight/measurement.

1) The origin service is usually quoted lump sum, means something like:
We estimate *** cbm and yyy kgs.
Packing at your house will take .... days into sea- or transportworthy cartons.
Total price for this: Amount ......

Also included for smaller lots is packing the cartons into wooden cases/crates etc.or stuffing into containers
For bigger lots. Trucking to the port should be included as well as costs for export procedures, customs-passes and delivery to fob, i.e. onto a ship (or airplane) Fumigation if required for your destination. It should show which documents you have to present, probably passport, ticket etc.

2) Freight quotation will specify a rate based on measurement x-dollar per cbm or an amount per sea container (20', 40' or evtl. 45' in US-trade. This just declares the length of the container, height and width are standard) Let's say the estimate is 10 cbm, the quote will be a rate per cbm
If enough to fill a container the rate will be per that.
Additional costs must be shown, usually currency adjustment factors CAF, and bunker adjustments BAF. These two vary month by month.

3) Destination service.
This will tell you how much you have to pay to bring your stuff from the port through customs to your new place. Naturally you must tell them where that might be, e.g. city area of Bangkok, downtown Tokyo. It will incl. delivery and removal of debris. They might open the wooden case or container and bring the cartons inside the place. After you unpacked the cartons, they will come to pick up the trash. It should also mention which documents you have to provide. here usually is a remark, that evtl. customs and duty must be paid.

4) Insurance
This is offered on a percentage basis related to the declared value. While packing, the removal company will prepare lists showing what is in which carton. Your job is to itemize the value, carton by carton, add 1), 2) and 3) above plus the insurance premium. Add to the total 10-15% (in case of total loss you might need this extra to replace the loss) and you have your insurance value.
The premium depends on coverage which minimal should cover for total loss, washed over board etc. Better all risks from house to house. Glass breakage might be limited to 10% of the claim.
(Hint, you pack yourself and the insurance company might claim unprofessional packing, no payment. I said 'might'.)

After you received your 2-3 quotes, you can compare and entrust the best. Personally, I recommend, to give Origin service to one company but to compare freight and destination service/insurance with others.
Ask shipping lines or forwarders for the freight cost per cbm or container and compare.
Ask clearing agents or forwarders at destination for their price. The original offer you received as destination service is ok, but once you can show details a more specified and lower quote can be obtained.

You should as well check by yourself customs rules at destination, although the removal company should have told you.
Check the Internet, post in OE a.s.o. and learn from experience of others.
Find out if your removal is really duty- and tax free as it should be but is not in many countries in Asia.
However, new items are NOT duty-free, alcohol is taxable, electronics in most countries are limited to one piece of items per person/household.
This is a rough outline what to consider before you move. Of course every individual case is slightly different and you should check before deciding removal or sell/throw away your stuff.

Coming to Hong Kong? Take a look at our hotel rates: Hong Kong Hotels

Need advice? Got a question? Go to our Hong Kong Forum