Home Shipping
How shipping from Kolkata works
How your goods leave Kolkata, by sea or by air, where our work ends and your forwarder's begins, and the papers that travel with them.
By sea
Kolkata's port is Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, a river port on the Hooghly with two parts: the Kolkata Dock System in the city and the Haldia Dock Complex downstream, nearer the Bay of Bengal. Container cargo from here usually reaches the main east-west lines through a transshipment hub, most often Colombo, and from there the Gulf, Europe, the Americas, East Asia and Australia. Carriers also move Kolkata cargo through other Indian ports, so the route is chosen order by order.
A small first order usually travels LCL, less than container load, which means your cartons share a container with other shippers' cargo. FCL, full container load, means the container is yours alone, and it makes sense once the volume is there. Your forwarder compares the two once the carton count and volume are known, and we send those on the packing list.
By air
Air freight leaves through Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. It costs more per kilo and arrives in days rather than weeks, so it suits samples, urgent replacements and small orders of high value. Air cargo for Europe, the Americas and Australia connects through a hub; the map below shows where goods can reach, not direct services.
What we do, in order
- You tell us the product, the quantity, the country, and whether it carries your brand.
- We reply by email within a working day, with our questions.
- We agree a written specification, the terms, and a small first order.
- We inspect the goods against that specification before they leave the maker.
- The goods leave on the terms we agreed, with the documents: commercial invoice, packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, and a certificate of origin where your country asks for one.
Our usual terms are FCA Kolkata, Incoterms® 2020, for sea and air. We clear the goods for export and hand them to your carrier at a named place in Kolkata, and that place is written into every quote: a container freight station, an inland container depot or the airport cargo terminal. From there, your forwarder takes over. We quote FOB Kolkata when a sea buyer asks for it in writing.
The terms of sale, the port or airport, and who pays for which leg are written into each order before it starts. Nothing is assumed, and nothing is arranged that was not agreed. To claim a lower duty, your broker may need a specific proof of origin, and your market may also ask for test reports or certificates, so send us your broker's list before we ship and every paper will match.
Questions about shipping
How long does shipping from Kolkata take?
By sea, weeks; by air, days. The exact time depends on the transshipment hub (for Kolkata cargo, most often Colombo) and the carrier's schedule. On our usual terms, FCA Kolkata, your forwarder books the main freight, so they give you the current transit time and can compare routes for you.
What is the difference between FCA and FOB?
Under FOB, risk passes when the goods are loaded on the ship, so FOB is for sea and inland waterway only. Under FCA, it passes when the goods are handed to your carrier at the named place, and FCA works for any transport. Container cargo is usually handed over at a terminal before it is loaded, and the ICC calls FCA the appropriate rule for goods in containers.
Can you ship CIF or DDP, door to door?
No. We do not book the main freight: we sell FCA Kolkata, or FOB Kolkata for sea when you ask in writing, and your forwarder arranges the freight, insurance and delivery to your door. That keeps the freight price in your hands, and you can compare forwarders' quotes for the same handover point.
Do we need a freight forwarder?
On our terms, yes. Under FCA Kolkata you, or a forwarder you appoint, book the transport from Kolkata and handle arrival, import clearance and delivery at your end. If you do not have a forwarder yet, choose one that handles cargo from India, and ask them to quote from the handover place named in our quote.
Who insures the goods on the way?
Under FCA, risk passes to you when we hand the goods to your carrier in Kolkata, so cargo insurance from that point is for you or your forwarder to arrange. Up to the handover, the goods are our responsibility. If you want insurance arranged differently, it must be written into the quote and the contract.
Ask for a quote
Tell us the product, the quantity and the port or airport it is going to, and we will say how it would travel and on what terms. We reply by email within a working day.