There are several ways whereby a distributor or an agent could be reached for a product, including the following: Participating in local and international exhibitions and fairs, which provide the opportunity to get acquainted with distributors and producers from various states and regions. Businessmen meetings that could be organized by the Egyptian Commercial Representative Office in the country concerned. Electronic databases which could be accessed through EEPC website.
Pricing a commodity for exportation requires that a production cost be calculated first and foremost, taking into consideration, meanwhile, the cost of special specifications, modifications, and production of a quality and marketable commodity. It is, also, preferable that exportation administrative fees be added directly to the commodity price, instead of adding the ordinary administrative fees. When placing a price for the purchaser, you should ensure the existence of a good margin for profit. Following are the factors constituting the exportation price: Ex Factory Ex-factory price Profit Packaging and wrapping for exportation Export credit guarantees Interest on credit for importers Promotion and advertisement expenses incurred by the exporter Agents commission FOB Transportation expenses to the airport, or port, or train station Additional fees and expenses Refrigerated storage fees Instruments issuance (bill of lading) expenses Certificate of origin fees CIF Shipping expenses (air / land / maritime) Insurance fees Other Landed Cost Importation fees and taxes Unloading fees Clearance expenses Wholesale Price Internal transportation Promotion and advertisement expenses incurred by the importer Retail Price Retail mark up Federal tax and commodity tax Sales tax
After completing the three customs-related phases, the exporter or the representative submits a group of documents to the shipping agency to complete the shipping process, namely: Shipping Declaration: This declaration is to be submitted by the person in charge of the shipping process to the vessel agent at the shipping port. The said declaration should contain all the information required to be stated in the bill of lading. Shipping Order: This order is to be submitted by the agent of the vessel, on board of which the shipment is to take place. The order shall be annotated by the vessel first officer proving receipt of the consignment. Bill of Lading: A receipt duly signed by the carrier or the agent thereof upon delivering the consignment on board the vessel or upon receiving same. This document is, in fact, a written evidence of the conditions whereby the goods have been transported. Following are some of the functions of a bill of lading: A receipt of shipped products. Written evidence proving the shipment agreement and the terms thereof. A significant credit instrument in international trade. The following data should be recorded in the bill of lading: The number thereof / the shipper's name / the consignee's name / the vessel's name / the port of shipment / the port of unloading / the products data (weight / size) / freight charges and the method of payment / number of original copies. Kinds of bills of lading: Shipped on Board B/L Received for Shipment B/L Direct B/L Through B/L for products re-shipped at port. This B/L covers an entire phase
Among the terms, usually, used in the course of exportation is Letter of Credit.
Most commodities and products could, unconditionally, serve as good objects of exportation, such as the products of the plant and the animal kingdoms, chemicals, construction materials, clothes, textile, furniture and wood products, plastic products, mechanical and electrical equipment.
A CE Mark is a safety mark which ensures that the product complies with the European safety specifications. Any new product introduced to the European markets must bear the CE Mark. This mark is issued by any EU body responsible for quality tests and the grant of quality certificates. All information on products requiring a CE Mark could be accessed at:
www.euroconform.com
These are codes used for classifying goods for the purposes of exportation, importation. The form can be downloaded at: www.customs.gov.eg
Commercial Invoice
Packing List
Certificate of Origin
Insurance Certificate
Carrier's Declaration / Consignment Note
Letter of Credit
Bill of Exchange
Satisfactory information on the method of preparing and completing these commercial documents could be accessed at EEPC, which provides data on the most significant items of each document:
A complete description of the document form
An example of a filled-in document form
An explanation of the document items that could cause certain errors
Recommendations and proposals for avoiding such problems