Last Updated: October 16, 2026 by Pratham Agarwal, Rasp International
Rasp International | Supply Chain Advisory
International Logistics and Supply Chain Services: The Export Chain From Factory to Buyer
Where an export shipment is exposed, from packing and storage to transit, insurance and documents. Close each gap before it costs you. Rasp International plans the chain and coordinates vetted packing, transport, forwarding and customs broker partners across India.
An export supply chain is every step between your production line and your buyer’s warehouse: packing, storage, inland transport, customs, the main voyage or flight, arrival and payment.
Losses rarely happen inside one step. They happen at the handovers, where the goods pass from one party, document or insurance cover to the next and nobody owns the gap.
157:50 h
Average export time at seaports after the Let Export Order, National Time Release Study 2025
56 °C
Core temperature for 30 continuous minutes in ISPM 15 heat treatment of wood packaging
60 Days
Latest end of standard cargo cover after discharge at the final port, Institute Cargo Clauses 2009
2019
Year Rasp International was founded
Verified as on 24 September 2026 against ISPM 15 (IPPC), the Institute Cargo Clauses (A), (B) and (C) of 1 January 2009, the National Time Release Study 2025 and PIB releases on the National Logistics Policy.
The Short Answer on Export Supply Chain Management
Export supply chain management is planning and controlling how goods, documents and risk move from the factory to the buyer. For an Indian exporter it covers export packing that meets import rules such as ISPM 15, storage, road or rail transport to the port, customs clearance, the main carriage, marine insurance and the documents the bank and buyer need.
The rule that decides everything: risk, insurance and documents must change hands at the same point. Where one ends before the next begins, the loss falls on you.
| Item | Key facts |
|---|
| Where risk passes | Set by the Incoterm on your invoice (ICC Incoterms 2020) |
| Wood packaging rule | ISPM 15: treated and marked wood for pallets, crates and dunnage. Plywood and wood 6 mm or thinner are exempt |
| Cargo insurance | Institute Cargo Clauses (A), (B) or (C), 1 January 2009 wordings, under the Marine Insurance Act 1963 |
| Mandatory export documents | Transport document, commercial invoice cum packing list and shipping bill, Foreign Trade Policy 2023 para 2.06 |
| Real transit planning figure | 187 h 27 min average from arrival at a seaport to vessel departure, NTRS 2025 |
| National policy | National Logistics Policy, launched 17 September 2022 |
Why This Page Exists
Why the Gaps Between Steps Cost the Most
Standard cargo clauses exclude loss caused by insufficient or unsuitable packing done by the insured or its employees, and packing includes stowing a container. A box badly stuffed at your own factory can leave you with an uninsured loss even with a valid policy.
Rasp International does not run warehouses, trucks or vessels. We map your chain, brief the packing, transport, forwarding and customs partners in our network and check that risk, cover and documents line up at every handover.
The Export Chain, Stage by Stage
This is the path a sea export takes. Each stage names the risk that sits there and the page that covers it in detail.
1
Stage 1: Terms and Plan
Agree the Incoterm, payment method and delivery date. Plan backwards from the vessel cut-off, not forwards from the production date.
2
Stage 2: Packing and Marking
Pack for the full journey, use ISPM 15 marked wood and mark each package to match the packing list. Poor packing is excluded from cover.
3
Stage 3: Storage Before Dispatch
Goods waiting at a warehouse are not yet in transit, so check whether your policy covers them there.
4
Stage 4: Inland Transport
Road or rail to the ICD or port, with the VGM filed and the e-seal number on the shipping bill. See container transportation.
5
Stage 5: Customs and Terminal
A licensed broker files the shipping bill and customs gives the Let Export Order. See customs clearance.
6
Stage 6: Main Carriage
The vessel or aircraft leg under the bill of lading or air waybill. See freight forwarding.
7
Stage 7: Arrival and Payment
Documents reach the buyer or bank, the buyer clears the goods and you are paid. Your refunds follow the export manifest.
Shipping soon and not sure where your cover starts or ends? Send us your Incoterm and policy on WhatsApp for a quick gap check.
Who Needs Supply Chain Planning and Who Does Not
- Inland exporters whose goods travel hundreds of kilometres by road or rail before reaching a port.
- Exporters using wooden crates or pallets, which must meet ISPM 15 at the buyer’s border.
- Exporters selling CIF or CIP, who must buy cargo insurance at the level the Incoterm sets.
- Exporters of fragile, perishable or dangerous goods, where packing and handling rules decide whether the cargo is accepted.
Who Does Not Need Extra Support
Exporters selling EXW hand the whole chain to the buyer at their gate. Small courier consignments travel door to door under the courier’s own process.
What We Coordinate
Supply Chain Services Through Our Partner Network
Each link is run by a vetted partner and checked by our team.
Freight
Mode, Incoterm and bill of lading choices.
Read freight advisory
Containers
Factory stuffing, VGM and gate-in.
See container moves
Heavy Lift
ODC permits and breakbulk shipping.
View project cargo
Clearance
Shipping bill, LEO and refunds.
Read the clearance guide
Compliance
Certificates your buyer’s market asks for.
Check certifications
Payment Risk
Cover for the buyer not paying, which cargo insurance does not give.
Protect your payment
Export Packing: ISPM 15 and Other Rules
ISPM 15, the international standard for wood packaging, applies to crates, boxes, packing cases, pallets, dunnage and cable drums made of raw wood. Treated wood carries a mark with the IPPC symbol, the country code, the producer or treatment provider code and the treatment code.
| Packing item | Rule | What to check |
|---|
| Raw wood pallets, crates and dunnage | ISPM 15 treatment and mark | A legible mark on each piece. HT is heat treatment at 56 °C for 30 continuous minutes through the core |
| Other ISPM 15 treatments | MB (methyl bromide), SF (sulphuryl fluoride), DH (dielectric heating) | Many buyers prefer heat-treated wood, so ask before using methyl bromide |
| Plywood, particle board, OSB or veneer packing | Exempt from ISPM 15 | Keep a supplier note that the material is processed wood |
| Wood 6 mm thick or less | Exempt from ISPM 15 | Applies only if the whole package is thin wood |
| Dangerous goods | IMDG Code by sea, IATA rules by air | Tested packaging, class labels and a dangerous goods declaration |
| Consumer packs | Labelling rules of the buyer’s market | Language, origin marking and product standard marks |
In India, treatment providers work under the authority of the National Plant Protection Organisation, as ISPM 15 requires. Buy pallets only from a supplier whose mark you can trace.
Marine Insurance: Clauses A, B and C Compared
Most cargo policies use the Institute Cargo Clauses of 1 January 2009. Clause (A) covers all risks except those excluded. Clauses (B) and (C) cover only named events.
| Event | Clause (A) | Clause (B) | Clause (C) |
|---|
| Fire, explosion, vessel stranded, sunk or capsized, collision, land vehicle overturned | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| General average sacrifice and jettison | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Earthquake, volcanic eruption or lightning | Covered | Covered | Not named |
| Sea, lake or river water entering the vessel, container or store | Covered | Covered | Not named |
| Package lost overboard or dropped while loading or unloading | Covered | Total loss of the package only | Not named |
| Theft, rough handling or rain damage | Covered unless excluded | Not named | Not named |
| Poor packing by you, inherent vice or delay | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
Incoterms 2020 sets the minimum when you insure for the buyer: Clause (C) under CIF and Clause (A) under CIP. You can always buy more than the minimum.
When Cargo Cover Starts and Stops
Under the transit clause of the 2009 wordings, cover starts when the goods are first moved in the warehouse for immediate loading onto the vehicle that begins the transit. It ends at the first of these:
- Final warehouse: unloading at the final warehouse named in the policy.
- Storage by choice: unloading at any other warehouse you choose to use for storage outside the ordinary course of transit, or for distribution.
- Vehicle used as a store: using a vehicle or container for storage outside the ordinary course of transit.
- 60 days: 60 days after discharge from the ocean vessel at the final port.
So goods sitting in your factory store before dispatch, or parked in a truck for days, may not be covered. Ask your insurer to extend cover for those periods in writing.
Documents That Keep the Chain Moving
Foreign Trade Policy 2023 para 2.06 names three mandatory export documents. The others depend on your terms and product.
| Document | Who needs it | The gap that causes a problem |
|---|
| Commercial invoice cum packing list | Customs, bank and buyer | Package count or weight differs from the bill of lading |
| Shipping bill | Indian Customs | Scheme flags missing, so incentives are lost |
| Bill of lading or air waybill | Bank and buyer | Consignee differs from the letter of credit |
| Insurance certificate | Buyer under CIF or CIP | Cover below the Incoterm minimum or starting after dispatch |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Buyer’s border for plant products | Issued for the wrong lot or after shipment |
| Certificate of origin | Buyer claiming a tariff preference | Details differ from the invoice |
Where the Export Chain Breaks
Each failure below sits at a handover between two parties.
| Failure | What you see | What actually broke |
|---|
| Untreated wood pallet | Shipment held or pallets destroyed at the destination border | Pallets had no ISPM 15 mark or a mark nobody could trace |
| Warehouse to port gap | Loss during storage or a long truck halt is not paid | Cover had not started or had ended under the transit clause |
| Transit plan ignored port time | Missed delivery date and a buyer penalty | The plan assumed a quick sailing, not the 157 hours average after LEO |
| Container stuffed badly in-house | Damage claim rejected | Insufficient packing by the insured is excluded |
| Clause (C) bought for fragile goods | Breakage claim refused | Handling damage is not a named event under (C) |
| Delay claim | Insurer declines | Delay is excluded even when caused by an insured event |
Illustrative Example: The Pallets That Came Back
This is an illustrative composite, not a named client. A marble exporter near Agra ships slabs on local pallets bought cheaply for one order. The pallets carry no ISPM 15 mark. At the destination the wood is refused and the slabs must be repacked at the exporter’s cost. Buying marked pallets from a traceable supplier would have cost less than the repacking.
What the National Logistics Policy Changes for You
The National Logistics Policy, launched on 17 September 2022, aims to bring logistics costs to global benchmarks and lift India into the top 25 of the World Bank Logistics Performance Index by 2030. A PIB release of 16 September 2025 reports progress that exporters can use:
- ULIP: the Unified Logistics Interface Platform links more than 30 government systems by API and had handled over 160 crore digital transactions by August 2025.
- Container tracking: the Logistics Data Bank had tracked more than 75 million EXIM containers across 101 inland container depots.
- Ranking: India is 38th in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index.
For an exporter, the practical gain is visibility. Ask your forwarder for tracking tied to these systems rather than status by phone.
What Supply Chain Planning Will Not Do
- Cargo insurance does not cover non-payment. A buyer who does not pay is a credit risk, covered by ECGC and trade finance, not by a marine policy.
- A plan does not shorten port time. Terminal and vessel time after the Let Export Order is outside any exporter’s control. Build it into the delivery date.
- Treated packing does not guarantee entry. The buyer’s country can still inspect and act on live pests or other rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in end to end export logistics?
Packing and marking, storage, inland transport to the port or ICD, customs clearance, the main sea or air leg, insurance and the documents the bank and buyer need. Arrival handling is included when you sell on delivered terms.
Is marine insurance mandatory for export?
No law makes it compulsory for every export. It becomes your duty when you sell CIF or CIP, or when a letter of credit asks for an insurance document. Without cover, a loss in transit before risk passes is yours.
Which marine insurance clause should exporters buy?
Clause (A) for most manufactured and fragile goods, since it covers all risks except exclusions. Clause (C) is the CIF minimum but covers only major casualties such as fire, sinking and collision.
What is ISPM 15 and does it apply to my pallets?
ISPM 15 is the international standard for wood packaging. It applies to pallets, crates and dunnage made of raw wood, which must be treated and marked. Plywood and other processed wood are exempt.
Does plywood packaging need ISPM 15 treatment?
No. ISPM 15 exempts packaging made wholly of processed wood such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or veneer. Keep proof of the material in case the buyer’s border asks.
When does marine insurance cover start and end?
Under the 2009 transit clause, it starts when goods are first moved in the warehouse for immediate loading. It ends at the final warehouse, on storage outside ordinary transit or 60 days after discharge, whichever comes first.
Does cargo insurance cover delay?
No. All three Institute Cargo Clauses exclude loss caused by delay, even when an insured event caused the delay. Plan realistic dates instead.
How long does an export shipment take from factory to vessel?
Customs is the short part. NTRS 2025 measured 187 hours 27 minutes on average from arrival at a seaport to departure, of which 157 hours 50 minutes came after the Let Export Order. Add your inland transit time.
What is ULIP in logistics?
ULIP is the Unified Logistics Interface Platform under the National Logistics Policy. It connects more than 30 government logistics systems through APIs so that service providers can share tracking and status data.
Does Rasp International run warehouses or trucks?
No. Packing, storage, transport and freight are provided by vetted partners in our pan-India network. We plan the chain, brief the partners and check that risk, cover and documents line up.
How Rasp International Handles Supply Chain Planning
Rasp International is an ISO 9001:2015 certified EXIM and DGFT advisory firm that has served 500+ exporters since 2019. We map each shipment from the production line to the buyer, choose the partners for each leg and check the handovers where cover and documents usually break.
New to exporting? Read how to start exporting from India, or see the full partner network on our customs house agent services page.
Get a Gap Check on Your Next Shipment
Send your Incoterm, packing plan and insurance policy. We will show where risk, cover and documents do not meet.
Sources
- ISPM 15: Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade, IPPC.
- Institute Cargo Clauses (A), (B) and (C), 1 January 2009 wordings (CL382, CL383 and CL384).
- Marine Insurance Act 1963.
- Incoterms 2020, International Chamber of Commerce.
- Foreign Trade Policy 2023, Chapter 2, para 2.06, DGFT.
- National Time Release Study 2025, CBIC, released 20 June 2025.
- Three years of the National Logistics Policy, PIB, 16 September 2025.
This page is general guidance. Standards, policy wordings and carrier terms change. Verify against the current standard, your policy wording and your contract before you ship.
Related: freight forwarding and Incoterms, container transportation, certificate of origin and the logistics hub.