Shipping Terms for Board Games

Shipping terms say who pays for each part of the journey, and where the risk passes from the factory to you. The most important are the Incoterms (international commercial terms), such as EXW, FOB and DDP. Most creators choose DDP, which delivers the games to their door with duty and VAT paid. This guide explains each term, LCL and FCL, how to calculate CBM, and the papers that travel with your games.

The Incoterms, From Least to Most Included

• EXW (Ex Works): you collect the games from our factory and arrange everything after that.
• FOB (Free on Board): we deliver to your forwarder's warehouse at the Chinese port. FOB shipping suits publishers who have their own forwarder.
• CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): we pay the freight and insurance to the destination port. You pay to unload, clear customs and deliver from the port.
• DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid): we deliver to your door, but you pay customs clearance, duty and VAT when the games arrive. In the official Incoterms, DDU was replaced by DAP (Delivered at Place) in 2010, but many forwarders still use the old name.
• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): we deliver to your door with customs cleared and duty and VAT paid. DDP shipping is all-inclusive.

Which Term Should You Choose?

Choose DDP unless you already have a forwarder you trust. On DDU vs DDP, the difference is who pays the duty and VAT, and when: with DDU, the bill arrives at your door; with DDP, it is in the price you agreed. Under DDP, our logistics partner Prime Ship clears customs on its own bonds, so you need no import licence. Choose FOB or EXW only if your own forwarder will take over in China.

LCL vs FCL

LCL (less than container load) means your games share a container with other shipments. FCL (full container load) means a whole container is yours, even if you do not fill it. A 20-foot container holds about 26 cubic metres (CBM). So on LCL vs FCL: a few cubic metres of games ship as LCL; a run that fills most of a container ships cheaper per game as FCL. Our guide to air freight vs sea freight gives the transit times.

How to Calculate CBM

CBM (cubic metre) is the volume your shipment takes up, and freight by volume is priced per CBM. Here is how to calculate CBM for a print run:

1. Multiply the box length × width × height in centimetres.
2. Multiply by 1.35, to allow for the shipping cartons.
3. Divide by 1,000,000 to turn cubic centimetres into cubic metres.
4. Multiply by the number of games.

For example, 1,000 games in a 25 × 25 × 5 cm box: 25 × 25 × 5 × 1.35 ÷ 1,000,000 × 1,000 = about 4.2 CBM. Pallets add about 60% more. In inches, multiply length × width × height and divide by 61,024 to get cubic metres.

The Shipping Documents

• Bill of lading: the carrier's receipt for the goods: what they are, how many, and where they are going. It is the main document for the shipment.
• Commercial invoice: the official bill for the goods, with their value. Customs uses it to calculate duty and VAT.
• Packing list: what is in each carton: the quantity, sizes and weights.
• Insurance policy: the cover for loss or damage on the way, with the steps to make a claim. Keep it safe until the games arrive.
• Certificate of origin (Form E): proof the games were made in China. Some countries, such as Australia, Switzerland and Norway, may ask for it.

The prices of all of these, from freight to storage and the certificate of origin, are in our guide to board game shipping cost. The route your games take, step by step, is in our guide to how to ship board games.