Sourcing glossary
Freight forwarder
Also known as: Forwarder, Forwarding agent
A company that organizes the transport of your goods on your behalf, booking space with shipping lines, airlines or rail operators and arranging paperwork, customs clearance and delivery.
Forwarders rarely own ships or planes. They buy capacity from carriers, combine it with trucking, warehousing and customs brokerage, and sell you one service, from a single leg such as port to port up to full door-to-door delivery on DDP terms. Many also run LCL consolidation in China.
When comparing forwarders, check exactly what each quote includes: origin and destination charges, customs clearance, duties, and who acts as importer of record. See sea vs air vs rail vs express for how to choose the mode they book.
Related terms
Guides that use this term
Compliance
Is Your Order Too Small to Import from China? A Break-Even Test
Why 20 units or a US$100–500 budget rarely pays to import from China: per-shipment fixed costs, a simple break-even test, and six options for small buyers.
Updated 2026-10-19 · 7 min read
Suppliers
Is My Chinese Supplier a Scam? 12 Patterns and the Checks That Catch Them
The twelve supplier scams importers meet in China, from the bank-account switch to the vanishing deposit, the check that exposes each, and what to do if you already paid.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 8 min read
Suppliers
China Sourcing Agent: What They Do, What They Cost and When You Need One
What a China sourcing agent actually does, the four types you will meet, typical fees, when an agent beats buying direct, and a checklist to vet one before you pay.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 8 min read
Suppliers
Which City in China Makes What: Product-by-Product Sourcing Index
An A-to-Z index of 60 product categories and the Chinese city or town that specialises in each, with links to the cluster page and wholesale market to start from.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 6 min read
Compliance
Importing from China to Peru: SUNAT Duties, IGV, Thresholds and the FTA
How a Peruvian importer clears goods from China: the US$200 and US$2,000 thresholds, ad valorem 0/6/11%, IGV and IPM, IGV perception, customs agents and the China FTA.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 6 min read
Shipping
Shipping Small Orders from China to Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Peru
Courier, air or sea for a first order from China to Latin America, the customs thresholds and taxes in Brazil, Mexico and Peru, and how consolidation works.
Updated 2026-10-10 · 8 min read
Part of Shipping & Logistics.