Improve Your Supply Chain with Seamless Ocean Imports
Make sea import shipping simple—take advantage of AIT's industry-leading freight import process for ocean imports
Businesses across industries and around the world are teaming with sea import freight forwarding process experts like AIT to ensure their shipments make it safely to port, through customs and on to their final destinations—on time and at cost-effective rates.
Backed by more than 40 years of experience, AIT's global sea freight team provides customers with proven-yet-flexible solutions for a wide range of goods every day. And we make it easy, handling every aspect of the sea freight export process, from booking to pickup to final delivery.
Partnership with AIT's ocean import experts delivers:
Partnership with AIT's ocean import experts delivers:
- Strong relationships with core and niche carriers
- More than 1,500 weekly direct services serving 100+ countries via the world's largest consolidation network
- End-to-end sea shipping visibility
- 24/7 customer support
- And much more!
Choose from a wide variety of sea import services
AIT makes the sea freight import process simple with comprehensive options including:- Oversized, overweight, project and breakbulk cargo services
- Dangerous goods handling
- Door-to-door and seaport-to-seaport delivery
- Sea charter management
- Foreign banking
- Sight drafts
- Letters of credit
- Legalization
- Certificates of origin
- And much more!
AIT will guide your ocean import shipment every step of the way, keeping it secure and on schedule. Exact steps may vary based on your shipment specifications, but sea imports with AIT generally follow a three-step process:
1. Preparation
1. Preparation
- Customer requests shipment
- Customer or country origin office arranges pickup
- Local vendor or customer drops freight at the origin port
- Shipment is booked and information is sent to AIT
- Ocean carrier departs port with shipment
- AIT delivers shipment documents to customs broker
- Ocean carrier or origin office send arrival notice to AIT
- AIT arranges for shipment transfer to bonded warehouse and customs broker clears freight
- Customs broker turns shipment over to AIT along with relevant documents
- Carrier arrives at destination port, AIT dispatches shipment and provides local delivery agent with necessary delivery documents
- Local agent delivers shipment and provides proof of delivery to AIT
- AIT invoices customer or country origin office
AIT's experienced, in-house customs brokerage team provides hassle-free clearance through U.S. ports, with a customer-centric system that makes the process manageable. Our customs clearance services for ocean import shipments includes:
- Remote location filing
- 10+2 importer security
- Automated broker interface with real-time status tracking
- Bonded warehouse locations
- Temporary importation under bond
- Carnet issuances, validations, and cancellations
- Risk management via Incoterms application
As a licensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier and Ocean Transportation Intermediary, AIT's locations feature multiple, advanced safety and security features, including 24-hour monitoring, closed-circuit cameras, keypad access and strict driver check-in and escort policies. All our United States facilities are also authorized economic operators. Learn more about our credentials and approach to cargo security.