Briquette packing, container load and export papers: a checklist

The briquette itself is only half of an import. The other half is how it is packed, how much of it fits in a container, which papers travel with it and what rules apply on the sea route. Buyers who handle these late tend to pay for it in delays at the port. This briquette packing checklist puts the packing and paperwork questions in the order you will meet them, using what Kora publishes and flagging what you must confirm yourself.

Step 1. Fix the briquette packing

For briquettes, Kora publishes an inner pack of 1 kg and a master carton of 10 kg. For lump charcoal, Kora publishes jumbo bags. Those are the starting formats. Decide early:

• whether you sell the inner pack as it is, or repack under your own label;
• whether your market wants a printed carton, and who designs and approves the artwork;
• how the cartons will be stacked and protected from moisture during the voyage.

Kora mentions private label packing as available; the minimum order and lead time for it are not published, so ask.

Step 2. Work out the load

Kora publishes about 18 MT per 20-foot container for briquettes and about 13 MT per 20-foot container for lump charcoal in jumbo bags. As simple arithmetic, 18 MT of briquettes in 10 kg master cartons is on the order of 1,800 cartons. Treat that only as a guide: the real count depends on the shape, the carton dimensions and how the container is loaded. Ask for the load figure for your shape and your pack, and write it into the quotation.

Step 3. Check the commercial terms

Kora states FOB or CIF at an Indonesian port. Payment methods stated are letter of credit at sight, telegraphic transfer and escrow-protected payment, and documents against payment for established buyers. Loading port, minimum order and lead time are agreed at quotation, not printed. Make sure your quotation names each of them.

Step 4. List the documents

Kora states five documents with each shipment:

1. Certificate of analysis (COA): the lot’s measured values.
2. Phytosanitary certificate: a plant health paper that some destination countries request.
3. Certificate of origin: used by customs and for duty treatment where it applies.
4. Packing list: what is in each carton or bag.
5. Bill of lading: the transport document.

Ask your own customs broker which of these your authority requires, and whether it requires anything else, such as a particular form of the certificate of origin. The requirements are set by the destination country, not by the supplier.

Step 5. Confirm two things Kora does not state

Kora’s product pages do not state either of the following, so settle them with your forwarder before you book a vessel:

• Dangerous goods rules. Charcoal can fall under dangerous-goods rules for sea transport, and those rules have been updated in recent years according to secondary sources. Ask your forwarder or the shipping line whether your cargo is classed that way, which documents and declarations follow, and whether any extra test or treatment is expected before loading.
• Customs classification. Kora prints one HS code on its pages. The classification of lump charcoal and of briquettes can differ between customs systems. Confirm the code that applies to your cargo and your destination.

Step 6. Agree what happens if something is wrong

Put these in the contract:

• the figures the delivery must meet, with the method and basis;
• who tests, and on which sample;
• the remedy if a lot misses: replacement, price adjustment or rejection;
• the time limit for claims after arrival.

A short summary table

Question	Where the answer comes from
Inner pack and master carton	Kora (1 kg and 10 kg)
Load per 20-foot container	Kora (about 18 MT briquettes, about 13 MT lump); confirm for your pack
Incoterm and payment	Kora states options; settled at quotation
Documents	Kora lists five; your customs broker confirms what your country needs
Dangerous goods and HS code	Your forwarder and customs broker

Send us your destination and your briquette packing

The most useful message you can send is the destination port, the shape, the pack you want and the volume per month. Put them into a request on the contact page, or start from the lump charcoal page if you are buying charcoal rather than briquettes. We reply within two business days.