Shipping Botanical Raw Materials from Morocco: Incoterms and Packaging

When importing botanical raw materials from Morocco, quality and logistics must be planned together. With dried rosemary, moisture during transport can be a problem; with essential oils, suitable containers and possibly specific safety rules are relevant. Buyers should therefore negotiate more than just the price per kilogram.

What do Incoterms 2020 cover?

The Incoterms rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) describe key obligations between seller and buyer regarding delivery, costs and risk. Among other things, they clarify who organises transport. However, they do not replace a complete sales contract and do not govern every question of transfer of ownership, payment terms or product quality. The chosen rule should be agreed in writing together with the named place.

Match the packaging to the goods

Dried herbs must be protected against wetness and contamination, and the packaging should take into account the size and handling of the consignment. For liquid oils, suitable containers, secure closures and correct labelling come first. Requirements for dangerous-goods transport or special documents depend on the actual classification of the product and must be checked case by case.

Documents and goods receipt

The consignment should be identifiable from the commercial invoice, packing list, transport documents and batch number. Check with your customs partner before dispatch which declarations or evidence are required. At goods receipt, condition, quantity and identity are checked; if anything looks wrong, it should be possible to make a documented decision to quarantine and inspect the goods.

Check insurance and total costs

Clarifying risk and transport responsibility does not automatically mean full insurance cover. Compare offers taking into account freight, packaging, clearance and any loss of quality. A short coordination between purchasing, the freight forwarder and quality assurance often prevents extra costs later on.

Reference: ICC — Incoterms rules.

Related product

Dried rosemary leaves

Further reading

• Importing Dried Aromatic Herbs from Morocco: A Food Buyer’s Checklist
• Moisture and Storage of Dried Rosemary in Wholesale Supply

Discuss your sourcing requirements with Taramide

When making a professional enquiry, include your company, application, target quantity, destination country and required documents. Explore the product range or contact Taramide to discuss availability and specifications.