Import what an import-focused forwarder handles, how to choose one, and how to verify the company behind a quote.
Platton Insights: working guides for US importers
Platton Insights collects our US import guides in one place, written by the team that runs the shipments, not a content mill. Each knowledge hub below covers one part of the import: what it costs, how it works, and where it goes wrong. Start with the hub closest to the problem on your desk.
Knowledge hubs
Freight Forwarding what a forwarder does, Incoterms, landed cost, and how to buy freight well.
Customs the clearance process, HTS classification, tariffs, bonds, and the penalties that catch importers.
Ocean Freight CBM math, FCL vs LCL, container types, demurrage, and transit times.
Air Freight when cargo flies, chargeable weight, and the cost of speed.
Trucking and Drayage port pickup, inland delivery, and the fees on the road leg.
Documents and Incoterms bills of lading, commercial invoices, and the paperwork customs runs on.
Industry compliance and logistics by product vertical, from electronics to food.
Platton Insights
Latest articles
55 published guides
Import
DDP shipping explained: what Delivered Duty Paid transfers, and what it does not
DDP shipping explained for US importers: what Delivered Duty Paid includes, DDP vs DAP and FOB, what the price hides, and the two customs risks to check.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Import
First-time importer guide: how to start importing into the US
How to start importing into the US: the decisions before your first order, a budget table, supplier terms, timelines, and the mistakes to avoid.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Import
How to import goods into the US in 9 steps
The 9 steps to import goods into the US: EIN and bond setup, HTS classification, ISF, entry, fees, and delivery, with the deadlines that decide costs.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Import
Case study: 1,000 shipments, zero emails, one billion-dollar Amazon aggregator
How Razor Group, an Amazon aggregator with 200+ brands, automated imports with Platton: 1,000 shipments in two quarters, zero emails, $300 saved per shipment.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Import
Case study: how a US truck parts importer cut import logistics costs by 23%
How PartStop, a Tacoma truck parts distributor buying EXW from Asia, cut import logistics costs 23% by replacing a five-vendor chain with one Platton team.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Freight Forwarding
How to choose a freight forwarder for importing into the US
How to choose a freight forwarder for importing into the US: six checks, the questions importers should ask, and the red flags to walk away from.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Import
What is an import freight forwarder?
What an import freight forwarder does for US importers: ISF, customs entry, drayage, real costs, and when you actually need one.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Industry
Importing apparel: clothing HTS codes, duty rates and labeling rules
HS codes for clothing, the duty rates behind them, the three labels every garment needs, and what CBP checks on textile entries into the US.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Industry
Importing electronics: FCC rules, SDoC vs certification, and duties
What US importers of electronics need before booking: FCC certification vs SDoC, the US responsible party, testing costs, and duties on Chapter 85 goods.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Industry
Importing food and beverage: FDA registration, prior notice and FSMA
FDA facility registration, prior notice windows, FSVP, import alerts, and what actually happens when a food shipment reaches a US port.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Industry
Importing furniture: TSCA Title VI, CARB Phase 2 and Prop 65
TSCA Title VI compliance for imported furniture: composite wood rules, the entry certification, CARB Phase 2 labels, Prop 65 warnings, and Lacey Act filings.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Industry
Importing toys: CPSIA, ASTM F963-23 and the certificate that clears them
Toy safety standards for US imports: CPSIA limits, ASTM F963-23 testing at a CPSC-accepted lab, the Children's Product Certificate, and tracking labels.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Industry
Shipping lithium batteries to the US: UN3480, UN3481 and the rules that move them
UN3480 vs UN3481, Class 9 labels, the 30 percent state of charge rule, IATA and IMDG requirements, and how lithium battery cargo actually moves to the US.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Air Freight
Air freight cost: the per-kilo bands and what moves them
Air freight cost in 2026: per-kilo bands by weight break, what the tariff covers, lane rates from Asia and Europe to the US, and a worked example.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
Air Freight
Air freight transit times: where the days go between door and door
Air freight transit times in 2026: the real door-to-door timeline from China, Vietnam, India, and Europe to the US, and what adds days when it slips.
By Max KershnitskiiRead guide
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