Shipping Fundamentals: A Guide for Indian Exporters

Every export shipment from India rests on the same fundamentals: measure the cargo in CBM (length x width x height in metres) and, for air, work out its chargeable weight; choose FCL or LCL; agree an Incoterms 2020 rule that fixes where cost and risk pass to your buyer; and file a shipping bill on ICEGATE so customs can give the Let Export Order (LEO) before anything is loaded. This guide covers each step with the formulas, the official rules and the documents that customs, your bank and your buyer will ask for.

JPARKS INDIA gives export shipping guidance at a price on enquiry: tell us the product, the destination and the terms your buyer has asked for, and we will send you a quote. We also set up the registrations a first shipment needs (IEC, ICEGATE, AD Code). We are not a freight forwarder or a customs broker, so we do not book cargo or file shipping bills.

Shipping fundamentals at a glance

Decision	What it settles	Rule or formula
Volume (CBM)	Sea freight, LCL charges and how many containers you need	CBM = L x W x H in metres
Air chargeable weight	What the airline bills you for	Higher of actual weight and L x W x H in cm / 6,000
FCL or LCL	Whether you pay per container or per CBM	Compare total quotes for your lot
Incoterms 2020 rule	Where risk passes, who pays freight, insurance and customs formalities	11 rules published by the ICC
Documents	What customs, the bank and the buyer need	Three mandatory under FTP 2023 para 2.06, plus product and buyer documents
Shipping bill and LEO	Customs permission to load the goods	Customs Act, sections 50 and 51

Registrations to have before your first export shipment

A shipping bill carries your IEC and your AD Code, so these have to be in place before the goods move:

IEC from DGFT. No goods may be exported without an IEC unless the exporter is specifically exempted. The IEC is the same as the entity’s PAN and is issued online. It has to be updated every year between April and June, even when nothing has changed, or it is de-activated (FTP 2023 para 2.05). Our IEC renewal page covers the yearly update.
ICEGATE registration, with a Class 3 DSC for the person who signs. You need it to file a shipping bill yourself and to register bank accounts with customs.
AD Code registration for the bank through which export proceeds will come in, plus a current account for drawback credits (Customs Manual 2025, para 17.1). The Export Promotion account is where drawback and IGST refunds are paid.
GST: an LUT, or IGST paid on the export. To export without paying IGST, furnish a Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 before you export (CGST Rule 96A). The goods must then leave within three months of the invoice date, unless the Commissioner allows more time, or the tax becomes payable with interest. If you pay IGST instead, the shipping bill itself is your refund application (CGST Rule 96); see IGST refund status.
Product approvals. Restricted goods need an export authorisation, and the regulator for a product may notify extra documents for its export (FTP 2023 para 2.06(c)). Food exporters, for example, should read our page on FSSAI licensing for exports.

How to calculate CBM for a shipment

CBM (cubic metre) is the volume your cargo takes up. Sea freight, LCL charges and container planning all start from it.

Measure one packed carton or pallet at its longest points, including the pallet base and anything that sticks out.
Multiply length x width x height in metres. That is the CBM of one package.
Multiply by the number of packages of that size, then add the groups together for the total.

You measured in	CBM formula	Example (one carton)
Metres	L x W x H	0.6 x 0.4 x 0.5 = 0.12 CBM
Centimetres	L x W x H / 1,000,000	60 x 40 x 50 / 1,000,000 = 0.12 CBM
Inches	L x W x H / 61,024	24 x 16 x 20 / 61,024 = 0.126 CBM
Feet	L x W x H / 35.315	2 x 1.5 x 1.5 / 35.315 = 0.127 CBM

The divisors come from the units. A metre is 100 cm, so a cubic metre holds 1,000,000 cubic centimetres. An inch is 2.54 cm, so a cubic metre holds about 61,024 cubic inches, or about 35.3 cubic feet.

One CBM is a cube 1 metre on each side, which is 1,000 litres. It is a volume, not a weight, so “1 CBM in kg” has no single answer: it depends on how the carrier converts volume into weight for billing, which the next section explains.

Worked example: 40 cartons

You are shipping 40 cartons of 60 x 40 x 50 cm, each weighing 18 kg. One carton is 0.12 CBM, so the lot is 0.12 x 40 = 4.8 CBM, with a gross weight of 18 x 40 = 720 kg. The sections below use this lot to show how sea and air freight bill it.

Chargeable weight: how air and LCL freight are billed

Carriers charge for the space cargo takes as well as for its weight, so the freight bill uses a chargeable weight rather than the scale reading.

Air freight: volumetric weight

Volumetric weight (kg) = L x W x H in cm / 6,000. This is IATA’s general rule, and the chargeable weight is whichever is higher: the actual gross weight or the volumetric weight. At 6,000 cubic centimetres per kg, 1 CBM counts as about 166.67 kg in air freight.

For the 40 cartons: each carton is 120,000 cubic centimetres, and 120,000 / 6,000 = 20 kg, against an actual 18 kg. The airline bills 20 kg per carton, so 800 kg chargeable instead of 720 kg. Express couriers and some airlines work with a different divisor, so check the divisor on each rate card before you compare quotes.

LCL sea freight: weight or measure (W/M)

LCL rates are quoted per freight ton, written W/M: the consolidator bills your shipment’s CBM or its weight in tonnes (1,000 kg), whichever is higher. In effect, 1 CBM counts as 1,000 kg. For the 40 cartons, 4.8 CBM is more than 0.72 tonnes, so you pay for 4.8 W/M. Dense cargo works the other way: 1.5 CBM of machine parts weighing 2,400 kg is billed as 2.4 W/M.

LCL quotes usually add fixed charges per shipment on top of the W/M rate, so compare the total of each quote, not just the rate.

FCL: priced per container

An FCL shipment is priced per container, so CBM decides how many containers you need rather than the freight per cubic metre.

CBM, air volumetric weight and LCL W/M formulas, worked for 40 cartons of 60 x 40 x 50 cm: 4.8 CBM, 800 kg chargeable by air, 4.8 W/M by sea

FCL vs LCL: meaning and how to choose

FCL (Full Container Load) means you book a whole container for your cargo. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your cargo shares a container with other shippers’ cargo, grouped by a consolidator at a container freight station (CFS) or inland container depot (ICD).

	FCL	LCL
What you book	A whole 20 ft or 40 ft container	Space in a shared container
Freight basis	Per container	Per W/M: CBM or tonnes, whichever is higher
Where it is stuffed	At your premises under self-sealing, or at a CFS or ICD	At a CFS or ICD, by the consolidator
Customs	Self-sealed containers carry an RFID e-seal that customs checks at the port; examination on risk criteria	Cargo is assessed, examined if selected and cleared at the CFS or ICD before consolidation
Usually suits	Lots that fill most of a container, or goods you want sealed from your premises to destination	Small lots, first orders and trial shipments

Container sizes

Shipping lines publish the specification of each container type. Typical figures for steel dry containers:

20 ft standard: about 33 CBM inside, maximum payload about 28,200 kg;
40 ft standard: about 67 CBM, maximum payload about 28,800 kg;
40 ft high cube: about 76 CBM, maximum payload about 28,600 kg.

The figures vary by container and by line, and usable space is less than the internal volume once cartons, pallets and lashing are in.

How to choose between FCL and LCL

There is no fixed break-even volume: it moves with freight rates on your route. Ask for an LCL quote (W/M rate times your W/M, plus the per-shipment charges) and an FCL quote for a 20 ft container, and compare the totals. The 4.8 CBM lot in the example fills about 15% of a 20 ft container’s internal volume, so it is a typical LCL lot; as your lots grow, price both every time.

Two customs points matter for FCL. To stuff containers at your own premises, tell the jurisdictional customs officer at least 15 days before the first planned movement and get the Commissioner’s permission for self-sealing; you then seal each container with a tamper-proof RFID e-seal of the Board’s standard and declare its serial number in the shipping bill (Customs Manual 2025, para 29). And the shipper must declare the Verified Gross Mass of every packed container: a container without VGM details is not released for loading (JNPA, SOLAS VGM compliance).

FCL vs LCL for Indian exporters: what you book, freight basis, where the container is stuffed, customs checks, VGM and typical container capacities

Incoterms 2020: who pays and where risk passes

Incoterms 2020 are the International Chamber of Commerce’s 11 three-letter rules for sale contracts. Each rule says where the seller delivers, which is where risk passes to the buyer, and who pays for transport, insurance and customs formalities. Seven rules work for any mode of transport; four (FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF) are for sea and inland waterway only. Write the rule with a named place and the version, for example “FCA Nhava Sheva CFS, Incoterms 2020”.

Rule	Mode	Risk passes to the buyer	Main freight paid by	Seller must insure
EXW Ex Works	Any	When the goods are made available at your premises	Buyer	No
FCA Free Carrier	Any	When handed to the buyer’s carrier: loaded at your premises, or at a named place such as a terminal	Buyer	No
CPT Carriage Paid To	Any	When handed to the first carrier in India	Seller	No
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid To	Any	When handed to the first carrier in India	Seller	Yes, Institute Cargo Clauses (A) or similar
DAP Delivered at Place	Any	At the named destination, ready for unloading	Seller	No
DPU Delivered at Place Unloaded	Any	At the named destination, once unloaded	Seller	No
DDP Delivered Duty Paid	Any	At the named destination, cleared for import	Seller	No
FAS Free Alongside Ship	Sea	Alongside the vessel at the port of shipment	Buyer	No
FOB Free on Board	Sea	On board the vessel at the port of shipment	Buyer	No
CFR Cost and Freight	Sea	On board the vessel at the port of shipment	Seller	No
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight	Sea	On board the vessel at the port of shipment	Seller	Yes, Institute Cargo Clauses (C) at least

FOB vs CIF

Under both FOB and CIF the risk passes when the goods are on board the vessel at the Indian port. The difference is cost: under CIF you also pay the sea freight to the destination port and buy insurance for the buyer, at least Institute Cargo Clauses (C) unless you agree more cover. Under FOB the buyer books and pays for the vessel. A CIF price does not keep the risk with you until arrival: damage at sea is the buyer’s risk, which is why CIF makes you insure the goods for the buyer.

Use FCA, CPT or CIP for containers

FOB, CFR and CIF were built for cargo the seller loads on board. A container is handed over at a CFS, ICD or terminal, often days before it is lifted on board, and under FOB you keep the risk for that whole time. The ICC’s own checklist points containerised and multimodal shipments to FCA, or to CPT and CIP when you pay the freight, so that risk passes when you hand the container over. If your buyer’s letter of credit asks for an on-board bill of lading, FCA 2020 lets the parties agree that the buyer’s carrier issues one to you after loading.

EXW and DDP need care

The ICC advises exporters to use EXW, if at all, only for domestic sales. Under EXW the buyer is responsible for export clearance, but an export from India needs an IEC (FTP 2023 para 2.05) and the shipping bill is filed under it, so agree in writing whose IEC and which customs broker will be used before you accept EXW. DDP puts import clearance and duties in the buyer’s country on you, which you may not be able to arrange from India.

What Incoterms do not cover

Incoterms do not decide when ownership passes or how and when you are paid: those belong in the sale contract and the payment terms. For customs, export goods are valued at the price for delivery at the time and place of exportation (Customs Act, section 14), and the shipping bill records freight and insurance separately from the invoice value, so declare them on every C and D rule sale.

Where risk passes from an Indian exporter to the buyer under each Incoterms 2020 rule: your premises, first carrier, on board at the Indian port, or the destination

Export documents checklist

The Foreign Trade Policy 2023 (para 2.06) sets three mandatory documents for exporting goods: the transport document, the commercial invoice cum packing list, and the shipping bill or bill of export. Everything else depends on the product, the buyer, the payment terms and the Incoterm.

Document	Who issues it	When you need it
Commercial invoice cum packing list	You	Every shipment (mandatory); customs examines against the invoice and packing list
Shipping bill (sea or air), bill of export (land) or postal bill of export	You or your customs broker, on ICEGATE	Every shipment (mandatory)
Bill of lading (sea), airway bill (air), lorry or railway receipt (land), postal receipt	The carrier or its agent	Every shipment (mandatory)
Certificate of origin	An authorised issuing agency	When the buyer claims a trade agreement duty rate, or the buyer, bank or destination asks for it: see certificate of origin
Insurance certificate	Your insurer	CIF and CIP sales, or when the buyer or a letter of credit asks for it
VGM declaration	You, as the shipper	Every packed container going by sea
LUT acknowledgement, or IGST paid on the invoice	GST portal	Every export of goods: one or the other
Export authorisation or product certificates	DGFT or the product’s regulator	Restricted goods, and products for which a regulator has notified extra documents

Supporting documents are uploaded digitally on e-Sanchit, which has been extended to all ICES locations for all types of exports (Customs Manual 2025, para 17.3). Make the invoice, packing list and shipping bill agree on description, quantity and value: the exporter is answerable for the accuracy and completeness of the shipping bill and for the authenticity of every supporting document (Customs Act, section 50(3)).

Export customs clearance: shipping bill to Let Export Order

File the shipping bill on ICEGATE. The Customs Act puts the entry on the exporter (section 50). You can file it yourself on ICEGATE, whose Shipping Bill web form is open to exporters and customs brokers, or through a licensed customs broker. It carries your IEC, AD Code, invoice, freight and insurance details, you declare that its contents are true, and it is self-assessed.
Bring the goods into the customs area at the port, ICD, CFS or air cargo complex. The custodian records the quantity actually received (Customs Manual 2025, para 19.1). A self-sealed container arrives with its e-seal, which customs checks for tampering.
The Risk Management System decides. RMS sends each shipping bill either straight to the Let Export Order or for verification of the self-assessment, examination of the goods, or both (para 12.2). For a consignment picked for examination, the norm is at least two packages and at most 5% of the packages, up to 20 (para 21.3).
Let Export Order. Once the proper officer is satisfied that the goods are not prohibited and any export duty is paid, the officer makes an order permitting clearance and loading of the goods (section 51). That order is the LEO, and it can be given electronically on risk criteria.
Stuffing and loading. Stuffing at the dock and loading onto the vessel are done under customs preventive supervision, and the officer may endorse the shipping bill “shipped on board” (para 23.1). A packed container needs its VGM before it is loaded.
Export manifest. The shipping line or airline files the export manifest (EGM) electronically, shipping bill by shipping bill, before the vessel or aircraft leaves (section 41; para 26.1). The EGM confirms the export: drawback is sanctioned against it, and an IGST refund claim counts as filed only once it is filed and your GSTR-3B return is in (CGST Rule 96).
Documents and payment. The carrier issues the bill of lading or airway bill, and you send the documents to the buyer or through your bank as the payment terms require. When the money comes in, see our page on the Bank Realisation Certificate (eBRC).

Export clearance in India in six steps: shipping bill on ICEGATE, goods into the customs area, RMS decision, Let Export Order, loading with VGM, export manifest

Exports by land, courier and post

Goods leaving by road or rail to a neighbouring country are entered on a bill of export instead of a shipping bill (Customs Act, section 50), with a lorry or railway receipt as the transport document. Courier exports go on a courier shipping bill under the courier regulations, for consignments of up to Rs 10 lakh FOB value each (Customs Manual 2025, Chapter 17). Exports by post use a postal bill of export (FTP 2023 para 2.06).

Tracking the shipping bill and the shipment

ICEGATE’s public enquiry works without a login. Under Document Status, choose Shipping Bill, select the customs location and enter the shipping bill number and date: the result shows the current status, the EGM status, drawback queries and IGST invoice details. The same enquiry module shows the shipping bill’s status in RBI’s EDPMS and whether it has reached DGFT.

For the cargo itself, track the bill of lading or container number with the shipping line, or the airway bill number with the airline, or ask your freight forwarder.

Correcting a shipping bill

Who can approve a change depends on how far the shipping bill has gone (Customs Manual 2025, para 24):

Before the shipping bill number is generated: the check list can be corrected at the service centre.
After the number, before the LEO: the Assistant or Deputy Commissioner (Exports) can permit the amendment.
After the LEO: only the Additional or Joint Commissioner in charge of exports can permit it.
After the goods are exported: an amendment is allowed only on documentary evidence that existed at the time of export (Customs Act, section 149).

Once the goods have been presented to customs and the examination decision is made, changing a critical detail such as value, drawback or port means the consignment is examined (para 21.2).

Mistakes that hold up export shipments

IEC not updated, or no AD Code on ICEGATE. An IEC not updated between April and June is de-activated, and the shipping bill asks for your AD Code.
LUT not renewed for the new financial year. An LUT is valid for the financial year in which it is furnished, so file a fresh one each April or pay IGST.
CBM worked out on bare cartons when the cargo ships on pallets: the quote then rests on less volume than you ship.
FOB on a container you hand over inland. You carry the risk until the container is on board; FCA moves the risk point to the handover.
EXW accepted without agreeing who files the shipping bill. The export still needs an IEC and a filer in India.
Invoice, packing list and shipping bill that disagree on description, quantity or value. Customs examines against them, and correcting critical details after registration brings an examination.
No VGM for a packed container. The terminal will not plan it for loading.

What JPARKS INDIA does for exporters

JPARKS INDIA is an EXIM compliance consultancy in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, with 500+ clients and a 5.0 rating from 123 Google reviews. We are not a freight forwarder, shipping line or customs broker: we do not book cargo, file shipping bills or clear goods. Your forwarder books the space, and your licensed customs broker, or you on ICEGATE, files the shipping bill. What we do:

practical guidance on export shipping: CBM and chargeable weight, FCL or LCL, the Incoterm for your sale, and the documents your buyer, bank and customs will ask for;
IEC registration and the yearly IEC update;
ICEGATE registration and the Class 3 DSC;
AD Code and Export Promotion account registration on ICEGATE;
certificate of origin applications.

Export shipping guidance is priced on enquiry. Write to [email protected] or call +91 91673 79073.

Official references

CBIC, Customs Act, 1962: sections 14, 41, 50, 51 and 149
CBIC, Customs Manual, 2025 (Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House copy): Chapter 3 paras 12, 17 and 19 to 29, Chapter 12 (consolidation of cargo), Chapter 17 (courier)
DGFT, Foreign Trade Policy 2023, Chapter 2: para 2.05 (IEC) and para 2.06 (mandatory documents)
ICEGATE, User Manual: Web Forms (Shipping Bill web form)
ICEGATE, User Manual: Public Enquiries on ICEGATE 2.0
CBIC, CGST Rules 2017: Rule 96 (IGST refund on exports) and Rule 96A (LUT)
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, SOLAS VGM compliance
International Chamber of Commerce, Incoterms 2020 and the Incoterms 2020 Checklist and Flowcharts
IATA, Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules: What You Need to Know (volumetric weight)

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers, before you even ask

How do you calculate CBM for a shipment?

Multiply the length, width and height of one packed carton or pallet in metres, then multiply by the number of packages of that size. If you measured in centimetres, divide L x W x H by 1,000,000; in inches, divide by 61,024.

How many kg is 1 CBM?

CBM is a volume, so it has no fixed weight. For billing, LCL sea freight treats 1 CBM like 1,000 kg (the higher of CBM and tonnes is charged), and air freight treats 1 CBM as about 166.67 kg under the IATA divisor of 6,000.

How is chargeable weight calculated for air freight?

Volumetric weight in kg is L x W x H in centimetres divided by 6,000, which is IATA's general rule. The airline charges whichever is higher, the actual gross weight or the volumetric weight. Some couriers use a different divisor, so check the rate card.

What is the difference between FCL and LCL?

FCL (Full Container Load) means you book a whole container and pay per container. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your cargo shares a container with other shippers' cargo, consolidated at a CFS or ICD, and you pay per W/M: the CBM or the weight in tonnes, whichever is higher.

When should I choose FCL instead of LCL?

There is no fixed break-even volume, because it depends on freight rates on your route. Compare a full LCL quote (W/M rate times your W/M, plus per-shipment charges) with a 20 ft FCL quote; a 20 ft standard container holds about 33 CBM inside.

What is the difference between FOB and CIF?

Under both, the risk passes to the buyer when the goods are on board the vessel at the Indian port. Under CIF the seller also pays the sea freight to the destination port and insures the goods for the buyer, at least on Institute Cargo Clauses (C); under FOB the buyer pays the freight.

Which Incoterm should I use for container shipments?

The ICC's Incoterms 2020 checklist points containerised and multimodal shipments to FCA, or to CPT or CIP when the seller pays the freight. Risk then passes when you hand the container over at your premises, a CFS, an ICD or a terminal, instead of when it is loaded on board.

What documents are required for export from India?

Foreign Trade Policy 2023 para 2.06 lists three mandatory documents: the bill of lading, airway bill, lorry receipt, railway receipt or postal receipt; the commercial invoice cum packing list; and the shipping bill, bill of export or postal bill of export. A certificate of origin, insurance certificate, VGM declaration and product certificates are added when the buyer, bank, mode or product needs them.

What is a Let Export Order?

The Let Export Order (LEO) is the customs order under section 51 of the Customs Act that permits the goods to be cleared and loaded for export. It is given once the officer is satisfied that the goods are not prohibited and any export duty is paid, and it can be given electronically on risk criteria.

Can I file a shipping bill without a customs broker?

Yes. Section 50 of the Customs Act puts the entry on the exporter, and ICEGATE's Shipping Bill web form is open to exporters as well as customs brokers, so you can file it with your own ICEGATE login. Many exporters use a licensed customs broker instead; JPARKS INDIA is not a customs broker.

How do I check my shipping bill status?

Use ICEGATE's public enquiry, which needs no login: under Document Status choose Shipping Bill, select the customs location and enter the shipping bill number and date. It shows the current status, the EGM status, drawback queries and IGST invoice details.

Can a shipping bill be amended after export?

Only on documentary evidence that existed at the time of export (Customs Act, section 149). Before the LEO the Assistant or Deputy Commissioner (Exports) can permit an amendment; after the LEO only the Additional or Joint Commissioner in charge of exports can.

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