Hi,
I'm trying to import some products into the US, can someone enlighten me with the terms FOB and C&F? I understand this is the shipping method, but what exactly are these?
Any help is much appreciated.

Darwin

F.O.B. is Free On Board. This means that the FOB price you are quoted is for the product and all costs to the point that the product is On Board a ship, or aircraft, or whatever method is being used to ship. C&F is Cost and Freight. That means that the C&F price you are quoted is for the product and delivery to your door. One other acronym that you may encounter is C.I.F. which is Cost-Insurance-Freight, which means that the shipper pays for the insurance during shipping to your door.

Gordon

If someone says the FOB is $500 from California to St Louis..how much more would I expect for the shipping. I have found a lot of products that are FOB and have no clue how to take into account what the final shipping would be. is there a formula to go by or is it a case by case scenario? StLRook

Have you thought of contacting a shipping company? Alternately you should contact a Freight Forwarder who will handle all of the paperwork for you, for a fee. Look in the Yellow Pages.

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Gordon