The cheapest EXW quotation is not always the lowest-cost purchase. Ethernet cable is dense and bulky, so freight, local charges and shipment design can change the commercial result—especially for project deliveries to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Separate product price from logistics
Ask suppliers and forwarders to state the cost boundary clearly. EXW covers collection from the factory. FOB normally moves the boundary to the named port of shipment. Delivered terms can include different combinations of freight, customs handling, duty, tax and final delivery. Never assume that “door to door” includes every local charge.
Why CBM is only part of the calculation
A per-CBM rate may exclude pickup, origin handling, documentation, customs clearance, duty, VAT, inspection, remote-area delivery or warehouse appointment fees. The shipment may also be charged by weight, volume or a minimum billable amount.
Information a forwarder needs
- Pickup city and address
- Destination city, port, warehouse or project site
- Number of cartons or pallets
- Gross weight and total CBM
- Carton or pallet dimensions
- Commodity description and HS-code confirmation
- Commercial value
- Required delivery date
- Whether duty and tax should be included
- Any FBA, appointment or site-access requirement
UAE project questions
For UAE deliveries, confirm whether the destination is Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another emirate; whether delivery is to a free zone, commercial warehouse, Amazon/FBA facility or project site; and who will act as importer of record. These details can materially change the quotation.
Saudi project questions
For Saudi Arabia, align the product documents, importer requirements and customs plan before dispatch. Do not wait until the cargo arrives to discover that a document or registration requirement was assumed rather than confirmed.
Compare quotations with one landed-cost table
Use separate lines for product value, domestic transport, export charges, ocean or air freight, destination charges, duty, tax and final delivery. Mark every uncertain item. This makes supplier and route comparisons much more reliable than comparing one headline freight number.
Reduce cost before negotiating the cable price
- Optimise carton and pallet loading
- Combine compatible products
- Compare LCL and FCL thresholds
- Allow enough lead time for sea freight
- Separate urgent samples from bulk cargo
- Confirm packaging before the final freight quote
Before requesting the product quotation, use our Cat6 & Cat6A RFQ checklist. For document review, see what CE, RoHS and Fluke reports actually show.
Need a cable and shipment plan for the UAE or Saudi Arabia? Send the product, quantity and destination to Carl@vankosen.com or contact Carl on WhatsApp. We can separate the product and logistics boundaries so the quotation is easier to evaluate.