Shipping, Incoterms and documents
Bogot Master ships licorice root from Bogot district in Khorezm, Uzbekistan, to buyers abroad by truck, by rail and, for part of the way, by sea. This page sets out where a shipment starts, the Incoterms® 2020 rules we quote, how loads are packed, how long a shipment takes and which documents travel with it. The sales contract for each order sets the final terms.
Where shipments start
Every load is prepared at our site in Bogot district, Khorezm region. Uzbekistan is one of the world's two doubly landlocked countries: none of its neighbours has a coast on the open sea either, so every shipment crosses at least two borders before it can reach a seaport.
- By truck, we hand over the goods at our site: EXW or FCA, Bogot district.
- By rail, we hand them over at Urgench railway station: FCA, Urgench.
Our usual routes:
- To Germany: by truck through Kazakhstan; the truck and its load cross the Caspian Sea by ferry to Russia, then continue by road towards Germany.
- To South Korea: by rail to Vladivostok, then by sea to a Korean port.
For other destinations, the route is part of the quote.
The Incoterms we quote
We quote under eight Incoterms® 2020 rules. Five suit any means of transport: EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP and DAP. Three are for sea transport only: FOB, CFR and CIF. The more of the journey the seller takes on, the higher the price: EXW leaves the most to the buyer, DAP the least.
The minimum order is 1 t under FCA. Under every other rule it is a full load: 11 t in a 20 ft container, or 22 t in a 40 ft container or a tent truck.
Because Uzbekistan has no coast, a sea term always names a port abroad: the port of loading under FOB, the port of destination under CFR and CIF. The port we used most, Bandar Abbas in Iran, is not in use at present. For goods in containers that reach the port by truck or rail, a marine insurer's guide advises FCA instead of FOB, and CPT instead of CFR or CIF (Munich Re). Under a sea term the risk stays with the seller until the goods are on board the ship, long after they have left the seller's hands.
Who does what under each rule
| Rule | Transport | Risk passes to the buyer | Main carriage paid by | Seller insures for the buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Any | When the goods are put at the buyer's disposal at our site | Buyer | No |
| FCA | Any | When the goods are handed to the carrier the buyer names, at the named place | Buyer | No |
| CPT | Any | When the goods are handed to the first carrier | Seller, to the named destination | No |
| CIP | Any | When the goods are handed to the first carrier | Seller, to the named destination | Yes: Institute Cargo Clauses (A) |
| DAP | Any | At the named destination, on the arriving vehicle | Seller | No (the seller carries the risk to the destination) |
| FOB | Sea | When the goods are on board the ship at the port of loading | Buyer | No |
| CFR | Sea | When the goods are on board the ship at the port of loading | Seller, to the port of destination | No |
| CIF | Sea | When the goods are on board the ship at the port of loading | Seller, to the port of destination | Yes: Institute Cargo Clauses (C) |
Export clearance is the seller's job under every rule except EXW, where the buyer clears the goods for export. Import clearance and import duties are the buyer's under all eight rules.
The table follows the UK customs authority's summary of the rules (HMRC) and the International Chamber of Commerce on insurance (ICC). It is a summary: the full rules are in the ICC's Incoterms® 2020 publication, and the sales contract governs.
Packing and loads
Our standard packing is polypropylene (PP) bags of 20, 21, 25 or 30 kg. Packing is made to order: inner liners, pallets, bags printed with your logo or any other packing you specify, at your cost. Sticks, about 50 cm long, can also be pressed into bales of about 120 kg; fingers always travel in bags.
| Load | Net weight |
|---|---|
| 20 ft container | 11 t |
| 40 ft container | 22 t |
| Tent truck | 22 t |
Root is dense, so weight, not space, sets the load. A 40 ft container could take about 26 t, but we load 22 t so the truck stays within the road limits on axle weight all the way. A heavier load is possible on request; finding a truck that may carry it takes extra time.
Lead time and transit
Preparing a 22 t load takes about 30 days from the order. Transit then depends on the destination and the route: most shipments take about 20 days or more, because routes from a doubly landlocked country are long and seldom direct. Ask about the route to your destination when you request a quote. Freight is quoted per order; we do not publish freight costs.
Payment
We accept T/T (bank transfer), L/C (letter of credit) or D/P (documents against payment), in USD, EUR, UZS, CNY, GBP, CHF or RUB. The method and the currency are set in the sales contract.
Shipping documents
Every load travels with:
- the export declaration;
- the commercial invoice;
- the packing list;
- the phytosanitary certificate, issued by the Agency for Plant Protection and Quarantine under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- the certificate of origin on GSP Form A, issued by SCC LLC "Khorezmexpertiza" of JSC "Uzbekexpertiza";
- the fumigation certificate: every load is fumigated with phosphine (aluminium phosphide) before it leaves;
- the certificate of analysis for the load, from a professional laboratory in Uzbekistan that you can choose: glycyrrhizic acid, ash and moisture, and any other tests you ask for;
- a copy of the sales contract, on request.
The certificates take a few days to issue and are ready before the load is. What each document is, and what to check on it before you pay, is in Documents for each shipment. For the customs codes and the import rules in the EU, the US, the UK and the EAEU, see Import rules and HS codes.
Insurance
Only two rules oblige the seller to insure the goods for the buyer: CIF and CIP (ICC).
- Under CIF, we insure on Institute Cargo Clauses (C), the basic cover that Incoterms® 2020 sets as the minimum for CIF.
- Under CIP, we insure on Institute Cargo Clauses (A), the wider cover the rules require for CIP.
Under the other six rules the seller has no duty to insure the buyer's risk. From the moment the risk passes to you (see the table above), whether and how to insure the goods is your decision.
Asking for a shipping quote
To quote a price for your terms, we need:
- the product and grade;
- the quantity, and how many loads a year if the order repeats;
- the destination country, and the city or port;
- the Incoterm, or "to discuss";
- the packing, if not our standard bags;
- when you need the goods.
Send them with the button below, or add products to a quote list from any product page.
Sources
- HM Revenue & Customs, Customs valuation: Incoterms, GOV.UK, last updated 14 April 2026: the delivery point, the passing of risk and the carriage under each rule.
- International Chamber of Commerce, Incoterms® 2020: the insurance cover required under CIP and CIF.
- Munich Re, The importance of the Incoterms Rules: sea terms and goods in containers.
Incoterms® is a trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce.