Freight forwarder
A freight forwarder is a company that arranges the transport of your goods across the supply chain, coordinating carriers, documents and customs.
Last reviewed 16 July 2026.
A freight forwarder is a logistics intermediary that organises the movement of goods on your behalf. Rather than owning ships or planes, forwarders book space with carriers, consolidate shipments, prepare transport documents, and coordinate the hand-offs between road, sea, air and rail so your cargo moves door to door.
Most forwarders also offer, or arrange, customs clearance and can act as your customs broker, prepare the import declaration, and handle duty and VAT payment. For smaller importers, the forwarder is often the single point of contact for the entire international leg.
Forwarder charges — origin handling, freight, destination charges, documentation and clearance fees — are a real part of your import cost, and they vary widely, so comparing quotes on a like-for-like basis matters.
How it affects your landed cost
Freight-forwarder charges are a line item in your landed cost that is easy to underestimate, because a single 'freight' quote can bundle origin fees, ocean freight, destination charges and clearance. Breaking those out and entering the real freight figure alongside your goods value is how our calculator turns a supplier quote into a true delivered cost per unit.
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