New Customers

Welcome
To CFI

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. Commodity Forwarders understands that we would be representing your brand. CFI wants to be your trusted partner for all things perishable logistics. With extensive experience in perishable transportation, state-of-the-art-temperature-controlled equipment, and unwavering commitment to customer service, we work to ensure the fresh and timely delivery of your perishable items to market. People make the difference at CFI. Our staff have that sense of urgency needed to help maximize your ROI. The team understands that trust is not given, it must be earned daily.

Below you’ll find everything you need to get started from the credit application, assorted intake forms, to general information on our policies.  We recommend new customers take a moment to familiarize themselves with the various forms and resources available for your specific type of perishable cargo.  In other parts of our website, you will find information on location of the facilities we operate, services we offer as well as the commodities we tend to work with most often.  If you have any questions, your CFI representative will be happy to give you a tour of which documents you’ll need and what links can best help your business.  Join our growing family of satisfied customers and discover the CFI perishable difference today.

Application For Credit

Terms and Conditions

In addition to specified carrier and CFI liability CFI offers secondary insurance coverage available at an additional charge. The same restrictions apply as coverage outlined for carriers concerning delay in transit of 48 hours for domestic and 72 hours for international, physical damage or cargo lost in transit. The benefit of this coverage is that claim settlement is significantly quicker that 3rd party carrier and allows you to cover the shipment for the full value. Please read the following very carefully to ensure a positive claim resolution.

  • All Fresh Produce Shipments must be insulated with reflective foil.
  • All Fresh and Frozen Seafood shipments must either be insulated with reflective foil or packed in styro-foam or wax boxes with gel packs and or dry ice.
  • Freight Charges must be included in the value declared at time of booking.
  • All shipments must be picked-up at destination within 12 hours upon arrival or the claim will be denied.
  • Commodity Forwarders must be notified of all claims immediately upon arrival at destination or no later than 24 hours or claims will be denied. Claim intents must be submitted in writing by completing our Claim Notification form.
  • Any claim in excess of $10,000 Commodity Forwarders must be notified immediately upon consignee pick-up. All goods must be made available for 3rd party surveyor inspection prior to any disposal of the product to substantiate the claim. Salvage may be performed prior to inspection if authorized by Commodity Forwarders.  
  • Claims should be paid within 30 days after proof of loss or damage has been submitted as well as all necessary documentation to CFI.
  • All formal claims must be submitted within 30 days from date of arrival of the shipment at destination or will be denied.
  • Concealed loss or damage must be reported in writing either via fax or e-mail to CFI within 24 hours. Supporting documents including Pictures, Invoices, Inspection Reports, Dump Certificates etc. must be submitted within 7 days.
  • Claims lodged based on the sole reasoning that damage or product deterioration was a result of delay in transit of less than 48 hours for domestic and 72 hours for international will not be considered a valid basis to file a claim and cannot be submitted to the carriers at any time.
  • The Shipper or Consignee must make every reasonable attempt to mitigate the loss on the insurance carriers behalf. Based on the value of the claim the carrier reserves the right to have a surveyor examine the goods prior to mitigation. At no time does the insurance carrier or Commodity Forwarders take ownership of the cargo.
  • The Insurance carrier shall not be liable for loss, damage, or delay caused by Acts of God, public authorities, strikes, labor disputes, acts of war, weather, mechanical, aircraft failures, acts or omissions of Customs or quarantine officials or civil commotions.

Liability

In tendering this shipment, the Shipper or Consignee agrees to these Terms & Conditions of Contract. No agent or employee of the parties may alter the attached document prepared by the Shipper or on Shipper’s behalf by Commodity Forwarders, Inc. henceforth known as CFI.

Commodity Forwarders does not assume liability for any claim as a result of an inability or unfulfilled responsibility deemed that of the air or ocean carrier. These responsibilities include and are not limited to sufficient air space to accommodate a specific booking, a delay resulting from enhanced security measures, weather or mechanical failure, lack of appropriate container equipment, failure to board on a designated flight or a re-accommodated routing which differs from the original booking. Further, it is stipulated that once the cargo is tendered to the air or ocean carrier any and all claims which are caused after the time of tender are to be considered a Carrier Claims and you should refer to our “Carrier Claim Procedure” section.

The shipper warrants that their shipments are packed adequately to protect their shipments and ensure safe transportation with ordinary care in handling. Shippers are required to pack their shipments to withstand 48 hours in transit for domestic air freight shipments and 72 hours for international air freight shipments. Commodity Forwarders offers our customers several options to help maintain the most optimal temperature while in transit. These options are a deterrent to temperature fluctuations and are in no means a guarantee concerning arrival temperatures.

Due to the inherent nature of the airfreight business, CFI does not guarantee delivery by a stipulated date or a stipulated time, nor shall CFI be liable for the consequences of failure to make timely delivery. CFI shall not be liable in any event for any special incidental or consequential damages, including but not limited to loss of profits or loss of income, whether or not CFI had knowledge that such damage might be incurred.

Any claim which is to be filed as a result of Commodity Forwarders handling or negligence must be done so according to our claim procedure. Any claim not filed accordingly may be rejected as a result. CFI shall not be liable for loss, damage, acts of terrorism, of delay caused by Acts of God, public authorities, strikes, labor disputes, weather, mechanical, aircraft failures, acts or omissions of Customs or quarantine officials, or civil commotions. All claims are paid based on costs of goods only and loss of profit or replacement of goods value will not be covered. Freight Invoice for all claim shipments must be paid in full prior to claim settlement payment

Legal action to enforce a claim must be brought within one year after the claim has been denied in writing by CFI, in whole or in part.

Commodity Forwarders liability in the event of a claim is $.50 USD per pound but not less than $50.00 per shipment, whichever is higher. Higher liabilities may be acceptable only by written contract, duly signed by the Shipper and Commodity Forwarders, Inc.

Forms and Waivers

* Documents can be printed online and faxed or emailed

CFI TERMS & CONDITIONS
CREDIT APPLICATION
EXPORT POWER OF ATTORNEY
CREDIT CARD PAYMENT FORM
RECURRING CREDIT CARD CHARGE FORM
CLAIM FORM
FROZEN WAIVER FORM
YOUNG BROTHERS – FROZEN WAIVER
COMMERCIAL INVOICE AND PACKING LIST
VGM (VERIFIED GROSS MASS) STATEMENT
SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS – CHILLED GOODS
SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS – FROZEN GOODS
SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS – DRY GOODS
SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS – CERTIFICATE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN CONSUMPTION
CERTIFICATE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN CONSUMPTION

Third-Party Insurance

In addition to specified carrier and CFI liability CFI offers secondary insurance coverage available at an additional charge. The same restrictions apply as coverage outlined for carriers concerning delay in transit of 48 hours for domestic and 72 hours for international, physical damage or cargo lost in transit. The benefit of this coverage is that claim settlement is significantly quicker that 3rd party carrier and allows you to cover the shipment for the full value. Please read the following very carefully to ensure a positive claim resolution.

  • All Fresh Produce Shipments must be insulated with reflective foil.
  • All Fresh and Frozen Seafood shipments must either be insulated with reflective foil or packed in styro-foam or wax boxes with gel packs and or dry ice.
  • Freight Charges must be included in the value declared at time of booking.
  • All shipments must be picked-up at destination within 12 hours upon arrival or the claim will be denied.
  • Commodity Forwarders must be notified of all claims immediately upon arrival at destination or no later than 24 hours or claims will be denied. Claim intents must be submitted in writing by completing our Claim Notification form.
  • Any claim in excess of $10,000 Commodity Forwarders must be notified immediately upon consignee pick-up. All goods must be made available for 3rd party surveyor inspection prior to any disposal of the product to substantiate the claim. Salvage may be performed prior to inspection if authorized by Commodity Forwarders.  
  • Claims should be paid within 30 days after proof of loss or damage has been submitted as well as all necessary documentation to CFI.
  • All formal claims must be submitted within 30 days from date of arrival of the shipment at destination or will be denied.
  • Concealed loss or damage must be reported in writing either via fax or e-mail to CFI within 24 hours. Supporting documents including Pictures, Invoices, Inspection Reports, Dump Certificates etc. must be submitted within 7 days.
  • Claims lodged based on the sole reasoning that damage or product deterioration was a result of delay in transit of less than 48 hours for domestic and 72 hours for international will not be considered a valid basis to file a claim and cannot be submitted to the carriers at any time.
  • The Shipper or Consignee must make every reasonable attempt to mitigate the loss on the insurance carriers behalf. Based on the value of the claim the carrier reserves the right to have a surveyor examine the goods prior to mitigation. At no time does the insurance carrier or Commodity Forwarders take ownership of the cargo.
  • The Insurance carrier shall not be liable for loss, damage, or delay caused by Acts of God, public authorities, strikes, labor disputes, acts of war, weather, mechanical, aircraft failures, acts or omissions of Customs or quarantine officials or civil commotions.

Claim Process

Commodity Forwarders is dedicated to taking an aggressive approach to the processing of freight claims on behalf of our customers. Commodity Forwarders views ourselves as your logistic partner and will make every effort to see that your freight claim is settled to your satisfaction. However, the claim process tends to be lengthy and our customers should not expect a final ruling from date of filing for at least 120 days.

Submit A Claim

Due to the inherent nature of the airfreight business, CFI does not guarantee delivery by a stipulated date or a stipulated time, nor shall CFI be liable for the consequences of failure to make timely delivery. Although CFI, its agents or the airline will make every effort to secure and board your preferred flights, we are not responsible for loss of market value due to normal delays in transit, enhanced security protocols, failure to board scheduled flights, delays due to mechanical failure or lack of appropriate equipment necessary to properly tender the freight for air transportation.

Commodity Forwarders shall not be liable for loss, damage, or delay caused by Acts of God, public authorities, strikes, labor disputes, weather, mechanical, aircraft failures, acts or omissions of Customs or quarantine officials, or civil commotions. As a licensed IATA Air Freight Forwarder Commodity Forwarders acts as your agent with the carrier and does not influence the final ruling on any freight claim.

In the event of a freight claim in the absence of additional insurance coverage the airlines maximum liability on domestic air freight shipments is $.50 per lb. and $20.00 per Kilo on international shipments. As a customer of Commodity Forwarders you have the option to request at an additional charge excess insurance coverage and must do so at time of booking. Rates for this additional coverage differ and are based on airline tariff.

Shippers are required to pack their shipments to withstand 48 hours in transit for domestic air freight shipments and 72 hours for international air freight shipments. Commodity Forwarders offers our customers several options to help maintain the most optimal temperature while in transit. These options are a deterrent to temperature fluctuations and are in no means a guarantee concerning arrival temperatures. The carriers are not required to maintain a cold chain for air freight shipments nor required to possess cold storage. For those carriers that do have cold storage they do so on a space available basis only.

Claims lodged based on the sole reasoning that damage or product deterioration was a result of delay in transit of less than 48 hours will not be considered a valid basis to file a claim and cannot be submitted to the carriers at any time. To insure that both CFI and our customers do everything possible to collect on all valid claims, please read the following carefully. All claims must be completed in the following manner. Upon acceptance of goods at the carrier your staff or designated agent should follow the following guidelines to minimize the possibilities of a claim denial. Freight Invoice for all claim shipments must be paid in full prior to claim settlement payment.

Shipper

For our purposes the shipper is defined as the party which instructs Commodity Forwarders to co-ordinate the transportation of a particular shipment and not to be confused with the supplier of goods. These are not one and the same.

Notifications

All claims (except overcharges) must be received in writing by CFI within 7 days after CFI accepted the shipment.

Concealed loss/damage must be reported in writing to CFI within 7 days after delivery, or if perishable, verbally within 24 hours, and with written follow-up either fax or e-mail within 48 hours after delivery.

Commodity Forwarders makes every attempt to settle their claims as quickly as possible. The claim process for carrier claims should take no more than 180 days from date of final document submittal.  Commodity Forwarders will also file claims with the carriers on the shipper’s/consignee’s behalf, however, Commodity Forwarders are dependent on carrier’s; their investigations, offers and settlements. Claims against Commodity Forwarders for handling should take no more than 30 days.

Mitigation

The Shipper or Consignee must make every reasonable attempt to mitigate the loss on Commodity Forwarders behalf. At no time does Commodity Forwarders take possession of the goods the final settlement value will be based on our interpretation of the Shipper or Consignee’s attempt to salvage. The Shipper of record bears title to the goods until such time as they are signed for and possession is taken by another party.

Documentation

All necessary documentation must be submitted for submittal to 3rd party carrier. The better we can do to substantiate the claim the better the settlement we can obtain. Failure to provide all necessary documentation could impact the claim settlement negatively. Documents required include the following:

  • Signed Mawb from destination
  • Airline Inspection Claim
  • Pictures
  • Commercial Invoice
  • Claim Breakdown
  • Salvage calculation
  • Destruction Certificate and pictures of disposal
  • 3rd party Survey

Living ESG

At Commodity Forwarders Inc., we intertwine our passion for outstanding logistics services with a profound respect for our planet.

We're committed not only to safeguarding your precious products and fulfilling your delivery expectations, but also to doing so with a keen eye on environmental stewardship. By adhering to relevant industry regulations and specifications, we ensure our competitively-priced services are not just top-notch, but also environmentally conscious. We believe in striking a harmonious balance between operational excellence and our ecological footprint, all the while nurturing the trust you've placed in us. In essence, we're not just delivering goods, we're delivering a promise of sustainability.

Data Security

Effective management of risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Information Assets is essential. CFI staff are required to take all efforts to maintain confidentiality and integrity of internal information and data, such as, but not limited to, customer and supplier details, shipment data, routings and timings, shipment values, and other sensitive internal information.

CIA

CFI Corporate Security has developed a robust security regime embracing international industry standards and recommended practices set by bodies like:

  • ISO (International Standardisation Organisation)
  • ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation)
  • IRU (International Road Transport Union)

These provide global protection to employees, customers, company assets, and entrusted property and mitigate potential security risks. CFI’s security regime was designed to fulfill legal, customer, and industry requirements related to:

  • WCO SAFE framework of standards and subsequent supply chain security programs
  • AEO (Authorized Economic Operator)
  • C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism)
  • BASC (Business Alliance for Secure Commerce)

By regularly assessing the above standards, CFI contributes to a seamless supply chain for its customers.

Additionally, all staff are continuously trained to create the necessary security awareness and to impart the required knowledge and skills, thus enabling our staff to execute security-related tasks in their competence to the highest standards.

CFI strives to achieve continuous customer satisfaction by preventing security incidents and eliminating security-related non-conformance. For this purpose, CFI established the integrated QSHE risk-based management system. Moreover, a web-based integrated non-conformity reporting system was introduced, helping to detect and mitigate possible security vulnerabilities.

Corporate Security supports CFI in:

  • Establishing a secure and stable environment for our staff, customers, and goods entrusted to CFI.
  • Reducing security vulnerabilities by monitoring and analyzing incidents and implementing appropriate counter-measures.
  • Conducting continuous security awareness training, which encompasses all divisions.
  • Encouraging staff to adhere to all relevant laws, regulations, guidelines, and working instructions at all times.
  • Developing, in cooperation with IT Security, appropriate measures to protect information data assets against unlawful interference.

This policy statement is implemented through the integrated QSHE management system, accessible via the company intranet and disseminated to the public through the company website and other communication channels.