Shipping is expensive, so it makes sense to ship only what you need and will use in your new home in Israel – now is the time to start cutting back. Most shipments are 50/50 – half of the volume is large items, and the other half is the small items which ultimately will go into boxes. This means that it is just as important to sort your clothing, toys, and dishes as it is to debate bringing the sofa and dining room set. Remember that your home in Israel may well be smaller, and let’s face it, if you haven’t used it in the last 12 months, you probably don’t need it anymore. For more information, please see our article on Packing Your Home for Aliyah.

Estimate range for shipping for an Oleh family: $6,000-$14,000 (depending on family size, home size, and origin address)

Definite costs:

Origin: Pick up, Packing, Transport to Port or Loading of Container

The cost will vary depending on the origin location. Not just the specific residence (ground-level home vs. 4th-floor walk-up), but also the local company used (particularly for inland points). While it is best to use a company within a one-hour radius of your home or in the nearest city, the costs may be much more than if you work with a company in a port city that is located hours away. If the company doing the packing is located hours away and there is a problem, the solution may not be available or as good as if the local company is nearby.

Pre-packing generally saves little or no money and the savings may outweigh the costs of buying packing supplies. If you pre-pack, any damages will not be covered by Marine Insurance. You can also choose to load the container yourself (only for containers, not for consolidated loads). This will be a big saving; however, you need to check how much time you have to load, you need to know exactly how many pieces are loaded, you must make a packing list (by piece, matching the number of pieces loaded), and the container will stay on the chassis (about 3-4 feet off the ground). In this case, you take responsibility for any loss or damage except for total loss (container sinking, for example). This is not a decision you make lightly, and you should consider the surrounding costs (packing materials, labor to help you load, money to cover damages).

Shipping

The cost of shipping should include inland transportation to the port of exit, including (if you don’t have your own container) the cost of trucking to the consolidating warehouse (where it waits until being loaded into the container with other cargo) and any storage while waiting for other cargo. In the US, this should also include any surcharges (fuel or BAF – and Congestion are the common surcharges). Ship lines are obligated to give a 30-day notice of changes in cost except in very rare instances.

Packing

As mentioned above, there may be a slight discount if you pre-pack, however part of the savings is that the shipping company doesn’t have to supply materials. If the shipping company you are using will not provide supplies, consider the costs of packing materials. In addition, any damage to the goods you pack will not be covered by Marine Insurance. You can request a volume survey from the shipping company, either in person or via a video call, to help you determine what size shipping container you will need.

General payment allocation:

Little or no deposit should be required before pick-up.

Most charges (around 80%) will be due after pick-up (door-to-door service portion).

The balance will be due before delivery or hand-out (the local charges in Israel – port fees, storage, etc.).

Storage

In the port, you will need to pay for a container (approximate charges in Israel, assuming the paperwork is done before the container arrives at the port and you accept delivery ASAP).

Container size:

• 1*20 500 NIS
• 1*40 900 NIS
• 7 days from arrival

Port Fees

THC (Terminal Handling Charge), Delivery Order, Port Tax CHANI, LCC- Bonded Warehouse

This cost will vary depending on many factors and must be in writing on any quote you consider.

Insurance costs 2.5-3% of the insured value. (Standard evaluation 20’ is $50,000; 40’ is $100,000). This means a cost of $1,250-$3,000 on top of the cost of shipping.

Please note that the port fees are paid by the client and not covered by the Aliyah benefit.

Tentative Costs:

• Customs on ineligible items – For more information see Understanding Your Customs Benefits.
• VAT on ineligible items
• Inspection abroad: ~$2,000-$3,500 (in the LA Port approximately 1/3 of containers are inspected)
• Inspection is Israel: ~5,000nis

* Storage during inspection time is on the client

Levels of service:

• Door to Door Service (option for full or partial pack).
• Warehouse to Door: You bring already packed goods to the local warehouse. This is not an option for full containers.
• Warehouse to Warehouse: You bring already packed goods to the local warehouse in North America and you pick them up from the local warehouse in Israel. This is not an option for full containers.
• Door to Warehouse: Pick up from your home in North America and then pick up from the warehouse in Israel. This is not an option for full containers

* All of the above must indicate the Port Fees in Israel as noted above.

Do not ask for quotes from Port or to Port. This type of quote does not include the services you need and the fees you need to pay. This type of service is for an experienced shipper only (such as a commercial exporter or commercial importer) who understands incoterms and knows what a “Pikuda Mesira” is. If you don’t know what those mean and how to check them, you aren’t qualified).