Sooner or later, an importer opens a container and finds crushed cartons, wet goods or fewer items than the invoice shows. What you do in the next hours and days decides whether you recover your money. Claims are lost not because the loss was unreal but because the importer signed for the goods without noting the damage, missed a deadline or could not prove the value. This guide sets out the steps. Time limits and procedures vary by carrier and policy, so read your documents.

Inspect before you sign

When the goods are delivered, check the number of packages against the delivery note and the bill of lading, and inspect the outside for damage. Open a sample if you can. If something is wrong, write it on the delivery document before you sign, for example "3 cartons crushed, 2 missing". A clean signature suggests the goods arrived in good order and weakens your claim. If you cannot inspect on the spot, sign "unexamined" and inspect as soon as possible.

Take evidence

Photograph and video everything: the container seal and number, the condition of the container, damaged packages, labels and the contents. Keep the packaging and the damaged goods. Note the date, time and who was present. If the container was opened by customs or another party, ask for the inspection report. Independent evidence, such as a surveyor's report, is strong.

Notify quickly

Tell the carrier or terminal in writing within the time allowed, often a few days for visible damage and slightly longer for hidden damage. Tell your clearing agent and your insurer straight away; late notice can void a claim. Keep copies of every notification. Marine cargo insurance for importers explained lists what insurers expect.

Gather the documents

A claim needs paperwork: the bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, delivery note with your remarks, photographs, survey report, the policy and proof of value. Documents that disagree make claims harder, so check them against each other; see how to read a bill of lading and a packing list and the import documents checklist.

Decide who is responsible

The right party to claim from depends on the delivery terms and the cause. Under some terms, the risk passed to you when the goods were loaded, so your insurer or the carrier is the target. Under others, the seller bears the risk until a later point, so claim from the seller. Short delivery, where the seller shipped less than invoiced, is a claim against the supplier. Incoterms explained for importers shows where risk moves.

Claim from the insurer

If you have cover, submit the claim with the documents, following the policy's process. Expect a survey. Keep the damaged goods available until the insurer agrees to release them. Understand the excess and any exclusions, such as inadequate packing. A well-documented claim is settled faster.

Claim from the supplier or carrier

For short or wrong goods, contact the supplier at once with photographs and the packing list, and ask for a replacement, credit or refund. For damage in transit, the carrier's liability is often limited, so insurance is usually the main protection. Keep the tone professional and the correspondence in writing. If you used a safe payment method, you may have additional recourse; see paying overseas suppliers safely.

Customs and tax consequences

Duty is charged on the declared value at entry, so damaged goods may still attract duty. If goods are destroyed, ask your clearing agent about any relief available and the procedure to follow. Do not dispose of goods without the correct authority. For VAT, keep the documents that show what was bought and received; import VAT: how to claim it back explains the claim.

Record the loss

Record the loss in your accounts and landed cost calculation. The import duty and landed cost workbook can hold the actual cost and the claim recovered, and the landed cost calculator shows how the loss changes the cost per unit. Keep all documents for at least five years.

Prevent the next one

Pack carefully, insure every shipment, vet suppliers, check documents before shipping and consider an inspection before dispatch. How to vet an overseas supplier before you pay and how to plan container loading and reduce freight cost help. A calm, documented response protects your claim, and good prevention reduces how often you need one.