In short: we are a freight forwarder, not a carrier. We arrange and manage your shipment end to end and we own that coordination — but vessels and aircraft are operated by carriers, and customs decisions belong to customs authorities. These terms set out what follows from that distinction.
1. Who is providing the service
These terms apply to services arranged by Shenzhen SBT International Logistics Co., Ltd. (registration number 91440300570029550P, registered address Building 1, No. 101, Hetai Industrial Zone, Fuhai Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China （深圳市宝安区福海街道展城社区福郢路和泰工业区厂房1栋101）), trading as WestAfricaLine by SBT56, through this website. When you instruct us to move cargo, you contract with that entity.
2. Our role: freight forwarder, not carrier
We integrate clearance, trunk-transport and delivery resources and manage the operation end to end. We are not the actual carrier: ships and aircraft are operated by carriers, and inland trucking may be performed by third-party hauliers. Where we act as a forwarder we do so on these terms; where a specific contract of carriage applies (for example a bill of lading or air waybill issued by a carrier), that document governs the carriage leg and may limit the carrier's liability.
3. Quotations
- To price a lane we need five items: product name, carton count, destination, service required and Incoterms.
- Quotations are issued on one sheet showing both included and excluded items, the charging basis, the current sailing or flight, and a transit range.
- Our published commitment is that every quotation is answered within 24 hours; the desk is online 7×8.
- A quotation is an offer, not a booking. It becomes binding only when you confirm it and we accept your confirmation. Rates, surcharges and space move with the sailing or flight, so a quotation is valid only for the period stated on it.
- We do not publish standing rate cards or standing discount figures, because rates change with each sailing and season. Any active promotion is itemised on your quotation, never assumed.
4. What DDP includes and excludes
DDP terminology on this site follows Incoterms® 2020 (Delivered Duty Paid) as published by the International Chamber of Commerce. On a DDP lane:
| Included in the DDP price | Typically excluded unless agreed |
|---|---|
|
|
The exact split is always confirmed on your quotation. A DDP quote is only comparable if both sides are itemised, which is why we publish both.
5. What we do not promise
We do not promise customs release, an inspection waiver, or clearance on a fixed date. Release, inspection and duty assessment are decided solely by the customs authorities of the destination country. What we do commit to is: complete and truthful documentation, prompt notice of any exception or customs hold, and real-time status updates on your shipment.
Transit times are published as ranges, not fixed dates. They move with the sailing or flight you catch, port and airport congestion, and routing — including any Red Sea rerouting, whose impact we flag at quote time. The confirmed range for your cargo is the one stated on your quotation.
6. Your obligations
- Give us an accurate product name and description, and accurate weight, volume and carton count. Chargeable weight is confirmed in writing.
- Declare sensitive, dangerous, battery, cosmetic, liquid or frozen cargo before booking. Such cargo moves through our sensitive-cargo channel and is confirmed per shipment together with the required documentation. We do not book special cargo on a generic quotation.
- Provide the documents the lane requires (commercial invoice, packing list, and any certificate the destination demands) in time for the declared sailing or flight.
- Ensure you are legally entitled to export the goods from China and import them at destination.
Delays, holds, seizures, fines or extra charges caused by inaccurate or incomplete information supplied to us are for your account.
7. Payment
Payment terms, currency, method and any credit period are as stated on your quotation or the invoice issued for it. Charges that arise at destination and are excluded from your DDP price (see section 4) are payable by you on demand.
8. Insurance and liability
Cargo insurance is not included in a DDP price unless expressly agreed on your quotation; we can arrange it on request. Where a carrier's bill of lading or air waybill applies to a leg, that carrier's liability limits apply to that leg.
Our own liability is that of a forwarder coordinating the movement. Insurance, where you take it, is priced at three per thousand on the value you declare; settlement tracks that declared figure, is capped at the goods value up to 100 USD plus the freight, and cannot pass twice the freight. Where a leg runs under a carrier's own bill of lading or air waybill, that carrier's limits apply to that leg.
Claims procedure and time limits: report any exception in writing to the desk that quoted your lane, as soon as it is noticed, and we settle against the declared value recorded on the file.
9. Force majeure and operational disruption
We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including carrier schedule changes, port or airport congestion, labour action, weather, war, civil unrest, sanctions, epidemic, and customs or governmental action. Where routing changes (for example rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope instead of transiting the Red Sea), we notify you of the impact on transit before you confirm.
10. Use of this website
The content on this website — guides, lane matrices, container capacity references and FAQs — is provided for general information. Container capacities shown are industry-standard approximations; the usable figure for your shipment depends on cargo density, carrier rules and destination road limits, and is confirmed on your quotation. Nothing on this website constitutes a binding offer until a quotation is confirmed under section 3.
11. Data protection
How we handle personal data is set out in our Privacy Policy. This website sets no cookies and runs no analytics.
12. Governing law and jurisdiction
These terms are governed by the law of the People's Republic of China, and disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, unless a mandatory provision of the law of your country of residence gives you additional rights. These terms take effect on 11 November 2026.
13. Changes and contact
We may update these terms; the "Last updated" date at the top of this page moves when we do. The version in force is the one published at the time your quotation is confirmed.
Shenzhen SBT International Logistics Co., Ltd. · trading as WestAfricaLine by SBT56
Building 1, No. 101, Hetai Industrial Zone, Fuhai Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China （深圳市宝安区福海街道展城社区福郢路和泰工业区厂房1栋101）
Tel / WeChat / WhatsApp: +86 186 6591 6878 ·
Email: tony@sbt56.com