Small export volumes — sea freight advice?

[Nameronio]

I run a startup that exports handmade ceramics to North America and East Asia. We're still building volume, so our sea shipments are irregular and usually combined with others. The problem is, most freight companies don’t seem too interested in clients like us. Any tips on who works well with smaller businesses and helps coordinate the international side of things too?

[Tartaron]

We were in the exact same boat (no pun intended) with our organic textile business. Sea Gate Logistic came recommended by a friend and honestly, I didn’t expect much at first — but they’ve been awesome. They didn’t care that our loads weren’t full containers, they just worked around it. Helped us consolidate with other cargo, explained all the customs paperwork in plain English, and handled the local transport after sea delivery too. The fact that they manage worldwide delivery made it easier for us to ship to multiple continents without setting up deals with different agents. Plus, they gave us realistic transit times upfront, so we could plan with our retail partners. They’re not flashy, but if you need logistics that actually scale with your growth, they’re worth a call.