Articles
Trade and shipping articles
Plain-English answers to the questions exporters and importers actually search for, each one linked to the free tool that does the calculation. No account, no paywall.
How-to articles
How many pallets fit in a 20ft and 40ft container?
The floor-loaded figures for Euro, industrial and pallet-wide containers, why weight usually runs out before space, and a worked example.
Tools used: 3D container stuffing calculator, 3D pallet calculator, container equipment library
FOB vs CIF vs EXW: which Incoterms® rule should you use?
Where risk passes under each rule, why FOB is the wrong choice for containers, the insurance gap between CIF and CIP, and a short decision guide.
Tools used: Incoterms® 2020 navigator, landed cost estimator, cargo insurance portal
How to calculate landed cost: formula and worked example
The step-by-step build-up from ex-works to your warehouse door, a full worked example, whether VAT belongs in the number, and the costs importers forget.
Tools used: landed cost estimator, HS code explorer, exporter feasibility simulator
How to read a bill of lading, field by field
What each field means, negotiable versus straight bills and sea waybills, telex release, and the errors that get documents refused by a bank.
Tools used: UCP 600 workbench, ISBP 821 document examination guide, shipping line directory
Mineral buyer's guides
Reference guides for buyers and specifiers of industrial minerals — what each material is, the standards and HS codes that apply, and what to put in a request for quotation.
Reference libraries on this site
Every article here links into the tools, but you can also start from them directly:
- Container specifications, ISO codes and pallet configurations — container equipment library and container standards library.
- Carriage temperatures for 69 commodities — reefer temperature guide.
- Shipping and banking abbreviations — shipping terms glossary.
- Depths, restrictions and UN/LOCODEs for thousands of ports — world sea ports register.
- Unit conversions for export paperwork — unit converter.
About this guide
This is independent reference information for exporters, importers and freight buyers, published by Mada Trade Co. in Alexandria. Figures are typical industry values for planning; confirm the numbers that matter with your carrier, forwarder or customs broker before you commit to a booking or a price.
Last reviewed: September 2026.