Sailing schedules from Cat Lai (HCMC) to Yokohama

Cat Lai is a river port with a long approach channel, and the largest vessels it can take are around 45,000 DWT. Mid-size intra-Asia ships call here, while bigger ships on long-haul routes load at Cai Mep.

Maersk run about 1 sailings a week, all direct with no transshipment, and transit takes 7 to 8 days. With so few departures, the Cat Lai cut-off is the date that matters. The gate often jams at peak hours, so plan your gate-in well ahead of cut-off. Miss it and you wait for next week's vessel.

Japan Customs requires carriers and NVOCCs to file cargo information at least 24 hours before the vessel leaves the loading port. That means the SI has to close earlier than the sailing schedule alone would suggest, and the cargo description, consignee and HS code must be right from the first submission.

In Japan, the importer files the declaration and applies for the import permit, usually through a customs broker and, in principle, after the cargo has been moved into a bonded area. The document set covers the invoice, B/L, packing list, freight documents, origin documents if you claim preferential duty, and insurance where needed. Food and restricted goods need extra permits under sector-specific laws, such as the Food Sanitation Act. Send the buyer a clean, consistent set as soon as the vessel sails.

Japan accepts two ways of proving origin. Under VJEPA and AJCEP, the certificate of origin (C/O) is issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade. CPTPP relies on self-certification, where the importer, exporter or producer draws up the origin document itself. RCEP allows both routes and adds a declaration by an approved exporter.

Before shipping, ask the buyer which agreement they claim duty under. The answer decides whether you apply for a C/O or prepare material and production records so the buyer can self-certify. Compare the duty rate for each HS code across the agreements before you commit.

Importers must keep their documents to answer customs queries, even after clearance. If you ship regularly or source inputs from several countries, ask Japan Customs for a written advance ruling on origin. The ruling is valid for 3 years, and a copy goes in with the import declaration.

Fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, spice ingredients and medicinal herbs need a Vietnamese phytosanitary certificate. They must also pass import inspection in Japan, whatever the volume. Some products are banned depending on the country of production, so check the Database for Importing Conditions of Japan's Plant Protection Station before you quote. Soil and plants with soil attached are banned.

Processed goods are exempt from plant quarantine. That covers wood furniture, rattan and bamboo items, processed tea and dried fruit. Food products still have to be notified to the MHLW quarantine station. For fresh produce, register for export quarantine in time to meet the Cat Lai cut-off.

Golden Week, Obon and year-end are peak periods in Japan, and domestic delivery slows down. Who pays the Yokohama destination charges (THC, D/O, local fees) depends on the incoterms. State it in the contract.

Homexim books FCL and LCL ocean freight, clears exports in Vietnam and trucks containers to Cat Lai. One person owns each shipment from booking to delivery, and quotes itemize every charge. The consignee or their customs broker files the import declaration in Japan.