Questions
What counterparties ask.
The questions a buyer, a supplier, or a counterparty's bank puts before a first engagement — answered without a sales call.
How does an engagement begin?
By a short written brief — the goods, the destinations, the volumes, the constraints, the timing. A calibrated landed-cost view follows within one business day. There is no portal, no account, and no catalogue to browse.
What am I committing to by making contact?
Nothing until terms are agreed in writing. Exploring a lane carries no mandate and no fee; you see the numbers before anything is agreed. Each engagement is then a bilateral contract for that order — price, Incoterms 2020, conformity, and risk transfer.
How is the desk paid?
On the margin it structures within the transaction — not by a retainer, a listing fee, or a charge to stay available. The incentive is an order that clears on terms, not a subscription that renews.
How is landed cost calculated?
With in-house cost models that compute duties, VAT treatment, port and terminal charges, carbon-border obligations, and risk surcharges before a quote is circulated. The figure quoted is the full landed cost, not a freight indication with the fiscal consequences left for arrival.
What compliance checks do you run?
Sanctions screening across the EU, OFAC, UN, UK, and French registers, plus AML/KYC, export-control and dual-use assessment, and forced-labour and origin-traceability due diligence — all before any commercial reliance. The consolidated statement is on the Compliance page.
Which transport modes can you assess?
Sea, rail, inland waterway, and road can be compared for a proposed order. The mode and any ISO 14083-aligned carbon estimate or mode-shift option depend on route data, carrier availability, feasibility, and written approval for that order.
Which origins and destinations can you assess?
Bonategia considers international enquiries across the reference markets shown. Each origin, destination, and route requires per-order product, counterparty, carrier, regulatory, and commercial review; the list does not represent prior service or guarantee service in every region.
How is payment secured?
The payment instrument is agreed per engagement — documentary credit (L/C), documentary collection, or other written terms appropriate to the corridor and the counterparties. It is settled before counterparty work begins, not improvised at shipment.
What is outside your scope?
Goods or destinations under EU, OFAC, UN, UK, or French sanctions; facilities credibly associated with forced labour or origin obfuscation; acting as importer of record where regulatory exposure exceeds the engagement's commercial scope; and substituting for tax, legal, or customs counsel, which is coordinated rather than replaced.