The essentials at a glance. Figures marked as indicative depend on the carrier, season and cargo, and are confirmed in your quote.
| Legal entity | NIL OCEAN SHIPPING L.L.C, Dubai, UAE (trade licence 1104515) |
|---|---|
| Corridors | China · UAE · Iraq · GCC · East Africa |
| Modes | Sea FCL and LCL, road FTL and LTL, sea + road multimodal |
| Incoterms | All 11 Incoterms® 2020 rules; EXW, FOB, CFR, CIF, DAP and DDP are most common on our lanes |
| Languages | English, Arabic and Persian |
| Your contact | One named coordinator and a backup, on WhatsApp and in the customer portal |
| Price changes | Only with your approval, with a reason and evidence |
| Facts as of | 1 November 2026 |
|---|
As of 1 Nov 2026
These are the same stages you will see in your case file in the customer portal.
We understand your cargo, Incoterm and deadline, screen the parties and propose a route.
You approve an itemised quote with every inclusion and exclusion listed.
You and your supplier upload the commercial documents; we check that they match.
Carrier and truck bookings are confirmed and posted to your case file.
Cargo is collected, export-cleared and loaded; you approve the draft bill of lading.
We post dated updates, ETA changes with reasons and the free-time start.
Clearance and delivery are completed, proof of delivery is uploaded and the file is closed.
Your quote itemises every charge, so you can see exactly what is covered before you approve it.
A forwarder acts as your logistics organiser: it designs the route, books the carriers and coordinates every party between your supplier and your door.
Nil Ocean Shipping does not own vessels or trucks. We work with carriers, hauliers, warehouses and brokers, and we stay accountable to you for the whole case.
Our method has four steps: understand, coordinate, support and deliver.
| Step | What happens | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Understand | We learn your cargo, suppliers, Incoterm, deadlines and destination rules | A short brief and the right questions, before any price |
| Coordinate | We book carriers, align documents and brief every party | Booking details and a document checklist in your case file |
| Support | We follow the cargo and act on exceptions early | Dated updates, ETA changes with reasons, early warnings |
| Deliver | We complete clearance, delivery and the paperwork | Proof of delivery, final cost sheet and a closed file |
Our mission is to simplify international cargo movement with transparent communication, practical freight solutions and dependable shipment coordination.
Choose the Incoterm that matches who will arrange and pay for each leg; it decides where risk and cost pass from seller to buyer.
| Incoterm® 2020 | Seller arranges | Buyer arranges | Typical use on our lanes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Goods ready at its premises | Everything, including export clearance | Rarely ideal for buyers abroad |
| FCA / FOB | Export clearance and delivery to the carrier or on board | Main freight, insurance, import | Buyer wants control of freight and timing |
| CFR / CIF | Freight to the destination port (CIF adds minimum insurance) | Destination charges, duties, delivery | Supplier offers a freight-included price |
| DAP | Delivery to a named place, not cleared | Import clearance, duties and taxes | Door delivery with the buyer as importer |
| DDP | Delivery cleared, duties paid | Unloading | Only if someone can legally import in the destination country |
The official rules are published by the ICC. For containers handed over at a terminal, ICC guidance favours FCA, CPT or CIP over FOB, CFR or CIF. Read our Incoterms 2020 guide and DDP vs DAP.
We focus on corridors where destination knowledge matters most: China to the UAE and Iraq, the UAE to the GCC and Iraq, and re-export from Dubai to East Africa.
That focus lets us plan the parts other providers often leave to you: east-coast discharge and bonded trucking into Jebel Ali under Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026, Iraq's 2026 rules on ASYCUDA declarations and e-verified documents, GCC border formalities, and conformity certificates for Kenya and Tanzania. Check current conditions on the lane status board.
The price we quote is the price you pay unless you approve a change.
Every quote is itemised and each line is marked included, estimated or pass-through. Surcharges carry a reason and a validity date. If a carrier, port or authority adds a charge later, you see the new line with evidence in your case file and approve or dispute it before it becomes payable.
Check our legal name and trade licence number, and use only the official channels listed on our verification page.
Our legal name is NIL OCEAN SHIPPING L.L.C and our Dubai trade licence number is 1104515. Bank details appear only inside the customer portal, and we never change them by email or WhatsApp. See verify Nil Ocean and our guide on how to verify a freight forwarder.
We operate under UAE law and applicable UN measures, and we screen parties, vessels and goods before booking.
We do not handle sanctioned parties, prohibited goods or lanes that are suspended; Iran-related services are suspended following the UAE Government decision of 19 August 2026 (UAE MoFA). See our compliance policy.
A typical checklist. Your coordinator confirms the exact list for your cargo and destination, and you upload everything in the portal.
Every shipment is screened against applicable sanctions lists and checked for restricted or prohibited goods before booking. Some routes and commodities need extra documents or cannot be accepted.
Compliance & sanctions policyRestricted & prohibited goodsLane status
Answers to the questions customers ask most about Freight forwarding and door-to-door coordination.
A shipping line operates the vessels and sells space on them. A forwarder organises the whole movement for you: route, bookings, documents, customs coordination and delivery. Nil Ocean Shipping is a forwarder and does not own vessels.
If you want control over freight and timing, FCA or FOB at the Chinese port is common. EXW leaves export clearance to you, which is hard from abroad, and DDP only works if someone can legally import in your country. We explain the options before you sign.
Yes, on our corridors between China, the UAE, Iraq, the GCC and East Africa. We coordinate pickup, export, the main leg, import clearance with licensed brokers and final delivery, and show each step in your case file.
Yes. Every case has a named coordinator and a backup, shown in your case file with their languages and WhatsApp contact, so you never have to explain your shipment twice.
Our legal name is NIL OCEAN SHIPPING L.L.C and our Dubai trade licence number is 1104515. Use the contacts on our verification page, and remember that we never change bank details by email or WhatsApp.
No. Iran-related services are suspended following the UAE Government decision of 19 August 2026 to halt trade and financial transactions with Iran. Our lane status board shows the current position.
ChinatoUnited Arab Emirates
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and other Chinese ports to Dubai, with 2026 routing via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and bonded trucking to Jebel Ali.
ChinatoIraq
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and other Chinese ports to Umm Qasr, or through Jebel Ali or Türkiye, with Iraq's 2026 customs rules (ASYCUDA, Decision 957/2025, e-verification) built into every case.
United Arab EmiratestoIraq
Feeder, RoRo and overland options from Jebel Ali and Dubai to Umm Qasr, Baghdad and Erbil, including JAFZA storage and re-export, with Iraq's 2026 document checks prepared before departure.
United Arab EmiratestoSaudi Arabia
Road freight from Dubai and the rest of the UAE to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, with sea options where carriers accept Gulf bookings, transit documents prepared before loading and an update at every border.
United Arab EmiratestoKenya
FCL and LCL sea freight and re-export from Jebel Ali and JAFZA to Mombasa, with Kenyan documents such as the IDF and KEBS certificate checked before loading, and onward transit on the Northern Corridor where we can cover it.
Incoterms® 2020 are eleven ICC rules that decide where the seller delivers, when risk passes to the buyer and who pays each cost and customs step. For importers in the GCC, Iraq and Africa buying from China, FOB or FCA usually gives the most control over freight, CIF is common but leaves destination costs open, and DAP or DDP shift the work to the seller. Always name the exact place and the version.
9 min read1 Nov 2026
Next step
Send your route and cargo details. A named coordinator replies with an itemised quote and the next steps.
A freight forwarder organises your shipment end to end: it chooses the route, books carriers and trucks, checks documents and coordinates customs, without owning the vessels. Nil Ocean Shipping (NIL OCEAN SHIPPING L.L.C, Dubai trade licence 1104515) coordinates door-to-door cargo between China, the UAE, Iraq, the GCC and East Africa, with one named coordinator on WhatsApp in English, Arabic or Persian and every stage, document and charge in one case file.
Under DAP the seller delivers to the named place and the buyer pays import clearance, duties and taxes. Under DDP the seller pays all of that as well and carries the risk until delivery. Many “DDP all-in” offers from China are really DAP: duty, VAT or destination charges are billed on arrival. Ask who the importer of record is and which costs are written into the price.
7 min read1 Nov 2026
To verify a freight forwarder, check its trade licence with the issuing authority, confirm that its legal name, address, email domain and bank account all match, look up any memberships it claims, screen it against sanctions lists, and verify bills of lading directly with the carrier. Treat prices far below market, pressure to pay a personal account and bank details changed by message as red flags.
8 min read1 Nov 2026
Most cargo from China to Dubai travels by sea, in a full (FCL) or shared (LCL) container, from ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen or Qingdao. Since March 2026, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed to mainline ships, many services discharge at Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and finish by bonded truck to Jebel Ali. Plan for several weeks door to door and budget for surcharges, UAE duty (generally 5%) and 5% VAT.
8 min read1 Nov 2026
