Lead times, Incoterms, dangerous-goods handling and what to do if a consignment arrives damaged.
How we get material from a still in Tripura to your bench, what it costs, who carries the risk at each point, and why essential oils cannot simply be put in a parcel and posted.
This policy applies to all goods supplied by Raima Naturals Private Limited — evaluation samples and commercial lots, within India and for export. It forms part of our Terms & Conditions.
These are working targets, not guarantees. We distil seasonal agricultural material in a state with a five-month monsoon; where a harvest, a road or a border will delay you, we will tell you as soon as we know rather than let a date slide quietly.
Domestic consignments move by reputable surface or air courier, or by transporter for larger volumes. Freight is charged at cost and shown separately on the invoice unless the quotation states delivery inclusive. We share the tracking reference on the day of dispatch.
We export by air or sea depending on volume, value and the hazard class of the material. Unless the order confirmation says otherwise, export sales are on Ex Works (EXW) or Free On Board (FOB) terms as agreed in writing, under Incoterms® 2020. CIF and CIP terms are available on request and will be priced separately.
Where the buyer nominates their own freight forwarder, we will hand over to that forwarder against written instructions and our responsibility ends at that point.
This is the part most first-time buyers are not expecting, so it is worth stating plainly. Many essential oils have a flash point below 60 °C, which makes them flammable liquids (Class 3) under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations for air freight and the IMDG Code for sea freight. Some citrus oils, because of their d-limonene content, are additionally classified as marine pollutants.
In practice this means:
We handle this as a matter of course. It is the reason export lead times are longer and freight costs more than buyers of ordinary goods expect, and we would rather you knew that at quotation stage than at the airport.
Oils are filled into amber glass, aluminium or HDPE containers appropriate to the material and the volume, headspace-reduced where oxidation is a risk, sealed, and packed in cushioned outer cartons. Dangerous-goods consignments use UN-certified combination packaging. Bulk volumes ship in lined or epoxy-coated steel drums. Each container carries the botanical name, lot number, fill date and net quantity.
On EXW and FOB terms, import duties, GST or VAT in the destination country, customs brokerage and any local charges are the buyer's responsibility and are not included in our price. Customs clearance in the destination country is the buyer's to arrange. Where a shipment is refused, abandoned or returned because the buyer has not cleared it, the return freight, demurrage and destruction costs are the buyer's.
Check your own import requirements before ordering. Some countries restrict the import of specific botanical materials, and a few require registration of the importer before a consignment will clear.
Risk passes to the buyer at the point defined by the agreed Incoterm — for EXW, when the goods are placed at the buyer's disposal at our premises; for FOB, when the goods pass the ship's rail at the named port. Title passes only when we have received payment in full, regardless of where risk sits.
Inspect the consignment on arrival, before signing a clean delivery receipt.
A clean signed receipt makes a transit claim very difficult to pursue, which is why we ask you to check first. See the Return Policy for what happens next.
Monsoon flooding, landslides and road closures in the Northeast, carrier and port disruption, customs inspection, changes to export or CITES regulation, and crop failure can all delay a consignment. We will keep you informed and will not invent a date we do not believe. Where a delay becomes unreasonable, see the cancellation provisions in the Refund and Cancellation Policy.
If you are unsure whether a material can be shipped to your country, or which Incoterm suits you, ask before you order: raimanaturals@gmail.com or phone number.