Shipping
Export & logistics
Most of our clients buy from another continent and never visit the factory. The whole process is built so that you can specify, approve and receive stone without leaving your office.
01 — Terms
Incoterms we quote
EXW factory · FOB Alexandria / Port Said / Sokhna · CFR · CIF · DAP. Marine insurance is arranged on CIF; on FOB and CFR terms please confirm your own cover before the vessel sails.
- Loading ports
- Alexandria, Port Said, Sokhna
- Minimum order
- 1 × 20 ft container
- Lead time
- 21 – 35 days from approved sample
- Payment
- 30 % advance, balance against copy of the bill of lading, or irrevocable L/C at sight
- Currencies
- USD, EUR
02 — Packing
How it travels
Slabs are loaded on steel A-frames, strapped and cornered, with foam separators between polished faces and moisture film over the bundle. Tiles are crated in heat-treated timber, edge-protected, with the batch number stencilled on the crate. Blocks travel on flat racks or in-container on hardwood dunnage with steel cradles.
Every container is photographed loaded, sealed and with the seal number visible, and the photographs go to you before the vessel sails.
Ask for the loading plan with your quotation. It tells you exactly which bundles are in which container and in what order they come off — which matters if the site is taking delivery in phases.
03 — Container calculator
How much fits in a 20 ft
Indicative loading figures for a 20 ft container at 25 t payload, including timber crating and steel A-frames. Confirm against your own port and road weight limits.
Reading the number
The figure includes an 8 % allowance for timber, A-frames and packing. It is a weight limit, not a volume limit — stone containers almost always run out of payload long before they run out of space, which is why a 20 ft is the standard unit and a 40 ft is rarely worth the freight.
For mixed loads, add the weights rather than the areas. If you are consolidating several stones into one container, send us the list and we will produce the loading plan and confirm the exact payload.
Blocks are quoted and loaded by the cubic metre, not by area — a single 20 ft takes roughly 8 – 10 m³ of block depending on the density.
04 — Documents
The paperwork that comes with it
Commercial invoice & packing list
Itemised by bundle and crate, with net and gross weights and the container number.
Bill of lading
Issued by the line; telex release or original set, as you prefer.
Certificate of origin
Legalised by the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce. Arab and COMESA preference certificates where the destination qualifies.
Fumigation & ISPM 15
All timber crating heat-treated and stamped; fumigation certificate issued on request or where the destination requires it.
CE declaration of performance
For stone supplied into the EU/UK under EN 1469 (cladding) and EN 12058 / EN 12057 (flooring and tiles).
Test reports
EN or ASTM reports for the batch — density, absorption, compressive and flexural strength, abrasion, slip resistance.
05 — Questions we are asked most
Before you order
Can I see the material before you cut it?
Yes, and you should. We photograph the blocks and the sawn bundles in the yard and send them for approval. For large orders clients often send an inspector, or we arrange a third-party inspection.
What if the shipment does not match the sample?
Natural stone varies — that is the material, not a defect. What we commit to is the approved block or batch. If what arrives is not what you approved, we replace it.
Do you supply small quantities?
Our minimum is 1 × 20 ft container. Below that we can consolidate several stones into one container, or point you to a distributor holding our material in your market.
How long does a sample take?
Cut samples ship within two working days by courier, typically three to five days in transit. Sample cost is credited against your first order.
Is the stone CE marked?
Yes, for products going into the EU and UK under the relevant harmonised standard. Tell us the application at quotation stage so the declaration of performance covers the right use.
Which port should I ship to?
Alexandria for Europe and the Mediterranean, Sokhna for the Gulf, Asia and East Africa, Port Said for transhipment. We quote whichever is cheapest to your destination.
Send us a port and a quantity.
We will come back with FOB and CIF prices, a lead time and a loading plan — usually within one working day.