While the prospects may not be that encouraging when left with abandoned goods, the following are some common options available to the parties to address the issue. After waiting for a reasonable length of time, they may opt for any of these methods to dispose of the goods.
Taking the permission of the Customs and putting everything down on record, prior to following any of these methods is mandatory.
· Re-sell the Goods to a Third party
The shipping company or freight forwarder may try and sell the goods to any party that is willing to buy them. It is hassle-free when this third party is based at the same location as the abandoned goods.
· Re-sell and Re-export
Re-selling the abandoned goods to a third party in another country involves re-exporting the goods to this party’s location. All expenses incurred by the shipping line or freight forwarder for re-export etc. can be made up from the sales proceeds.
· Return to the Consignor
If the consignor or shipper is willing to take back the goods, it may be returned to them. Before this, an agreement has to be reached between the freight forwarder and the consignor on the reimbursement of costs to the former.
· Auction the Abandoned Goods
The abandoned goods may be auctioned with the permission of the customs. This auction is usually conducted by the customs authorities.
· Offer as Donation to any Charitable Cause
As a last resort, the shipping company may offer the abandoned goods to any charity or a good cause. The company will not make any money by following this option but at least they would have got rid of the goods from their hands thereby preventing further charges on it.
· Destroy the Goods Under Supervision
When all attempts at disposing of the abandoned goods have failed, the shipping company or freight forwarder may decide to destroy the goods with the permission of the customs authorities, under their supervision.
Whichever method is followed for disposing of the abandoned goods, the shipping line or freight forwarder has to ensure that it has the customs’ permission and that all paperwork is in order to prove that the goods have been disposed correctly.
Except when such goods are donated or destroyed under supervision, there is always money to be made. This money is normally used to settle the expenses of the concerned parties towards transport, storage, customs duties, etc.
Any money that is left back after meeting these expenses is then returned to the shipper. In case the money raised thus is not sufficient to meet the expenses that were incurred, the shipping line or the freight forwarder can claim the balance from the shipper.
It is interesting to note that abandoned cargo is not always unintentional. Some people try to get rid of low-value junk such as e-waste, plastic and metal scraps, etc. by unscrupulous means. These end up as abandoned cargo.
