-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Document ID : DARX-OPS-FIRST-SHIPMENT-001 Title : First Shipment — Detailed Proof-of-Concept Logistics Breakdown Version : 1.0 Status : ACTIVE Date Created : 2026-04-01 Prepared by : PYB / Daralbeida Style : BPGP Department : OPS Classification: Internal Related Docs : DARX-OPS-LOGISTICS-SUMMARY-001; DAB-SOP-IMPORT-US-001; : DAB-AMZ-LAUNCH-MASTER-001; Daralbeida_Landed_Cost_Calculator.xlsx Notes : First shipment target: 200-500 units via LCL to 3PL then : FBA. Never route first shipment directly to FBA. Budget : range: $1,850-$3,975 for 250 units. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTLINE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Purpose and Scope 2. Right Size for Shipment 1 3. 60-90 Days Before Shipping — Pre-Shipment Checklist 4. Required Supplier Documents 5. Shipment Logistics Step by Step 6. Why 3PL Before FBA 7. Shipment 1 Budget 8. What Shipment 1 is Really Testing 9. Acronyms 10. Glossary 11. Document Control ================================================================================ 1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE ================================================================================ This document is the detailed operational breakdown for Daralbeida's first proof-of-concept shipment. It covers sizing rationale, pre-shipment checklist, required supplier documents, step-by-step logistics, 3PL routing, budget, and what the first shipment is designed to test. It complements the logistics summary (DARX-OPS-LOGISTICS-SUMMARY-001) with step-by-step operational detail. The first shipment should be 200-500 bottles via LCL, never a full container. It should be routed to a 3PL before FBA, never directly to Amazon. ================================================================================ 2. RIGHT SIZE FOR SHIPMENT 1 ================================================================================ Target 200-500 bottles. It should be a deliberate, small proof-of-concept that tests every link in your chain before you commit serious capital. Here's how to think about and execute it. The Right Size for Shipment #1 Target 200–500 bottles. Here's why that number makes sense: At this volume you're too small for a full container, so you'll ship LCL (Less than Container Load) — your pallets share a container with other importers' goods. More expensive per unit, but total exposure is low. If something goes wrong — FDA hold, customs issue, bottles arrive broken, the oil tastes wrong after transit — you've lost $1,500–$4,000, not $20,000. You also get a real rehearsal of every single step: customs broker, FDA Prior Notice, port clearance, 3PL receiving, FNSKU labeling, and FBA inbound. None of those steps are simple the first time. Do not send directly to Amazon FBA on shipment #1. More on that below. 60–90 Days Before You Ship Lock in your customs broker first. This person is your most important hire for shipment #1. They file your CBP entry, submit FDA Prior Notice, classify your HTS code, and flag problems before they become holds. Budget $300–$600 for their fee on a small shipment. Ask specifically if they have experience with food imports from Morocco and FDA-regulated products — not all brokers do. Confirm your HTS classification with them. Extra virgin olive oil falls under 1509.10.20 (in containers of 18 liters or less) or 1509.10.40 depending on acidity. Getting this wrong means paying the wrong duty rate or triggering an examination. Verify your FTA eligibility. The US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement has been in force since 2006. To claim preferential duty rates your supplier must provide a properly completed Certificate of Origin — specifically a NAFTA-style or FTA origin declaration on the commercial invoice or a separate certificate. Your customs broker tells you exactly what language is required. If you skip this, you pay the standard duty rate unnecessarily. Get your FDA food facility registration active. If you're importing as the US responsible party, confirm your registration number is current at FDA's Unified Registration System. This number goes on your import entry. ================================================================================ 4. REQUIRED SUPPLIER DOCUMENTS ================================================================================ Every one of these documents is required. Missing even one will delay or stop your shipment at the border. Commercial Invoice — must show: your company name and US address, supplier name and Moroccan address, description of goods ("Extra Virgin Olive Oil, bottled, 1 liter"), quantity (e.g., 250 bottles), unit price in USD, total value, country of origin (Morocco), Incoterms (most likely FOB Casablanca, meaning they get it on the ship and you own it from there). Packing List — number of cartons, bottles per carton, gross weight per carton, net weight, dimensions of each carton, total pallet count. Bill of Lading (B/L) — issued by the shipping line. This is the title document for your goods. You'll receive a Draft B/L to review before the ship departs — check every field carefully. The consignee (that's you) must match your CBP importer record exactly. Certificate of Origin — for claiming FTA duty reduction. Your supplier gets this from the Moroccan Chamber of Commerce or includes the origin declaration on the invoice. Your customs broker tells you the exact format required. Certificate of Analysis (COA) — from the producer's lab or an accredited third party. Shows: free fatty acid content (≤0.8% for EVOO), peroxide value (≤20 mEq/kg), and confirms EVOO grade. FDA may ask for this. Health Certificate (if required) — some shipments of food products require a health or sanitary certificate from ONSSA (Morocco's food safety authority). Ask your customs broker if this applies to your specific product. ================================================================================ 5. SHIPMENT LOGISTICS STEP BY STEP ================================================================================ Step 1 — Supplier production and packing. Your supplier fills, caps, and seals 250 bottles (or whatever your quantity is). They pack them into master cartons — typically 12 bottles per carton for 1L glass, with cardboard dividers or molded pulp inserts to prevent breakage. They shrink-wrap pallets and prepare all export documents. Step 2 — Export from Morocco. Supplier delivers to Casablanca port. Moroccan customs clears the export. The freight forwarder (either your supplier's or one you hire independently) books your LCL space on a vessel sailing to your target US port. You'll choose between East Coast (Port of New York/Newark or Baltimore) or West Coast (Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach). East Coast is faster from Casablanca — roughly 12–16 days. Step 3 — In-transit. You'll receive tracking through your freight forwarder. The ship departs, and your customs broker starts preparing your import entry using the draft documents. Don't wait until arrival — entry preparation takes several days. Step 4 — FDA Prior Notice. Your customs broker submits this electronically through FDA's Prior Notice System Interface at least 8 hours before the vessel arrives at the US port. It includes: your FDA registration number, the product description, quantity, country of origin, manufacturer, and the vessel information. If this isn't filed correctly, FDA can refuse to allow the shipment to proceed. Step 5 — CBP Entry filing. Your customs broker files a formal entry (typically a Type 01 Consumption Entry for commercial imports) with US Customs and Border Protection before arrival. They declare your HTS code, calculate duties owed, and submit all accompanying documents. Step 6 — Customs examination decision. CBP runs your entry through their system. The possible outcomes are: Green Lane (released automatically — most common for food from Morocco with clean paperwork), Document Review (they want to see your COA, invoice, or cert of origin — 1–3 day delay), or Physical Examination (they open cartons and inspect — adds $300–$800 in exam fees and 3–7 day delay). For shipment #1 from a new importer, document review is common. Don't panic — it's normal. Step 7 — FDA exam (possible). FDA can place an import alert or automatic detention on specific products from specific countries or producers. If your producer is unknown to FDA, there's a chance of an FDA examination — they want to verify the product is what you say it is. This is why your COA and labeling being correct before you ship matters enormously. An FDA detention can hold your goods for weeks. Step 8 — Duties paid and freight released. Once cleared, your customs broker pays duties on your behalf (you wire them the funds or they draw from a deposit). The port releases the freight to your designated receiver. Step 9 — Drayage to 3PL. A drayage truck picks up your pallet from the port container yard and delivers to your 3PL warehouse. This typically costs $200–$500 depending on distance. ================================================================================ 6. WHY 3PL BEFORE FBA ================================================================================ On shipment #1, route everything to a third-party logistics warehouse rather than Amazon directly. You need to physically inspect every bottle — check for leakage, breakage, label integrity after transit, cap seals. You need to apply FNSKU labels to every unit (Amazon's internal barcode). You need to poly bag each bottle if Amazon requires it for liquid products (they often do for glass). You may need to relabel if anything on the front or back label needs correction after your regulatory consultant review. A good 3PL that handles food and Amazon prep charges $0.50–$1.50 per unit for receiving, labeling, and prepping. On 250 units that's $125–$375 — cheap insurance. Once you've confirmed the product quality and every unit is prepped and inspected, your 3PL creates an Amazon FBA inbound shipment and ships the pallets to whichever Amazon fulfillment center is assigned. ================================================================================ 7. SHIPMENT 1 BUDGET ================================================================================ Item Estimated Cost 250 units from supplier (oil + bottles + packaging) $750–$1,500 Ocean freight LCL Casablanca → US East Coast $400–$800 Drayage (port to 3PL) $200–$400 Customs broker fee $300–$600 US import duties (possibly $0 with FTA) $0–$200 Cargo insurance $50–$100 3PL receiving, labeling, FBA prep $150–$375 FDA Prior Notice (broker handles, included above) $0 Total $1,850–$3,975 ================================================================================ 8. WHAT SHIPMENT 1 IS REALLY TESTING ================================================================================ Shipment #1 is a $2,000–$4,000 tuition payment that buys you answers to every question that matters before you bet $20,000 on a full container. Does the oil arrive in good condition after 3 weeks at sea? Does your label pass FDA scrutiny? Does your customs broker know what they're doing? How long does the whole process actually take — because your first estimate of "6 weeks" will probably become 9. Does the oil taste right when it arrives versus when it left Morocco? What does Amazon say when you create your FBA inbound and try to receive glass bottles? Once shipment #1 clears cleanly and sells through, you have a repeatable, documented process. Then you scale. Want me to move to the sales and revenue side — what the P&L looks like at 10,000 units and how you sequence Amazon launch to hit that number? ================================================================================ 9. ACRONYMS ================================================================================ 3PL Third-Party Logistics provider B/L Bill of Lading CBP US Customs and Border Protection CFS Container Freight Station (port staging area) COA Certificate of Analysis COO Certificate of Origin EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil FBA Fulfilled by Amazon FCL Full Container Load FDA US Food and Drug Administration FNSKU Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit FOB Free on Board (Incoterm) FTA Free Trade Agreement HTS Harmonized Tariff Schedule LCL Less than Container Load MAFTA Morocco-America Free Trade Agreement ONSSA Office National de Securite Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires (Morocco) OPS Operations and Logistics (department code) PYB Internal reference code for the Daralbeida founder ================================================================================ 10. GLOSSARY ================================================================================ Customs Broker Licensed professional who files CBP import entries, submits FDA Prior Notice, classifies HTS codes, and flags problems before they become holds. The most important hire for shipment 1. Must have food and Morocco import experience. Budget $300-$600 for a small shipment. Daralbeida Brand name of the premium Moroccan EVOO venture. Always one word. Drayage Truck transport from the port container yard to the 3PL warehouse. Budget $200-$500 depending on distance. EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Highest IOC grade. FFA 0.8% maximum. FNSKU Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit. Amazon's internal barcode. Applied at source in Morocco (preferred) or at US 3PL. Green Lane CBP automated clearance decision: released without exam. Most common outcome for food from Morocco with clean paperwork. Import Alert FDA mechanism that places a product or producer on automatic detention. Shipments from affected producers are held for FDA examination. Checking producer FDA registration status before contracting reduces this risk. LCL (Less than Container Load) Shipping arrangement where cargo shares a container with other importers. Standard for proof-of-concept volumes. Total exposure low; per-unit cost higher than FCL. Physical Examination CBP or FDA decision to physically open and inspect cargo at the port. Adds $300-$800 in exam fees and 3-7 days delay. More common for new importers on first shipments. Prior Notice Mandatory FDA filing submitted at least 8 hours before vessel arrives at US port. Handled by customs broker. Missing or incorrect Prior Notice can prevent shipment from being released. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOCUMENT CONTROL (FOOTER) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Document ID : DARX-OPS-FIRST-SHIPMENT-001 Version : 1.0 Status : ACTIVE Style : BPGP Department : OPS Last Modified : 2026-04-01 Review Cycle : After each completed shipment cycle; upon material change to FDA, CBP, or MAFTA documentation requirements Retention : 3 years from date of creation Owner : PYB / Daralbeida Distribution : Internal; share with customs broker and 3PL as needed COMPLIANCE : Cost figures are estimates as of April 2026. Carrier rates, broker fees, and 3PL costs fluctuate. Verify before committing to a shipment budget. Customs broker selection requires verification of Morocco and food import experience. FDA Prior Notice must be filed correctly or the shipment cannot be released. Revision History: Version Date Author Summary of Changes -------------------------------------------------- 1.0 2026-04-01 PYB Initial issue -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END OF DOCUMENT — DARX-OPS-FIRST-SHIPMENT-001 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------