Cross-border Logistics Optimizer

Overview

Use this skill to turn shipment notes into a practical route recommendation brief. It is optimized for parcel-level e-commerce decisions, especially when a seller needs to balance shipping cost, transit speed, customs reliability, and packaging risk.

This MVP is advisory only. It does not fetch live rates, customs rules, or carrier SLAs. It relies on built-in logistics heuristics and common e-commerce exception patterns.

Trigger

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• compare shipping lanes for international e-commerce orders
• choose between cheap, fast, or low-risk logistics modes
• identify customs-delay risks and declaration pitfalls
• reduce dimensional-weight or packaging mistakes
• create a short decision memo for an ops team

Example prompts

• "Compare shipping options from China to Germany for cosmetics"
• "We need the safest route to Brazil for a fragile parcel"
• "How should I package low-value accessories going to Canada?"
• "Help me choose between cheap and fast cross-border shipping"

Workflow

1. Capture the origin, destination, parcel profile, product type, and business priority.
2. Detect likely risk signals such as customs sensitivity, dimensional-weight pressure, or restricted goods handling.
3. Compare three lane patterns with tradeoff notes.
4. Recommend the best-fit route, packaging posture, and documentation focus.
5. Return the result as a markdown decision brief.

Inputs

The user can provide any mix of:

• origin and destination countries
• weight and parcel dimensions
• product category or sensitivity
• declared value
• carrier preferences or service-level goals
• priority, such as cheapest, fastest, or safest
• known issue patterns, such as customs delay or damage

Outputs

Return a markdown report with:

• executive summary
• route comparison table
• recommended shipping plan
• packaging checklist
• customs and exception risks
• assumptions and follow-up actions

Safety

• Do not claim access to live rates or carrier systems.
• Treat all customs and compliance guidance as directional, not legal advice.
• Avoid guaranteed delivery claims.
• Call out when the input lacks dimensions, value, or product sensitivity details.

Examples

Example 1

Input: China to Germany, cosmetics, tracked service preferred.

Output: recommend a duty-aware direct line over the cheapest untracked option, plus declaration and leakage-control notes.

Example 2

Input: US to Canada, small accessories, cost priority.

Output: compare economy tracked, direct line, and express courier options, with dimensional-weight mitigation advice.

Acceptance Criteria

• Return markdown text.
• Include a 3-option lane comparison.
• Explain why the recommended lane fits the stated priority.
• Include at least one packaging note and one customs-risk note.