Step by Step Guide You how to Import from China:
Dear friends, as you all know that China have been world factory for many years to provide full categories of products with competitive price and good quality to all the world. Importing from China has proven a wise and successful strategic choice of global sourcing for most of industries. This presents a fantastic opportunity to you as a buyer and reseller, when you start to import from China to your local market.
Meanwhile, we understand that it is not an simple task, especially for the newbies. The importing process would be little bit complex, including long delivery lead time, fluctuant ocean freight and exchange rate against USD, and unexpectable risks.
We here introduce you a step by step guide according to our more than ten years experience as a professional bridge between importers and local suppliers from different industries. Let’s check out how to import from China, and what you can do to make the process more smoothly and efficiently.
1. Identify your import rights.
When you prepare to start importing goods from foreign countries, you become the importer. The courier such as DHL/UPS/FedEx will handle everything and deliver to your door if your package is small and used for personal use only or the value is not so big. If so, it will save you a lot of time and money.
But before purchasing products in bulk into your country from other countries, as a business or an individual, you will need to identify if you have the import rights, for example:
1.1 If you are from the U.S., your Social Security Number (SSN as individual) or your company Internal Revenue Service Number (IRS EIN as business) will be enough. (Learn more about import into USA)
1.2 If from EURO, you will need to register as an economic operator (EORI number).
1.3 If from Japan, any person wishing to import goods must declare them to the Director-General of Customs and obtain an import permit after necessary examination of the goods concerned.
1.4 If from Canada, you will need to obtain a Business Number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) first.
1.5 If from Australia, no requirement for importers (companies or individuals) to hold an import licence.
Attention:
Many import regulations only apply to goods imported for commercial – business or resale – purposes. And only the customs authority can make judgment calls about what qualifies as personal use. Several suits that are identical or a number of very similar handbags will have a hard time passing the credibility test as items for personal use.
2. Identify the goods you want to import.
Companies make money via selling products. Choosing the wrong products means you are losing time and money. If you’re going to be a successful importer, the first thing you need to do is to choose the correct product for resell.
You need something that is going to stand up if you are going to put your name behind it, so find something to be proud about selling. Your products define your business. Your products are your business!
Your main consideration is choosing a product you can sell. In most cases, it would be smart to choose products that yourself would buy or at least know a lot about. The products you sell are fundamental to everything you do. They’ll affect your marketing, your profit margins and the design you use. Logistics and legal restrictions come into play, too.
Make sure you’ve done the research and you know there’s a market for the products you plan to import. In addition, you should know roughly how much your product should cost in order to make an adequate profit selling.
You’d better gather as much information as possible about the goods you intend to import. Obtain descriptive literature, product composition information and, whenever possible, product samples. This information will be crucial when it comes time to determine the tariff classification. The tariff clarification number (HS Code) will be used to determine the rate of duty that will be applied to your goods.
We suggest to:
Go with a product you like – you are passionate about your work
Go with a product uniqueness – you can get more margin.
Go with a product you can ship in large quantities – you could decline buying cost per unit
Attention:
You’d better not always pursue ‘hot’ products or ‘cheap’ products. Most people get stuck looking for the ‘perfect product’ and never get started at all. There’s no such thing as the perfect product. Every product has challenges to overcome, and profit for those who do. Your job is to find YOUR product and launch it, then grow from there.
3. Ensure the goods you wish to import are permitted into your country.
Certain goods are not allowed to be imported. Different countries have different prohibited products. Also make sure whether the goods you intend to import are subject to any permits, restrictions or regulations by your government.
It is the importer’s (YOUR) responsibility for assuring that the goods comply with a variety of specific rules and regulations. You should be prudent with the products listed below:
Cheese, Milk, and Dairy Products
Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts
Insects
Livestock and Animals
Meat, Poultry and Egg Products
Plants and Plant Products
Seeds
Wood Packing Materials
Tobacco-Related Products
Fireworks
Flammable Fabrics
Multi-Purpose Lighters
Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, And Medical Devices
Gold and Silver
Animal Fur
Trademarks and Trade Names
Alcoholic Beverages
Motor Vehicles And Boats
Branded products
Importing those above mentioned goods would be not easy, which may possibly fail to meet requirements of health code or violate restrictions, would possibly end up via costing you quite a bit of money in fines and penalties. At least, such kind of goods would be detained, and possibly destroyed.
4. Classify your goods and calculate the import cost.
Determine the 10-digit tariff classification number for each item you are importing. These numbers along with the Certificate of Origin are used to determine the rate of duty you must pay when importing. Then calculate the local inland cost from the harbour to your warehouse.
Pay attention to the Incoterms, and calculate the total import cost before you place your order. For example, FOB means adding the following three cost together.
Get the product price from the supplier
Get the shipping cost from shipping lines
Get the charges of customs clearance, duty&tax, land transport from harbour to your warehouse
It’s critical to calculate the roughly total import cost earlier; no one wants to lose customers or margins. If it’s higher than you had expected, you can try to find ways to low the costs. If it’s conform with your budget, you can go ahead and execute the import process.
5. Select your partner in China and place an order.
5.1Once you have got acceptable offer and selected the partner you trust, request a P/I (Proforma Invoice or contract) for your prospective purchases to include the harmonized system number, description & value per item.
5.2. Please keep in mind that shipping by ocean is indeed quite slow, and this means that certainly requires a lot more long-term planning compared to local purchases. Besides, the time required to export goods, including documentation, inland transit customs clearance, and port or terminal handling for a container of goods can spend about 7 days.
In general, we recommend place an order at a minimum 2~3 months before you need your goods at your door.
We suggest NOT to:
1. Always looking for the lowest price.
If you come across a quote that is significantly cheaper than the others, raise a red flag. You should know that there is no lowest price in the world, only the lower and lower prices. Lowest price always accompanies with high risk, maybe issue of quality, quantity and etc.
Just find a reliable partner and grow with them together in a healthy way.
2. Failure to clarify product details.
If you are not extremely clarify well to your partner about your required specifications, there is a big possibility that you would receive exactly what you didn’t want. Not clarify well means the factory will make the decision for you based on cost saving.
Ensure you double check the materials and get the in time report of the manufacturing process of each order, so you can feel confident in the products you are purchasing.
Make sure your partner has totally confirmed every specification of your required product, including the packaging. Sometimes, it’s necessary to send the sample for recheck(sometime it would cause additional cost for sample order).
3. Showing distrust towards your partner.
International trade is based on mutual trust. If you don’t trust your partner, nobody will look after your production in the factory, and nobody will sincerely help you when trouble happens.
6. Arrange your cargo transport.
There are many costs associated with shipping goods, including container fees, packaging, terminal handling, and broker fees. In order to get a complete picture of shipping costs, each of these factors should be taken into account.
We suggest that you:
1. Always take in mind that delays might happen during the process, such as goods might not be produced on time, the vessel might not sail as scheduled, goods might be held by the customs. Be prepared and plan accordingly.
Do not expect your cargo would leave the port as soon as completed in the factory. Because it needs at least 1~2 days for your cargo transport from the factory to the port. And the process of Customs Declaration needs your cargo to stay at the port for at least 1~2 days.
Besides, there’s only one route frequency each week in some shipping route. Missing the voyage of this week, you will have to wait till next week.
2. Use CFR or CIF trade term and we would talk with here shipping company to book the vessel directly to save cost, avoid risk and improve efficiency.
Logistics is a highly valued aspect of modern business. Shipping costs include both the direct and indirect costs of transporting products from shipping port to destination.
Along with years of good cooperation with here shipping lines, we are familiar with every aspect of shipping, which could guarantee us to smooth operations, manageable costs, and continuous cash flow.
If someone cooperated one wrong shipping agent, they would definitely afford aditional costs and wastage. They even would have to face failure in their current import model that and continue to bear losts if their logistics is not managed well.
7. Track your cargo and get prepared for arrival.
Shipping goods internationally takes time. For example, goods shipped from China, on average, take around 14 days to reach the West Coast of United States or 30 days to reach the East Coast.
Normally the consignee will be notified via an arrival notice within 5 days or less of port arrival, by the destination agent listed on the B/L.
When a shipment reaches the U.S., the importer of record (i.e., the owner, purchaser, or licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser, or consignee) will file import documents for the goods in the destination port.
Normally import documents are as following:
A bill of lading listing the items to be imported.
An official invoice that lists the country of origin, purchase price, and tariff classification of the goods imported.
A packing list that details the imported goods.
An arrival notice provided by the freight agent.
You will speed up the clearance of your goods through the border if you:
Invoice your goods in a systematic manner,
Show the exact quantity of each item of goods in each box, bale, case, or other package,
Put marks and numbers on each package,
Show those marks or numbers on your invoice opposite the itemization of goods contained in the package that bears those marks and numbers.
It is always the importer of record’s responsibility to arrange for examination and release of the goods. If problems arise that you need to troubleshoot, you should know the steps your goods go through when being cleared by customs of your country.
8. Receive your shipment.
When the goods arrive, make arrangements with your customs broker to clear them through customs. If everything goes well, you could arrange shipment of your products to your warehouse.
If you have choosed our door-to-door service, you can just wait for your shipment arrived at your appointed warehouse.
Once you have received your goods and respected the quality, packaging, instructions and labels, if you any question or problem occurred, please send us an official email with details. We would check with record to find out the exact truth and present the most workable solution for both parties. Long term cooperation would always be our highest target.
Who we are: China based sourcing agent/company, more than ten years full experience in international business, familiar with here China market to get competitive price and good quality products to worldwide countries
.
What we do: Research and investigate the market to select right suppliers to provide good products at reasonable cost, monitor and control the full process of order to avoid unexpectable risk and handle emergency to smooth the production and delivery to the importers.
How we do it: Keep sensative with here local market situation and feedback valuable information to our clients for reference to make futher decision. Keep intimate communication with local suppliers to introduce most profitable and latest products to our clients.
Dear friends, as you all know that China have been world factory for many years to provide full categories of products with competitive price and good quality to all the world. Importing from China has proven a wise and successful strategic choice of global sourcing for most of industries. This presents a fantastic opportunity to you as a buyer and reseller, when you start to import from China to your local market.
Meanwhile, we understand that it is not an simple task, especially for the newbies. The importing process would be little bit complex, including long delivery lead time, fluctuant ocean freight and exchange rate against USD, and unexpectable risks.
We here introduce you a step by step guide according to our more than ten years experience as a professional bridge between importers and local suppliers from different industries. Let’s check out how to import from China, and what you can do to make the process more smoothly and efficiently.
1. Identify your import rights.
When you prepare to start importing goods from foreign countries, you become the importer. The courier such as DHL/UPS/FedEx will handle everything and deliver to your door if your package is small and used for personal use only or the value is not so big. If so, it will save you a lot of time and money.
But before purchasing products in bulk into your country from other countries, as a business or an individual, you will need to identify if you have the import rights, for example:
1.1 If you are from the U.S., your Social Security Number (SSN as individual) or your company Internal Revenue Service Number (IRS EIN as business) will be enough. (Learn more about import into USA)
1.2 If from EURO, you will need to register as an economic operator (EORI number).
1.3 If from Japan, any person wishing to import goods must declare them to the Director-General of Customs and obtain an import permit after necessary examination of the goods concerned.
1.4 If from Canada, you will need to obtain a Business Number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) first.
1.5 If from Australia, no requirement for importers (companies or individuals) to hold an import licence.
Attention:
Many import regulations only apply to goods imported for commercial – business or resale – purposes. And only the customs authority can make judgment calls about what qualifies as personal use. Several suits that are identical or a number of very similar handbags will have a hard time passing the credibility test as items for personal use.
2. Identify the goods you want to import.
Companies make money via selling products. Choosing the wrong products means you are losing time and money. If you’re going to be a successful importer, the first thing you need to do is to choose the correct product for resell.
You need something that is going to stand up if you are going to put your name behind it, so find something to be proud about selling. Your products define your business. Your products are your business!
Your main consideration is choosing a product you can sell. In most cases, it would be smart to choose products that yourself would buy or at least know a lot about. The products you sell are fundamental to everything you do. They’ll affect your marketing, your profit margins and the design you use. Logistics and legal restrictions come into play, too.
Make sure you’ve done the research and you know there’s a market for the products you plan to import. In addition, you should know roughly how much your product should cost in order to make an adequate profit selling.
You’d better gather as much information as possible about the goods you intend to import. Obtain descriptive literature, product composition information and, whenever possible, product samples. This information will be crucial when it comes time to determine the tariff classification. The tariff clarification number (HS Code) will be used to determine the rate of duty that will be applied to your goods.
We suggest to:
Go with a product you like – you are passionate about your work
Go with a product uniqueness – you can get more margin.
Go with a product you can ship in large quantities – you could decline buying cost per unit
Attention:
You’d better not always pursue ‘hot’ products or ‘cheap’ products. Most people get stuck looking for the ‘perfect product’ and never get started at all. There’s no such thing as the perfect product. Every product has challenges to overcome, and profit for those who do. Your job is to find YOUR product and launch it, then grow from there.
3. Ensure the goods you wish to import are permitted into your country.
Certain goods are not allowed to be imported. Different countries have different prohibited products. Also make sure whether the goods you intend to import are subject to any permits, restrictions or regulations by your government.
It is the importer’s (YOUR) responsibility for assuring that the goods comply with a variety of specific rules and regulations. You should be prudent with the products listed below:
Cheese, Milk, and Dairy Products
Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts
Insects
Livestock and Animals
Meat, Poultry and Egg Products
Plants and Plant Products
Seeds
Wood Packing Materials
Tobacco-Related Products
Fireworks
Flammable Fabrics
Multi-Purpose Lighters
Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, And Medical Devices
Gold and Silver
Animal Fur
Trademarks and Trade Names
Alcoholic Beverages
Motor Vehicles And Boats
Branded products
Importing those above mentioned goods would be not easy, which may possibly fail to meet requirements of health code or violate restrictions, would possibly end up via costing you quite a bit of money in fines and penalties. At least, such kind of goods would be detained, and possibly destroyed.
4. Classify your goods and calculate the import cost.
Determine the 10-digit tariff classification number for each item you are importing. These numbers along with the Certificate of Origin are used to determine the rate of duty you must pay when importing. Then calculate the local inland cost from the harbour to your warehouse.
Pay attention to the Incoterms, and calculate the total import cost before you place your order. For example, FOB means adding the following three cost together.
Get the product price from the supplier
Get the shipping cost from shipping lines
Get the charges of customs clearance, duty&tax, land transport from harbour to your warehouse
It’s critical to calculate the roughly total import cost earlier; no one wants to lose customers or margins. If it’s higher than you had expected, you can try to find ways to low the costs. If it’s conform with your budget, you can go ahead and execute the import process.
5. Select your partner in China and place an order.
5.1Once you have got acceptable offer and selected the partner you trust, request a P/I (Proforma Invoice or contract) for your prospective purchases to include the harmonized system number, description & value per item.
5.2. Please keep in mind that shipping by ocean is indeed quite slow, and this means that certainly requires a lot more long-term planning compared to local purchases. Besides, the time required to export goods, including documentation, inland transit customs clearance, and port or terminal handling for a container of goods can spend about 7 days.
In general, we recommend place an order at a minimum 2~3 months before you need your goods at your door.
We suggest NOT to:
1. Always looking for the lowest price.
If you come across a quote that is significantly cheaper than the others, raise a red flag. You should know that there is no lowest price in the world, only the lower and lower prices. Lowest price always accompanies with high risk, maybe issue of quality, quantity and etc.
Just find a reliable partner and grow with them together in a healthy way.
2. Failure to clarify product details.
If you are not extremely clarify well to your partner about your required specifications, there is a big possibility that you would receive exactly what you didn’t want. Not clarify well means the factory will make the decision for you based on cost saving.
Ensure you double check the materials and get the in time report of the manufacturing process of each order, so you can feel confident in the products you are purchasing.
Make sure your partner has totally confirmed every specification of your required product, including the packaging. Sometimes, it’s necessary to send the sample for recheck(sometime it would cause additional cost for sample order).
3. Showing distrust towards your partner.
International trade is based on mutual trust. If you don’t trust your partner, nobody will look after your production in the factory, and nobody will sincerely help you when trouble happens.
6. Arrange your cargo transport.
There are many costs associated with shipping goods, including container fees, packaging, terminal handling, and broker fees. In order to get a complete picture of shipping costs, each of these factors should be taken into account.
We suggest that you:
1. Always take in mind that delays might happen during the process, such as goods might not be produced on time, the vessel might not sail as scheduled, goods might be held by the customs. Be prepared and plan accordingly.
Do not expect your cargo would leave the port as soon as completed in the factory. Because it needs at least 1~2 days for your cargo transport from the factory to the port. And the process of Customs Declaration needs your cargo to stay at the port for at least 1~2 days.
Besides, there’s only one route frequency each week in some shipping route. Missing the voyage of this week, you will have to wait till next week.
2. Use CFR or CIF trade term and we would talk with here shipping company to book the vessel directly to save cost, avoid risk and improve efficiency.
Logistics is a highly valued aspect of modern business. Shipping costs include both the direct and indirect costs of transporting products from shipping port to destination.
Along with years of good cooperation with here shipping lines, we are familiar with every aspect of shipping, which could guarantee us to smooth operations, manageable costs, and continuous cash flow.
If someone cooperated one wrong shipping agent, they would definitely afford aditional costs and wastage. They even would have to face failure in their current import model that and continue to bear losts if their logistics is not managed well.
7. Track your cargo and get prepared for arrival.
Shipping goods internationally takes time. For example, goods shipped from China, on average, take around 14 days to reach the West Coast of United States or 30 days to reach the East Coast.
Normally the consignee will be notified via an arrival notice within 5 days or less of port arrival, by the destination agent listed on the B/L.
When a shipment reaches the U.S., the importer of record (i.e., the owner, purchaser, or licensed customs broker designated by the owner, purchaser, or consignee) will file import documents for the goods in the destination port.
Normally import documents are as following:
A bill of lading listing the items to be imported.
An official invoice that lists the country of origin, purchase price, and tariff classification of the goods imported.
A packing list that details the imported goods.
An arrival notice provided by the freight agent.
You will speed up the clearance of your goods through the border if you:
Invoice your goods in a systematic manner,
Show the exact quantity of each item of goods in each box, bale, case, or other package,
Put marks and numbers on each package,
Show those marks or numbers on your invoice opposite the itemization of goods contained in the package that bears those marks and numbers.
It is always the importer of record’s responsibility to arrange for examination and release of the goods. If problems arise that you need to troubleshoot, you should know the steps your goods go through when being cleared by customs of your country.
8. Receive your shipment.
When the goods arrive, make arrangements with your customs broker to clear them through customs. If everything goes well, you could arrange shipment of your products to your warehouse.
If you have choosed our door-to-door service, you can just wait for your shipment arrived at your appointed warehouse.
Once you have received your goods and respected the quality, packaging, instructions and labels, if you any question or problem occurred, please send us an official email with details. We would check with record to find out the exact truth and present the most workable solution for both parties. Long term cooperation would always be our highest target.
Who we are: China based sourcing agent/company, more than ten years full experience in international business, familiar with here China market to get competitive price and good quality products to worldwide countries
.
What we do: Research and investigate the market to select right suppliers to provide good products at reasonable cost, monitor and control the full process of order to avoid unexpectable risk and handle emergency to smooth the production and delivery to the importers.
How we do it: Keep sensative with here local market situation and feedback valuable information to our clients for reference to make futher decision. Keep intimate communication with local suppliers to introduce most profitable and latest products to our clients.