Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

[Walter Hay]

Q. 11

Q. Do I have to register a business and provide a Tax ID in order to import.

A. The short answer is: NO, but read on, because I add a very valuable hint further down.

In almost every country, when you first import anything commercially, if the value is sufficient to have to pay Duty and/or Sales Tax, you will be issued with an importer number. It goes by different names in different countries, but it is an identifying number that allows Customs authorities to keep track of what you import, when, and the values.

It also makes it faster to lodge customs clearance documentation in future.

If your first import is handled by an air courier or a freight forwarder, they will automatically obtain an importer’s number for you. It is worth asking them to tell you that number for future reference. They will not volunteer it.

If an importer later registers a business and imports under that name rather than his own name, a new importer number will be issued. There is no requirement for the importer to cancel the old number.

This last fact is worth remembering should you ever make a mistake and foul your reputation with Customs. You can change your business name and address, and then your old importer’s number will not be matched to your subsequent imports. In effect you will have a clean slate.

TOPIC HEADINGS PREVIOUSLY POSTED IN THIS THREAD:
■ Introduction. Dealing with myths and misinformation.
■ Some things you should know or do before you start product sourcing.
■ Part 1. Traveling to source supplies. Do you need to visit China? Trade Fairs.
■ The difference between Alibaba and Aliexpress.
■ Alibaba and the 2236 Thieves.
■ Sourcing from countries other than China. Is it worth it?
■ Part 2. Traveling to source supplies. Visiting factories in China.
■ Parallel Imports USA.
■ Do your suppliers use child labor or slave labor?
■ Inspection Services.
■ Sourcing Agents and Quality Control.
■ Misinformation Is A Wealth Hazard.
■ B2B Scams
■ Q & A 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

 

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[Walter Hay]

Protecting Trademark, Copyright, and Other Intellectual Property.

I won't pretend there is an easy answer to this one. There is not. China is trying to improve their image in this area, but getting through to the millions of businesses in China is a difficult task for the authorities. They do prosecute "flagship" cases, but the Chinese media has much more interesting things to put before the public, so education is a slow process.

Case History: One of my former franchisees placed a very large order for items bearing the logo and trademark of a very big organization, with their authority to do so. He gave strict instructions that no images of the product were to be displayed in advertising. An associated company closely affiliated with the supplier breached that agreement. Fortunately the goodwill from longstanding association was sufficient to have the advertising withdrawn.

As this case shows, the importance of building a good relationship cannot be over-emphasized. The client organization had the financial power to destroy my franchisee’s business, or possibly help him pursue the case in a Chinese court, but just consider how preferable it is to be able to contact a senior executive on a personal level, explain what had happened, and get an immediate, cost free, and trouble free resolution.

Build that relationship! Have you sent season’s greetings to your contacts in China yet? Even if you have not yet done business with them, send those greetings. One day you may want to ask them to protect your IP.

As a matter of interest, for the benefit of those masochists who think they can protect their IP, or enforce contractual agreements in China by going through the courts there; to do so, you must employ Chinese lawyers.

 

[miked_d]

Build that relationship! Have you sent season’s greetings to your contacts in China yet? Even if you have not yet done business with them, send those greetings. One day you may want to ask them to protect your IP.

Would you say the holiday greetings are equally important for contacts in all countries, not just China? Does the Chinese culture place a special importance to this custom or is it just good business (and personal) practice?

 

[BlokeInProgress]

Build that relationship! Have you sent season’s greetings to your contacts in China yet? Even if you have not yet done business with them, send those greetings. One day you may want to ask them to protect your IP.

Would you say the holiday greetings are equally important for contacts in all countries, not just China? Does the Chinese culture place a special importance to this custom or is it just good business (and personal) practice?

Just wanted to chime in, I really believe that most businesses do place a good deal on relationship and trust, as they know its really an effort to get a good client/customer and manufacturer/supplier now a days.

One of the potential manufacturer/supplier I have actually sent me a card (message written personally) in the samples that they sent. Personally, for me I know that its a mix of relationship building and business strategy but in the end, if I have to choose between them and another manufacturer with the same price, i'd pick them for sure. For now, they do this to win my business, once they do, roles might reverse and I'd have be the one courting them for discounts or asking favors hopefully to avoid it, better for me to start now (do relationship building and business strategy).

 

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[Walter Hay]

Would you say the holiday greetings are equally important for contacts in all countries, not just China? Does the Chinese culture place a special importance to this custom or is it just good business (and personal) practice?

I believe exchange of greetings is good business practice in any country, but there is no doubt that it is of very great importance in Chinese society.

When you deal with Chinese businesses you will gradually learn the cultural differences. Relationships are way above all other cultural things you need to know about.

As a seller, not a buyer, in my first visit to consolidate and hopefully build upon the relationship that I had been developing by phone and fax, (before the days of the Internet), I expected to entertain my prospective agent. Not so. I was collected from the airport by the MD, taken to my hotel, and after allowing me time to settle in he arrived back to take me to dinner.

All the executives in his team were there, together with an interpreter. I had not until then realized that as a seller I was expected to communicate through an interpreter. To save face for me, they provided one!

The meal was a banquet of staggering proportions, and lasted for nearly 3 hours. There was no discussion about business. I did not raise the subject because my cultural research had at least taught me that I should not do that. Business was not raised until after they had taken me to lunch the next day. Only a 2 hour meal session this time.

What I learned was that they regarded me as a person of value to their business, even though I was the seller and wanted them to be my agents. They set out to prove to me that they were good people to do business with. As it turned out they were, and they proved to be excellent agents for my products right up to the time that I sold my export manufacturing business.

You can learn as you go, a lot of other things such as ceremonial exchange of greeting cards, the significance of colors etc., but a friendly approach, refraining from being pushy, and exchanging greetings where appropriate should be lesson #1.

As a matter of interest, the Chinese communications giant Huawei, has chosen a name that is a universal greeting in China. Some Chinese businesses do answer the phone in English, but if you call and you are expecting an English speaking person to answer, don't be put off when instead of "Hello" you hear what sounds like "Hwayyy". It is a friendly greeting. Your answer before you speak in English should be: "Hwayyy."

 

[Walter Hay]

Just wanted to chime in, I really believe that most businesses do place a good deal on relationship and trust, as they know its really an effort to get a good client/customer and manufacturer/supplier now a days.

One of the potential manufacturer/supplier I have actually sent me a card (message written personally) in the samples that they sent. Personally, for me I know that its a mix of relationship building and business strategy but in the end, if I have to choose between them and another manufacturer with the same price, i'd pick them for sure. For now, they do this to win my business, once they do, roles might reverse and I'd have be the one courting them for discounts or asking favors hopefully to avoid it, better for me to start now (do relationship building and business strategy).

Thanks for your contribution to this very important subject. I would like to add a couple of comments:

There are cultural differences in English speaking countries, and I have found in 2 of them that relationship building has a very low priority, evident in the poor customer service. I exploited this when setting up my franchise network in those countries. Obliging my franchisees to give old fashioned, friendly personal service contributed to seeing them rapidly build market share. In the other 2 countries where I franchised my business, other things appealed more, but that is part of a marketing story that I may write about one day.

Trust. This point that you raised is of such great importance that I wanted to expand on it. While it is true that the Chinese businessmen are trying to win your business, what I wrote in my reply to miked-d is relevant. Those men feasting me were also building up trust. Our mutual respect grew as time went by so that they and I knew that a handshake was at least as good as a signed agreement.

Substantial orders were made by them and delivered by me over a period of nine years without any signed contract. On occasion I delivered a shipment that was only part paid for in advance, but the money was forthcoming. Some might say I was foolish, but trust and mutual respect works exceptionally well in dealing with Chinese businesses. So much so that demanding a signed agreement or some other formality could sometimes be detrimental to business.

I extended this approach to trust in relationships so effectively that I was able to obtain a monthly account with most suppliers when I was running my importing business. My franchisees all enjoyed the same privilege, based solely on me vouching for them. No credit references needed! I have had seasoned importers ridicule me, saying that monthly accounts are impossible, but if you develop a great relationship with trust as a major factor, it can be done.

 

[BlokeInProgress]

Some might say I was foolish, but trust and mutual respect works exceptionally well in dealing with Chinese businesses. So much so that demanding a signed agreement or some other formality could sometimes be detrimental to business.

Maybe some of them did not see or understand the due diligence that happened before making the deal. They saw the EVENT without considering the PROCESS.

 

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[Walter Hay]

Maybe some of them did not see or understand the due diligence that happened before making the deal. They saw the EVENT without considering the PROCESS.

That is exactly right. The process does not end with establishing a friendly, cooperative relationship.

Your earlier post prompted me to emphasize the need for trust and a major part of that stems from due diligence. The people you are dealing with may be friendly, and may seem ideal business partners, but apparent friendliness can hide other motives.

The event must be based not just on the warmth of the relationship, but also on the cold hard facts of due diligence.

 

[TopChef]

Just wanted to thank Walter for helping me out with a roadblock I was having.

I am trying to source a specific product from China and I was always getting stuck with the same problem. I asked Walter about it and he not only knew exactly what the problem was he helped point out a factory that could produce what I was looking for.

Also, I highly recommend Walters book on importing. There are a lot of books and courses out there but if I had to choose one to start with I would definitely recommend Walters book.

 

[MantisX]

Hey Walter,
Nice information in this thread. I bought and read your book and it has a lot of valuable information too. A couple of generic questions:

1. Do you have any advices for sourcing bulky products? Have you sourced bulky products and if so what are some things we should look out for ?
2. If an Alibaba gold supplier has a verification by TUV Rhineland and are a gold supplier for about 6 years, are they reliable? (I need to do the due diligance to check with the addresses etc.). Also, the supplier is willing to take escrow
3. The supplier pointed me towards a file sharing site for their catalog. He pointed me towards a pdf file from that site. Is that normal?

 

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[BlakeIC]

TOPIC HEADINGS PREVIOUSLY POSTED IN THIS THREAD:
■ Introduction. Dealing with myths and misinformation.
■ Some things you should know or do before you start product sourcing.
■ Part 1. Traveling to source supplies. Do you need to visit China? Trade Fairs.
■ The difference between Alibaba and Aliexpress.
■ Alibaba and the 2236 Thieves.
■ Sourcing from countries other than China. Is it worth it?
■ Part 2. Traveling to source supplies. Visiting factories in China.
■ Parallel Imports USA.
■ Do your suppliers use child labor or slave labor?
■ Inspection Services.
■ Sourcing Agents and Quality Control.
■ Misinformation Is A Wealth Hazard.
■ B2B Scams
■ Q & A 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

are you posting tid bits from your book?

 

[Walter Hay]

Hey Walter,
Nice information in this thread. I bought and read your book and it has a lot of valuable information too. A couple of generic questions:

1. Do you have any advices for sourcing bulky products? Have you sourced bulky products and if so what are some things we should look out for ?
2. If an Alibaba gold supplier has a verification by TUV Rhineland and are a gold supplier for about 6 years, are they reliable? (I need to do the due diligance to check with the addresses etc.). Also, the supplier is willing to take escrow
3. The supplier pointed me towards a file sharing site for their catalog. He pointed me towards a pdf file from that site. Is that normal?

I am glad that you have found my book to be of value. Regarding your questions:

1. Most of my imports have been small, high value items, and they all came by air courier or EMS. I did ship one large consignment of bulky items by air freight, using a freight forwarder. He got me a commodity rate that was not a lot more than sea freight, because what I shipped was well under half an LCL quantity, and LCL rates for smaller consignments are usually quite high. I would advise consulting a freight forwarder and checking out all options with him. Do so well in advance of placing an order for the goods, and get the quote in writing. The quote should be door to door, including the customs clearance work.
2. Ignore the Gold Supplier part of the supplier's credentials. Check the TUV verification. It is probably only there under the "Onsite Verification" criterion, in which case it tells you nothing other than the fact that the business actually exists. If you really must use Alibaba, try looking for suppliers that are Assessed Suppliers (Red Tick in Blue Circle), but not Onsite Checked suppliers. You will still have to carefully read the Audit Report. Being willing to accept escrow is a good sign, but be sure to read my earlier post about Alibaba escrow rules.
3. I find the file sharing a bit suspicious. I doubt that you have found a genuine manufacturer. Very common result when searching on Alibaba. I suggest you try one of the sites that I recommend in my book.

Regards,
Walter

 

[Walter Hay]

are you posting tid bits from your book?

You will find some passages that are in my book, but as my original post said, most posts are based on questions that I receive. A lot of questions come to me from buyers of my book, even though very often the answer is in the book, but most are from people just looking for help.

I know that many people won't pay for information, and I don't mind helping them, although in some of my posts I occasionally remind readers that paying a small amount for a complete set of instructions will give them much more security than just relying on the relatively small amount that can be published online.

I have provided help for countless people who have asked me questions, and as a result I have a huge bank of questions that I have answered. I will gradually publish more and more of them, sometimes expanded upon and posted as an article with a specific title.

 

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[RP93]

Hi Walter,

I've read pretty much every page of this thread and your book also, and although there's been TONS of incredibly useful information which is sure to have saved me lots of money & lots of time over the long run, I'm stuck on a really big sticking point.

I''m not sure if you've dabbled too much in clothing importation in your career, but I'm just beginning my journey towards opening my own fashion line. So far I've just been speaking with various manufacturers on AliBaba to get a feel for what these factories require in order to produce my garments. Unlike most people in my position, I am by no means interested in just purchasing a bulk of the standard products these factories produce i.e. standard fit t-shirts with logo printing. And due to this, most factories need more than just a few images with diagrams and text from me explaining how I want my t-shirts to look. They want me to send them a sample piece which they can just replicate, along with a "tech pack" for their factory team.

My sticking point is, however, that I have ABSOLUTELY no idea how to get my hands on either of these 2 things. I've sprowled accross the Internet in search of some more information, but it's extremely rare that I find anything with relates to what I want.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance,
Ryan

 

[Walter Hay]

Hi Walter,

I've read pretty much every page of this thread and your book also, and although there's been TONS of incredibly useful information which is sure to have saved me lots of money & lots of time over the long run, I'm stuck on a really big sticking point.

I''m not sure if you've dabbled too much in clothing importation in your career, but I'm just beginning my journey towards opening my own fashion line. So far I've just been speaking with various manufacturers on AliBaba to get a feel for what these factories require in order to produce my garments. Unlike most people in my position, I am by no means interested in just purchasing a bulk of the standard products these factories produce i.e. standard fit t-shirts with logo printing. And due to this, most factories need more than just a few images with diagrams and text from me explaining how I want my t-shirts to look. They want me to send them a sample piece which they can just replicate, along with a "tech pack" for their factory team.

My sticking point is, however, that I have ABSOLUTELY no idea how to get my hands on either of these 2 things. I've sprowled accross the Internet in search of some more information, but it's extremely rare that I find anything with relates to what I want.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance,
Ryan

Hi Ryan,

First, don't believe any supplier on Alibaba claiming to be a manufacturer really is such. It might pay you to consider buying elsewhere than China. I will send you a private message with a link to an excellent manufacturer in Thailand. You should get a notification within an hour or so about my message.

The clothing that I have imported was only a sideline for products to supply to business customers who wanted a one stop shop, but I know that China is not the best place for made to specification clothing.

You will find clothing manufacturers in Thailand nowhere near as demanding as manufacturers in China. A major reason for this is that they have a much better understanding of English.

Walter

 

[BlakeIC]

is the book of yours that you mention titled
Import Direct From China Guide?

 

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[Walter Hay]

is the book of yours that you mention titled
Import Direct From China Guide?

The full title is:
Import Direct From China and Many Other Countries

 

[BlakeIC]

The full title is:
Import Direct From China and Many Other Countries

alright the webpage threw me off with that title in your sig

 

[BlakeIC]

just purchased your book, will leave a review once finished

 

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[Walter Hay]

Q. 12 I have copied only one question here, but I have received very similar questions relating to the same problem encountered in dealing with other B2B platforms that offer escrow.

Q. I have received a parcel from a supplier I found on dhgate and it contains nothing but scrap paper! I had to sign for it before I could open it to check it, so Dhgate say it has been received and they will release payment within 2 days. The rules for disputes are too @#!!X*! complicated and they seem to be changing them when they reply to my complaint because I can’t find the rules they quote on the website. What can I do? This cost me $130.

A. You have seen in my forum posts that I would never recommend DHgate because of the huge number of scams reported, but I am happy to help for your future buying. There are many possible problems with the so-called protection provided by escrow services controlled by the big B2B sites, and you have been caught out by one of them. Because DHgate have told you that because you signed for the parcel, payment will be released to the seller, they will also ask you for proof that the package only contained paper, but any bunny would know that a photo is useless as proof. They will tell you to return the parcel to the supplier, but the supplier will either say they did not receive it, or that it had the goods inside when they sent it.DH gate are only going through the motions until you give up.

If you paid through PayPal, lodge a dispute with them, but do not say that the goods are not as described, otherwise PayPal will reject your dispute. Tell them that this is a fraud and you signed for an empty package. Depending on which country you are in, contact any government fraud watch body and report this fraud, asking them to contact PayPal and DHgate.com on your behalf. This method has worked for others.

In future, ask the courier to wait while you open the package. If he/she is a reasonable person they will allow this and you can then refuse to sign for it if it contains paper or other filling instead of the product. I have known people to receive stones, and in one case a brick.

For the benefit of other readers, I add that you should save a screen shot of the page where you found the product listing, as well as keeping copies of all emails, whether through your own email account or your member’s email on the B2B site. Do this progressively from the beginning of your earliest negotiations to buy, right through to receiving notice of shipment. Save every email even after that point. A number of people report finding all their member emails deleted and that makes it impossible to pursue a dispute claim.

Remember that in almost every case you will be required to return the goods in order to have your claim processed. It is common for suppliers to not take delivery of your parcel, and so they can say you did not return it. That will be another loss to add to what you have already paid.

Make sure you have read the escrow rules, if you can find them. Copy them also.

SOLUTION: In future ask the supplier to accept payment through a reliable service such as escrow.com, telling them you will pay the escrow fees. If they refuse, look for a supplier you can trust, because if they refuse, it could be because they are not trustworthy. You may have to look on websites other than the one where you usually source products.

You can offer some evidence regarding escrow.com’s high standing:
In the US Government’s Strategic Partners List, escrow.com are listed first: http://export.gov/CSPartners/eg_main_051038.asp
eBay will only allow the use of escrow services provided by escrow.com see: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/escrow.html
Licensing of escrow.com by government authorities can be found here: https://www.escrow.com/escrow-101/escrow-licenses.aspx

 

[Npl9]

Wondering if this is shady or the normal way things work in China..
I'm trying to order samples from a company and I've been talking with their sales representative. We decided on three samples for $30, including shipping costs. He then asked for me to send the money via paypal, but the paypal address he gave me was (his name)@gmail.com. Seems a little weird to me that it's not a company paypal. Just thought I would ask here before I stop communicating with him incase for whatever reason this isn't unusual.

 

[Walter Hay]

Wondering if this is shady or the normal way things work in China..
I'm trying to order samples from a company and I've been talking with their sales representative. We decided on three samples for $30, including shipping costs. He then asked for me to send the money via paypal, but the paypal address he gave me was (his name)@gmail.com. Seems a little weird to me that it's not a company paypal. Just thought I would ask here before I stop communicating with him incase for whatever reason this isn't unusual.

This is not unusual, but is best treated as a red flag. It may be legitimate if it is a small business, but it could be risky and I would not take that risk.

$30 including shipping costs is very low. Have they told you what shipping method?

If you are using Alibaba or Aliexpress, chances are very high that you are dealing with a trader, and as a general rule there is more risk in dealing with a trader than there is in dealing with a manufacturer.

If you like to give me more information confidentially by starting a conversation, I will try to help with more specific advice.

 

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[michael40]

This thread is very intriguing and instructive.
Thanks so much Walter.

I am living in Seoul, Korea and have been for about 6 years now. My nationality is Irish and I have a spousal visa here. My wife is Korean. I will be here for the forseeable future. I am teaching English at the moment here which I enjoy but I am really keen to start doing some exporting or business from within Korea.

From what you have written I believe you have some dealings with Korea.
I am interested in exporting Korean Fashion in particular especially Ladies Clothes. My wife has been a Manager at a department store here for about 6 or 7 years too which would be a big help.
I am sure there are other opportunities here too.

What are your thoughts on developing a business within Korea exporting stuff from here?
My target market will be the UK and Ireland.
There is a Seoul Global Business Center here and I will be having a consultation with them next week about it all.

I realise most of the Business mentioned here is about importing from outside the Far East. Are there good opportunities from within the Far East to develop a business exporting etc..
There is of course huge competition.

It would be fantastic to get some insights from you on all this.

Kind Regards,
Michael

 

[miked_d]

paypal address he gave me was (his name)@gmail.com.

The item I found weird was that they offered a gmail address. Chinese gmail users have been have issues recently.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/01/opinion/in-foiling-gmail-china-foils-itself.html?_r=0

 

[Walter Hay]

The item I found weird was that they offered a gmail address. Chinese gmail users have been have issues recently.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/01/opinion/in-foiling-gmail-china-foils-itself.html?_r=0

Generally I would say that free email addresses are not a good sign, but gmail is becoming so widely used in business worldwide, not only in China, that its use does not raise quite the same level of concern now as it used to.

The article in your link is interesting and seems to suggest that the Chinese government may have to eventually give up on barring gmail because of its widespread use in business.

I have done some research for @ Npl9 and the company he is dealing with also has email addresses at their own website. In fact from my research I am able to assure him that the company is legitimate, although confirming their status as a manufacturer requires @ Npl9 to carry out one more easy step that I have advised him to take.

 

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[FlamingRemedy]

Wondering if this is shady or the normal way things work in China..
I'm trying to order samples from a company and I've been talking with their sales representative. We decided on three samples for $30, including shipping costs. He then asked for me to send the money via paypal, but the paypal address he gave me was (his name)@gmail.com. Seems a little weird to me that it's not a company paypal. Just thought I would ask here before I stop communicating with him incase for whatever reason this isn't unusual.

I had a similar occurrence, however the supplier agreed to using escrow after a while of back and forth messages. They really tend to dislike it when you ask a lot of questions. You've got to prioritize your own protection though.

 

[Walter Hay]

I had a similar occurrence, however the supplier agreed to using escrow after a while of back and forth messages. They really tend to dislike it when you ask a lot of questions. You've got to prioritize your own protection though.

Good move! For $30 escrow is not worth the effort or the cost, but for amounts over say, $500 it offers good protection provided you don't use the in-house escrow services provided by the B2B platforms. Insist on using escrow.com. See my post Q.11. For amounts under $2000 the cost is high, but you can regard that cost as insurance.

Many suppliers will dislike a lot of questions, but those ones are probably not worth dealing with. If the negotiation about using escrow is lengthy, that is not necessarily a bad sign because the concept is a bit confronting for many Chinese businesses.

 

[Walter Hay]

This thread is very intriguing and instructive.
Thanks so much Walter.

I am living in Seoul, Korea and have been for about 6 years now. My nationality is Irish and I have a spousal visa here. My wife is Korean. I will be here for the forseeable future. I am teaching English at the moment here which I enjoy but I am really keen to start doing some exporting or business from within Korea.

From what you have written I believe you have some dealings with Korea.
I am interested in exporting Korean Fashion in particular especially Ladies Clothes. My wife has been a Manager at a department store here for about 6 or 7 years too which would be a big help.
I am sure there are other opportunities here too.

What are your thoughts on developing a business within Korea exporting stuff from here?
My target market will be the UK and Ireland.
There is a Seoul Global Business Center here and I will be having a consultation with them next week about it all.

I realise most of the Business mentioned here is about importing from outside the Far East. Are there good opportunities from within the Far East to develop a business exporting etc..
There is of course huge competition.

It would be fantastic to get some insights from you on all this.

Kind Regards,
Michael

Hi Michael,

I must warn you that exporting is many times more difficult than importing. I did it successfully because I manufactured my own products, I knew the market on a worldwide basis, and I had been involved in the shipping industry since I got my first job after college.

That does not mean you can't do it. You have some distinct advantages, in particular an understanding of the local language where you will source supplies, and a wife with highly appropriate experience.

• You need to know the product and the market. That is where your wife can help. As a department store manager she would be able to tell you which manufacturers give good reliable service, and have products that would be desirable in your target market.
  
• You will need to learn shipping terminology, in particular Incoterms. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterms There are other terms that you will have to learn such as Letter of Credit and Bill of Lading.
  
• Your biggest problem will be finding buyers. One way you can do that is register as a seller on Alibaba (I know I knock Alibaba, but that is for buyers. It is great for sellers.) You may have to pay their $699 fee to become a Gold Supplier. That is the current discounted rate on offer for the "Lite" version.There are other places where you can advertise for free, but that must be done in a manner that I will explain to you privately. Let me know when you are in need of that information.
  
• Your next biggest problem will be to establish good relationships with the manufacturers while acting as a a middleman, which they generally won't like.
• You will have to be prepared to carry a small sample inventory to be able to ship to buyers wanting to check out the quality. For this you will have to negotiate very low rates with air couriers. Don't agree to pay any more than 50% of their schedule rates, but even lower prices are common. Cultivate an association with a good freight forwarder for larger shipments.
  
• Check the garment sizing and make sure the manufacturer knows you are buying for women in western countries.

The Seoul Global Business Center will be able to help you with the business set up side of things, but probably won't be able to help much with other aspects of the business. I suggest you visit the World Trade Center which is quite close to the Seoul Global Business Center. They are more export-oriented and should be of much more help.

TOPIC HEADINGS PREVIOUSLY POSTED IN THIS THREAD:
■ Introduction. Dealing with myths and misinformation.
■ Some things you should know or do before you start product sourcing.
■ Part 1. Traveling to source supplies. Do you need to visit China? Trade Fairs.
■ The difference between Alibaba and Aliexpress.
■ Alibaba and the 2236 Thieves.
■ Sourcing from countries other than China. Is it worth it?
■ Part 2. Traveling to source supplies. Visiting factories in China.
■ Parallel Imports USA.
■ Do your suppliers use child labor or slave labor?
■ Inspection Services.
■ Sourcing Agents and Quality Control.
■ Misinformation Is A Wealth Hazard.
■ B2B Scams
■ Q & A 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
■ Protecting Trademark, Copyright, and Other Intellectual Property.

 

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[michael40]

Fantastic Walter.
Really appreciated.

I will certainly look at importing too.
There are niches which can be explored here. Ireland is keen to do a lot more exporting and with the FTA in place etc.. It can be possible too.

Thank You.

 

[Walter Hay]

Fantastic Walter.
Really appreciated.

I will certainly look at importing too.
There are niches which can be explored here. Ireland is keen to do a lot more exporting and with the FTA in place etc.. It can be possible too.

Thank You.

You are right about the FTA making opportunities to export from Ireland to Korea.

Readers in western countries should take note of the fact that many countries are now on a par with China regarding prices, and quality is usually superior. Even some of the developed countries are now very competitive.

Let me know if I can help with your importing venture.