The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

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

Blackman

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
Dec 28, 2018
135
177
London, UK
Hi Walter,

Quite a generic question, but see if you can help. I was wondering what would have to be the shipment's size for you to consider using an air freight forwarding company, instead of air couriers?

Any average weight or volume that could give me an indication of when I should start contacting freight forwarding companies to possibly save money on postage?

Thanks
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Hi Walter,

Quite a generic question, but see if you can help. I was wondering what would have to be the shipment's size for you to consider using an air freight forwarding company, instead of air couriers?

Any average weight or volume that could give me an indication of when I should start contacting freight forwarding companies to possibly save money on postage?

Thanks
As a rule of thumb, once a shipment exceeds 30kg (66lbs) it could become cheaper to use an air cargo consolidator.

A caveat is relevant, that is, both air couriers and air freight shipments must be on a door to door basis.

That is almost always the case if using air couriers, but if you don't specify door to door when using air freight, the freight charge will usually only cover the shipment until it reaches the destination airport.

The extra costs and inconvenience will far outweigh any possible lower cost gained by using air freight.

Delivery times will be different, with 2 to 3 days being normal for courier shipments, but 5 to 10 days being common in the case of air freight.

Walter
P.S. Don't believe the usual advice given by importing experts, saying that you can pick up from the airport. If you have my book, see 3.8 and 3.9.
 

LPPC

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
85%
Mar 6, 2016
394
336
32
As a rule of thumb, once a shipment exceeds 30kg (66lbs) it could become cheaper to use an air cargo consolidator.

A caveat is relevant, that is, both air couriers and air freight shipments must be on a door to door basis.

That is almost always the case if using air couriers, but if you don't specify door to door when using air freight, the freight charge will usually only cover the shipment until it reaches the destination airport.

The extra costs and inconvenience will far outweigh any possible lower cost gained by using air freight.

Delivery times will be different, with 2 to 3 days being normal for courier shipments, but 5 to 10 days being common in the case of air freight.

Walter
P.S. Don't believe the usual advice given by importing experts, saying that you can pick up from the airport. If you have my book, see 3.8 and 3.9.

Hello Walter,

Would it be possible to pick up a shipment yourself from a
As a rule of thumb, once a shipment exceeds 30kg (66lbs) it could become cheaper to use an air cargo consolidator.

A caveat is relevant, that is, both air couriers and air freight shipments must be on a door to door basis.

That is almost always the case if using air couriers, but if you don't specify door to door when using air freight, the freight charge will usually only cover the shipment until it reaches the destination airport.

The extra costs and inconvenience will far outweigh any possible lower cost gained by using air freight.

Delivery times will be different, with 2 to 3 days being normal for courier shipments, but 5 to 10 days being common in the case of air freight.

Walter
P.S. Don't believe the usual advice given by importing experts, saying that you can pick up from the airport. If you have my book, see 3.8 and 3.9.

Hello Walter,

Would your advice given in 3.8 and 3.9 of your book also apply to picking it up yourself from a railway station in case of shipment via train?

Also I am importing this LED nightlamp and I've imported from 2 manufacturers/suppliers:
A) 9 defects out of 153 units --> 5.88% defect rate
B) 2 defects out of 40 units --> 5.12% defect rate.

I have to choose between manufacturer A and B for my next order. What do you think of these defect rates? Are they ok or unacceptable?

It's a hard choice because the defect rate of manufacturer B does not say much because the sample amount is too small.

Thank you!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Hello Walter,

Would it be possible to pick up a shipment yourself from a


Hello Walter,

Would your advice given in 3.8 and 3.9 of your book also apply to picking it up yourself from a railway station in case of shipment via train?

Also I am importing this LED nightlamp and I've imported from 2 manufacturers/suppliers:
A) 9 defects out of 153 units --> 5.88% defect rate
B) 2 defects out of 40 units --> 5.12% defect rate.

I have to choose between manufacturer A and B for my next order. What do you think of these defect rates? Are they ok or unacceptable?

It's a hard choice because the defect rate of manufacturer B does not say much because the sample amount is too small.

Thank you!
Yes, the advice in my book does also apply to picking up from a rail depot. If you particularly want to pick up at a rail depot or station, the best suggestion I can offer is to take a small child with you - no more than 7 years of age. If they allow you in with a child, you will almost certainly get better treatment.

The reject rates you quote are high, and indicate poor quality control. It might pay you to arrange pre-shipment inspections by TUV. That could add $200 or $300 to your cost, but should eliminate the reject problem.

It pays to tell your supplier at the time of ordering, that you will have an inspection done by ....(your choice of inpsection service provider.)

Walter
 

LPPC

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
85%
Mar 6, 2016
394
336
32
Yes, the advice in my book does also apply to picking up from a rail depot. If you particularly want to pick up at a rail depot or station, the best suggestion I can offer is to take a small child with you - no more than 7 years of age. If they allow you in with a child, you will almost certainly get better treatment.

The reject rates you quote are high, and indicate poor quality control. It might pay you to arrange pre-shipment inspections by TUV. That could add $200 or $300 to your cost, but should eliminate the reject problem.

It pays to tell your supplier at the time of ordering, that you will have an inspection done by ....(your choice of inpsection service provider.)

Walter

Hello Walter,

It seems like all the hassle is not worth the extra money saved. I will keep having the forwarder do it.

With my previous order, it doesn't seem like inspection has helped much but it might be because of my own fault. I ordered 270 units and had inspection done. They inspected something like 80 of them and no major fault was found. Right now I have sold something like 30 units of this shipment and already 2 of them were defective because the charging plug did not fit into the charging socket. I did not have the inspection check the charging port explicitly, so it might have been avoidable had I put it into the inspection checklist. Lesson learned to all readers: think of all the defects that the product can have and let them all get checked by the inspection service.

Would you recommend having inspections done always for orders over 3000 USD that get shipped via sea or train, even though you have ordered multiple times from a manufacturer and it has gone well in general? Because it might be the case that even though previous orders have gone well, one of the orders can get a very high defect rate and then you are basically screwed even more because you ship via sea or air. This could leave you with being out of stock for a long time (if shipping via air is not viable), not to mention all the hassle to get a refund etc. Do such cases happen often enough that it makes the inspection worth it?

Also let's say you find defective items once the shipment has arrived in country of destination. Then you tell your supplier that and ask them to credit you for next order. Would you recommend also adding the shipping cost of the single unit to the credit you ask of the supplier?

Thank you very much! + repped
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
@LPPC Thanks for the rep transfer.

Yes the hassles involved in picking up from airport, sea port, or rail depot are substantial, as are the possible costs.

I would never do it myself, although I used to. When exporting, I had my own truck, and I would deliver the 1 ton shipments to the wharf, and if I didn't take my very young son with me, I hate to think how long I would have been just waiting around.

Thanks for your lesson offered to all readers. That is very valuable advice, and I hope they all take note.

Quality inspections usually work well if the manufacturer knows the inspection will take place, but everyone makes mistakes, so I think an inspection should be part of your ordering process.

Even in cases where you have a good relationship, and previous orders have been good quality, mistakes can happen. A change of staff in the supplier's quality control section can result in a bad batch getting through.

Sometimes inspections on quite small orders can save you losing all the money you have paid. Try to allow for the cost of an inspection when working out whether or not to buy a particular product. Is the margin there?

If you can provide photographic or video evidence of the fault, and you are very polite about it, any supplier worth having will credit you with the cost of the rejects.

Try to offer a compromise so that both sides win. Maybe you could offer to pay some of the freight cost, or as much as half. You will lose that money but build a great relationship if you want to continue dealing with that supplier.

I assume that when you wrote: "Would you recommend also adding the shipping cost of the single unit to the credit you ask of the supplier?" that you were referring to the original sample.

If so, I would say no - let sleeping dogs lie.

Sometimes, losing some money is the cost of building Guanxi.

I am writing here from my experience, and can tell you that yielding the unexpected, resulted in great service and excellent quality control, as well as a no questions asked willingness to give a full refund whenever I reported faulty goods. Faults became rare.

Walter
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

LPPC

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
85%
Mar 6, 2016
394
336
32
@Walter Hay Thanks a lot for your helpful answer once again!

Try to allow for the cost of an inspection when working out whether or not to buy a particular product. Is the margin there?

That is indeed a very good idea to include the pre-shipment inspection cost when deciding whether a product is worth importing, I have noted that for the next products to come. In this case the margin is there indeed.

I assume that when you wrote: "Would you recommend also adding the shipping cost of the single unit to the credit you ask of the supplier?" that you were referring to the original sample.

If so, I would say no - let sleeping dogs lie.

I actually meant the defective units in a big order and not the initial sample to decide on whether to order with this supplier. So let's say you have received the shipment worth of $5000 in destination country and some of them appear to be defective. Would you then just ask for the unit price as credit or unit price+ shipping cost for this unit?

Sometimes, losing some money is the cost of building Guanxi.

I am writing here from my experience, and can tell you that yielding the unexpected, resulted in great service and excellent quality control, as well as a no questions asked willingness to give a full refund whenever I reported faulty goods. Faults became rare.

Walter

Your advice is taken. Building relationships is indeed very important ofcourse.

I hope you don't mind me asking another question. I have until now ordered from 2 manufacturers for the same product:

Manufacturer A) 9 defects out of 153 units, 5.88% defect rate. Price per unit: 12 USD

Manufacturer B) I bought it from my supplier that acts as the middleman between me and the manufacturer. Price per unit is 9.5 USD. They have the most beautiful version of this product. They customized the product for me to have a bigger battery size. They changed the motherboard for this also. Those were all good points.
My first order with them were 40 units. Defect rate was 5%. This batch was really bad. The battery capacity of the whole batch was 30% of what they promised, barcodes were wrong, half of the units came totally empty and had to be charged first etc. My supplier said that they just moved to a new building and thus they were really busy (around 20th of january) and on top of that they could not use their stable motherboard but had to modify it for me. That might be the reason for the bad batch.
My supplier agreed to provide me double the amount (80 units) as refund with a proper battery. I agreed to this. The sample showed that the battery was indeed good, but the LED colors were off because the motherboard they ordered were not programmed well. I could either decide to have them produce these 80 units now or wait after CNY. I decided to have them produced or else I would be out of stock.

Question 1: Would you consider giving manufacturer B another chance by ordering 3000 USD worth of products and having a pre-shipment inspection done by TUV?
Up until now me and my supplier have not found a manufacturer that produces this product as beautiful as the version of manufacturer B. This manufacturer also has a very low price and they customized the product for me without a MOQ or a much higher cost.

On the other hand they have been really sloppy until now, but that might be because of CNY and their change of factory/building. Maybe a pre-shipment inspection by TUV will eliminate a big portion of this risk. And since you recommended to have an inspection done for every big order, I could do this inspection for every order from them.

If they can produce this product for me long term with an acceptable defect rate, then I might have a good product that differentiates itself by higher battery and beautiful finishing. So maybe it is worth the risk, or it might be very foolish to give them another chance.

Looking forward to your opinion on this! Ofcourse, in the end I will take all the responsbility for whichever decision I take.
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
@ LPPC Your question and my answer could be very helpful to others also, so I am pleased that you have asked it.

Knowing that your margin is big enough to allow for the cost of a pre-shipment inspection, and in view of their helpful attitude, I would not hesitate to order from the trader.

It is obvious that they have very good connections with factory that makes the product. This is a very good example of what can happen if you stumble upon a trader that has real influence with a factory.

It also highlights the fact that what might seem a good price is not necessarily the best price a factory could offer.

The problem of their sloppiness might be related to the CNY rush, but if not, it should be fixed when they know that an inspection could result in rejection of the shipment.

Walter
 

LPPC

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
85%
Mar 6, 2016
394
336
32
@ LPPC Your question and my answer could be very helpful to others also, so I am pleased that you have asked it.

Knowing that your margin is big enough to allow for the cost of a pre-shipment inspection, and in view of their helpful attitude, I would not hesitate to order from the trader.

It is obvious that they have very good connections with factory that makes the product. This is a very good example of what can happen if you stumble upon a trader that has real influence with a factory.

It also highlights the fact that what might seem a good price is not necessarily the best price a factory could offer.

The problem of their sloppiness might be related to the CNY rush, but if not, it should be fixed when they know that an inspection could result in rejection of the shipment.

Walter

It is good to hear that it is not crazy not give this manufacturer another chance. Hopefully it will turn out well this time and as you advised, I will certainly tell them in advance that a pre-shipment inspection will take place.

My supplier/trader has indeed been very helpful and honest in this situation. She also told me that she has a good relationship with the manufacturer and that they indeed listen to her requests. I noticed that in my communication with her too.

Thank you very much Walter, I don't know what I would do without your help!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
My book updates.

Importing book. The 2019 revision is currently being formatted, and should be available in another week - maybe two at the most.

Labeling book. The 2019 revision is well under way, but might not be finished for another few weeks.

The updates will be automatically sent to all who have purchased previous editions.

Those purchased direct from the old ProvenChinaSourcing website will receive a download link from my support team at PAC.

Those who have purchased my Marketplace offer through Imagemodeuk will receive PDF copies.

NOTE. With the release of my 2019 revision, now called ProvenGlobalSourcing, the URL has been changed to Proven Global Sourcing - Proven Global Sourcing.

Walter
 
Last edited:

B. Cole

In thine hand is power and might.
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
328%
Mar 5, 2017
595
1,953
42
East Coast
My book updates.

Importing book. The 2019 revision is currently being formatted, and should be available in another week - maybe two at the most.

Labeling book. The 2019 revision is well under way, but might not be finished for another few weeks.

The updates will be automatically sent to all who have purchased previous editions.

Those purchased direct from the ProvenChinaSourcing website will receive a download link from my support team at PAC.

Those who have purchased my Marketplace offer through Imagemodeuk will receive PDF copies.

Walter


Definitely looking forward to the revisions, and going to grab a copy of the newest importing book when it comes out. Thanks for all you do!

Walter, do you ever see anybody consolidating shipments coming out of China to save shipping costs? Looks like it’d be a logistical nightmare trying to get multiple suppliers on one pallet, but sure would be nice to pay for one medium shipment crossing the ocean instead of 7 or 8 small ones.
 

LPPC

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
85%
Mar 6, 2016
394
336
32
@Walter Hay Looking forward to the new revision of the importing book and I'm going to grab a copy of the branding book soon too. Highly recommend the importing book and thank you Walter for providing such a goldmine of a book!

@B. Cole I have consolidated 2 shipments together via train. The two products came from the same trader/supplier though. But I don't think it should be a big problem for your forwarder to manage it. Totally worth it.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
@B.Cole, consolidation of shipments from different suppliers is a problem for many, because few forwarders are willing to handle it.

Shiplilly, https://www.shiplilly.com/ based in Miami, have a huge worldwide network and they will consolidate shipments from different suppliers.

Other forwarders will handle consolidation if they have warehouses in the country of origin. Most don't advertise the fact, so it is worth asking.

Walter
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Latest Update On My Books.

The 2019 importing book
has been delayed while a new website is built. The new site will be ProvenGlobalSourcing.com to reflect the big change from concentrating on China, to recognizing that there are now greater than ever global opportunities for importers.

The 2019 labeling book is ready to go, but I prefer to delay release because so many have bought both books, and we will be sending out both to all those people. The work load for Imagemode will be almost halved.

Walter
 

Departed

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
157%
Jul 15, 2017
42
66
Europe
Hey Walter,

Thank you for sharing your views and all of your experience here with us.

Question: Shipping to Amazon, any reason not to go with a Chinese freight forwarder (one with Amazon experience)? have collected quotes from different freight forwarders and there is a price difference between 500-1500 USD on a small shipment (1000kg). The more expensive ones are from the US obviously.

I got a couple of quotes from Chinese freight forwarders who claim to do take care of everything (i.e. I only have to pay duty and they will handle everything until the shipment arrives at the warehouse)

What are your views on this in general?


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Hey Walter,

Thank you for sharing your views and all of your experience here with us.

Question: Shipping to Amazon, any reason not to go with a Chinese freight forwarder (one with Amazon experience)? have collected quotes from different freight forwarders and there is a price difference between 500-1500 USD on a small shipment (1000kg). The more expensive ones are from the US obviously.

I got a couple of quotes from Chinese freight forwarders who claim to do take care of everything (i.e. I only have to pay duty and they will handle everything until the shipment arrives at the warehouse)

What are your views on this in general?


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk
The short answer is DON'T

As you will see in Chapter 4 of my book, I provide details of the increasing incidence of freight scams taking place.

Most are perpetrated by freight forwarders operating out of China and Russia, and a few other places where the rule of law is not strong.

There are various kinds of scams, including fake freight forwarding companies being set up, with an apparent long history, shipments never leaving China, with fake documents being provided to prove that they have, and a scheme that holds your shipment to ransom.

I would spend a little more upfront rather than risk losing everything you paid for the goods + the freight paid.

Walter
 

Blackman

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
Dec 28, 2018
135
177
London, UK
Walter,

Would it make sense to use an air freight forwarding company, as an individual, rather than a registered business?

I'm trying to stick with air couriers ONLY at the moment, because it's obviously very convenient and you just deal with 1 company, i.e. your supplier/manufacturer in China or wherever you're getting your products from.

However, my problem is that often this method limits me from importing certain products, which I know would potentially sell well.

The cost of the actual product is reasonable, but once you've added in the postage cost, which sometimes can be twice the cost of the product or even more, then it all just makes no sense.

As an example, I'm looking at 10 units of product X at $40 each, so that works out to $400, but the supplier wants $950 for TNT/Fedex shipping. The shipping cost is more or less the same across few suppliers that I've contacted, so I would assume it's accurate.

For your info, the weight of each unit is around 3.5kg with the box dimensions around 120x25x45cm.

Now being in the UK, what would be my first steps of getting a quote from an air freight forwarding company? Do I provide them with the size of the shipment and location of my supplier, so they can work out the costs?

And again, my concern is, whether they would be willing to deal with an individual, rather than a business? Would appreciate if any UK importers could recommend a UK based air freight forwarding company.

Thanks for your help.
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Walter,

Would it make sense to use an air freight forwarding company, as an individual, rather than a registered business?

I'm trying to stick with air couriers ONLY at the moment, because it's obviously very convenient and you just deal with 1 company, i.e. your supplier/manufacturer in China or wherever you're getting your products from.

However, my problem is that often this method limits me from importing certain products, which I know would potentially sell well.

The cost of the actual product is reasonable, but once you've added in the postage cost, which sometimes can be twice the cost of the product or even more, then it all just makes no sense.

As an example, I'm looking at 10 units of product X at $40 each, so that works out to $400, but the supplier wants $950 for TNT/Fedex shipping. The shipping cost is more or less the same across few suppliers that I've contacted, so I would assume it's accurate.

For your info, the weight of each unit is around 3.5kg with the box dimensions around 120x25x45cm.

Now being in the UK, what would be my first steps of getting a quote from an air freight forwarding company? Do I provide them with the size of the shipment and location of my supplier, so they can work out the costs?

And again, my concern is, whether they would be willing to deal with an individual, rather than a business? Would appreciate if any UK importers could recommend a UK based air freight forwarding company.

Thanks for your help.
Apart from income tax reasons it makes no difference whether you ship as a business or as an individual.

The size of each parcel is your big problem. The volumetric weight works out at 225 to 250kg, so a cost of $950 sounds reasonable for air courier at just under $4 per kg.

For those interested, you can calculate volumetric "weight" using DHL's latest calculator: DHL | Volumetric Weight: Express | English

Using a simple volume calculator doesn't work because freight companies use a more complicated process than that, and it varies from time to time, and between carriers.

In order to get some certainty, you should get a quote from several freight forwarders as though you were about to place an order. Be sure to tell them it must be door to door, including Customs clearance work.

You should ask them for the most cost effective freight method. Sea, air cargo, or air courier.

I'm sorry to say, but I have always found UK forwarders to be more expensive than those in other countries.

Pending Brexit, you might like to get quotes from forwarders in the EU. You can find them in Chapter 3.6 of my book.

Walter
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Blackman

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
Dec 28, 2018
135
177
London, UK
Thanks for your reply Walter.

I indeed thought the shipping cost I was quoted by 2 suppliers was more or less accurate, because the box is quite large and being 3.5 kg doesn't really help...

However, as you can see, it doesn't make sense to pay that much for shipping alone, because obviously by the time it lands at my door, I have to sell it at ridiculous prices just to make a tiny profit.

Would there be a considerable difference for a shipment of this size between air courier prices and a freight forwarding company?

Ignore the UK, you can describe a US example, if that's easier for you. I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth bothering with freight forwarding companies or better just to move on to a different product.

In other words, if air couriers charge $950 and if freight forwarding companies want $700 or so, then that wouldn't be a big enough difference for me to decide to go for it...
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Thanks for your reply Walter.

I indeed thought the shipping cost I was quoted by 2 suppliers was more or less accurate, because the box is quite large and being 3.5 kg doesn't really help...

However, as you can see, it doesn't make sense to pay that much for shipping alone, because obviously by the time it lands at my door, I have to sell it at ridiculous prices just to make a tiny profit.

Would there be a considerable difference for a shipment of this size between air courier prices and a freight forwarding company?

Ignore the UK, you can describe a US example, if that's easier for you. I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth bothering with freight forwarding companies or better just to move on to a different product.

In other words, if air couriers charge $950 and if freight forwarding companies want $700 or so, then that wouldn't be a big enough difference for me to decide to go for it...
I'm sorry to say that a freight forwarder, even one that does air cargo consolidating is not likely to do better than $700.

The size of the box is the killer.

Walter
 

Blackman

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
Dec 28, 2018
135
177
London, UK
Thanks, that brings my expectations closer to reality, because I was thinking of freight forwarding companies as a way to significantly reduce shipping costs, but now I understand that it won't make much difference.

I'll be better off finding products that can be shipped cost-efficiently using air couriers.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

ElenaEstrin

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
80%
Apr 23, 2018
5
4
New York
Hi Walter,
First of all, thank you for all the information you give for this forum!
I'm trying to find information about importing a food product. The product is very specific and it's hard to find a seller and buy high volume. I was able to find a seller but looks like his country is not eligible to export that product (kind of meat) to the United States. Although, I saw here canned meat products, imported from the same country, so does the restriction applies only to the raw form? Or was it just a counterfeit?
I would really appreciate your advice here.
 

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Hi Walter,
First of all, thank you for all the information you give for this forum!
I'm trying to find information about importing a food product. The product is very specific and it's hard to find a seller and buy high volume. I was able to find a seller but looks like his country is not eligible to export that product (kind of meat) to the United States. Although, I saw here canned meat products, imported from the same country, so does the restriction applies only to the raw form? Or was it just a counterfeit?
I would really appreciate your advice here.
Canned food products are usually permitted because of the canning process kills all microorganisms in the food.

Raw meat, poultry, and egg products are very strictly regulated and the rules can change frequently. This can happen due to disease outbreaks in the country of origin.

The Food Safety Inspection Service supervises the importing process, but navigating their information can be difficult. This is why I advise seeking the help of a Customs broker specializing in food imports.

They can first tell you if the food product and country of origin are currently on a prohibited list. If they are not, they can help you through the documentation and procedural minefield.

I would not recommend importing raw meat products unless you are able to spend a considerable sum on obtaining the preliminary advice, followed by the cost involved in meeting regulations at the border.

Combined with the risk that a disease outbreak in the country of origin might happen the day after you receive all that costly advice makes the project one of high risk.

Walter
 

ElenaEstrin

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
80%
Apr 23, 2018
5
4
New York
Canned food products are usually permitted because of the canning process kills all microorganisms in the food.

Raw meat, poultry, and egg products are very strictly regulated and the rules can change frequently. This can happen due to disease outbreaks in the country of origin.

The Food Safety Inspection Service supervises the importing process, but navigating their information can be difficult. This is why I advise seeking the help of a Customs broker specializing in food imports.

They can first tell you if the food product and country of origin are currently on a prohibited list. If they are not, they can help you through the documentation and procedural minefield.

I would not recommend importing raw meat products unless you are able to spend a considerable sum on obtaining the preliminary advice, followed by the cost involved in meeting regulations at the border.

Combined with the risk that a disease outbreak in the country of origin might happen the day after you receive all that costly advice makes the project one of high risk.

Walter

Thank you for the response!
I've called custom brokers before, but they were not very helpful, maybe because I don't have a company yet, and they don't want to waste their time on an individual, even though I'm of course, willing to pay for their services...
So as far as I understand, you are saying that I can import canned meat products from a country not listed on USDA website as an eligible one to export meat products to the US? Like, I can't import raw meat from China, but if it's cooked and properly packed I can?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
Thank you for the response!
I've called custom brokers before, but they were not very helpful, maybe because I don't have a company yet, and they don't want to waste their time on an individual, even though I'm of course, willing to pay for their services...
So as far as I understand, you are saying that I can import canned meat products from a country not listed on USDA website as an eligible one to export meat products to the US? Like, I can't import raw meat from China, but if it's cooked and properly packed I can?
As I understand it, yes you can import canned meat from any country provided it is not on a list of prohibited countries, but I am not an expert on this subject. You really need a specialist Customs Broker.

Cooked meat in any form other than canned is most likely not acceptable, because it could gather microorganisms after cooking and during the packing process.

Canned foods are hermetically sealed and cooked in the can, so there is no possibility of microorganisms surviving.

You could try giving yourself a trading name, also known as a DBA. This might encourage Customs Brokers to see you in a more serious light.

If you want more legal protection for your assets, and you are determined to begin operating a business you could consider the more expensive LLC.

Walter
 

ElenaEstrin

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
80%
Apr 23, 2018
5
4
New York
As I understand it, yes you can import canned meat from any country provided it is not on a list of prohibited countries, but I am not an expert on this subject. You really need a specialist Customs Broker.

Cooked meat in any form other than canned is most likely not acceptable, because it could gather microorganisms after cooking and during the packing process.

Canned foods are hermetically sealed and cooked in the can, so there is no possibility of microorganisms surviving.

You could try giving yourself a trading name, also known as a DBA. This might encourage Customs Brokers to see you in a more serious light.

If you want more legal protection for your assets, and you are determined to begin operating a business you could consider the more expensive LLC.

Walter

I'll definitely need an LLC, I'm planning to sell B2B and have no desire to risk being sued as an individual. I just wanted to wait until I find a producer, who can legally sell the product to me. Thank you very much for clarifying the situation!
 

Azure

Perpetual Motion
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
189%
Mar 12, 2016
439
829
32
@Walter Hay

Regarding imports of citrus from Brazil, do you have any inspection companies you would recommend?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Walter Hay

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
401%
Sep 13, 2014
3,318
13,305
World citizen
@Walter Hay

Regarding imports of citrus from Brazil, do you have any inspection companies you would recommend?
I'm not sure you need an inspection company.

The first thing you need to do is confirm that citrus fruits from Brazil will be allowed into the US. The general principles I referred to in my post #1704 above would apply to fruit as far as checking with someone specializing in that product is concerned.

With a new standard for approvals operating from November 2018, there will be changes that you might find difficult to locate.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are the ones who make the rules, and just like the rules relating to other food products, they can change rapidly as a result of disease outbreaks, or insect pests suddenly becoming a problem in the country of origin.

You need to look for a freight forwarder in Brazil, who knows the APHIS rules, or seek advice from a Customs Broker specializing in Citrus imports.

Walter
 

tmb22

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
111%
Dec 8, 2018
80
89
USA
I'm sorry if this has already been answered (there's a lot of GOLD threads to get through). If a medium to big sized company is selling a product that I want to improve and sell with my label, should I do some digging and try to find their manufacturer for that product? Or will they most likely have an exclusive agreement? There are only 2 companies selling this type of product and they are slightly different
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top