Importing advice - Shipping/air agents

[serenbert]

I'm posting this again, as the first time round it came out in an odd format!

I was looking for any advice on descent shipping or air freight companies from Guangzhou in China to the UK.

Initially, I would only be importing smallish quanitities with the possibility of ordering more as the business grows.

Any other advice on importing would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Sian

 

[Mister B]

It depends entirely on the volume and frequency of each shipment. For smaller items you may be as well with Speedpost and anything else, you may be wiser to work with either a forwarder or courier.

Could you let us know the volumes and frequency?

Have you also factored into your cost price import duty and charges?

Mister B

 

[serenbert]

It depends entirely on the volume and frequency of each shipment. For smaller items you may be as well with Speedpost and anything else, you may be wiser to work with either a forwarder or courier.

Could you let us know the volumes and frequency?

Have you also factored into your cost price import duty and charges?

Mister B

I am looking to import Bridal Wear & accessories. Initially, I would need around 60-70 dresses along with a selection of accessories.

After that it would be on an order basis.

I am also looking into some other selling options, whereby I would need around 150 dresses in one go.

As for the import duty & charges, this is still something that I that I am working out. Not really sure how it works...any information would be appreciated.

Sian

 

[Naughty Vend]

You'll get your classifications from HMCE Online >> http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/tariff but check for exclusions / special rules, quotas which are relative per country... quite common for China to be part of a special...

From that Provence your best bet for smaller stuff is EMS China which ends up as Parcelforce 24 by the time it arrives, however at seventy dresses if these are hooped etc the volume could be mad (250Kg per M3 - 333Kg per M3) so you'll need to ask not just the weight but the dimensions of the cartons too, you price upon the greater of the two weights. Although air is fast you do reach a point where sea is economical, it happens about 500Kg approximately but do your own calculations and with sea work out your minimum handling charges which UK side can be £300.00 compared to air which can be UK side just £15.00 by DHL Economy etc.

My best advice is ask you local supplier to quote you EMS, DHL/Fedex, Sea Freight (+£300 to what they tell you for UK charges) and make your decision based upon unit pro-rata cost per dress versus speed to market if you're...ermmm... being inspired by the latest fashion mags (wink wink). However if you can, fly there and check your supplier out and / or get a sample before every corner their end is cost cut and you get a poor quality product, once you have it you'll get little in customer service if it's wrong and returning it isn't an economical option... a business trip can be well worth it to China.