Importing from China to US for first time

[jmeredith123]

I am looking at importing from China to the US for the first time. My company is UK based and I plan to sell the goods in the US.

Can anyone let me know what set up I require, I have heard I might need an EIN or EORI number but I'm not sure which is relevant, if at all. Any pointers would be appreciated.

 

[ClearviewPropertyCare]

Hi,

You will need an EORI Number so you would need to apply to Customs for this, their is a form that you can download for this.

If you are importing from China into the UK, you will pay import duties and vat but when exporting to US you can claim back the import duties back as long as they cleared as temporarily imported goods.

 

[jmeredith123]

Thanks although I'm more confused now. I've since been doing some reading and it sounds like an EORI number is just for EU exports. To clarify, I'll just be exporting from China to US (not UK, it's just me that is in the UK) - will I still need one in your opinion?

 

[ClearviewPropertyCare]

In that case you do not require any EORI number. There will be duties and tax's payable in the US but I have no idea though how that will be charged back to you but it might be worth while dispatching the goods that the importers in the US pay the duties and taxes in the US directly.

 

[cory beevers]

Thankyou for this, this has been really helpfull. I didnt know some of this.

 

[Directimport]

I am looking at importing from China to the US for the first time. My company is UK based and I plan to sell the goods in the US.

Can anyone let me know what set up I require, I have heard I might need an EIN or EORI number but I'm not sure which is relevant, if at all. Any pointers would be appreciated.

You will need someone to act as your Importer Of Record (IOR). I am assuming that you will be sending to a fulfillment service in the US. Some of the independent services will act as your IOR, but Amazon won't.

The IOR pays Duty (if any) and Tax (there will be some) on your behalf. Average duty for goods entering the USA is 5.68% but it can range from 2% to over 20%. Your freight forwarder or customs broker can tell what rate your product will cost you. Unlike the situation in EU countries, in the USA, Customs Brokers must be licensed, and you will find that most freight forwarders in the USA employ licensed customs brokers.

I would advise using a US based freight forwarder.

If selling on Amazon, many people ship direct to Amazon FBA, but I would recommend shipping to a prepping service instead. It adds a little to your cost, but keeps Amazon from learning who supplies your red hot product and it keeps your suppliers from learning too much about selling that product on Amazon.

Let me know if you need more help.

 

[Mister B]

Directimport sums it up pretty much, but if not using Amazon FBA, you will need to find a fulfilment centre that you can use. Accordingly, you will also need to register for taxes in the state in which the FC is located. Similarilily, if using Amazon FBA, you will need to register for taxes in all states from where they fufil your products from.

It's a complicated business, so make sure that you undertake due diligence.

Mister B