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Tue 26 Apr, 2005 08:17 pm
Hi -- I found this question when doing a Google search for "importing to the US." another wannabe importer, but in small quantities. Very small quantities. I want to add a line of Spanish-made items to my online inventory, to fulfill a need and as my entree into importing.
I would need a shipment weighing perhaps 30 pounds every few months. (The items I want don't weigh much; they're in the clothing/textiles/footwear categories.) If I can't find a Spanish source, I might look in China or India for knockoffs (not illegal ones, just cheaper, mass-manufactured ones. These are generic items, not name brands).
I have been attempting to line up sources, with the help of various consulates, and doing rather haphazard research (one question invariably leads to another). I feel like I'm putting the cart before the horse and being overwhelmed (not really feeling overwhelmed -- it's all fascinating) with information on containers, pallettes (sp?), freight forwarders,
etc. It seems to me that UPS would be all I would need for my deals, at least for awhile, and that's what my potential (sort of) suppliers suggest.
Does UPS freight basically perform the services of a freight forwarder/customs brokers with small shipments like these? (Also, the Chinese manufacturers seem to think none of this would be a problem. Is their eagerness something to be wary of?)
And with UPS, wouldn't I be able to have it delivered to my office, rendering the port question moot, for me? I certainly don't need a warehouse.
Doe anyone know of a good online source of established importers? Or of US importers that would perhaps carry or be able to order various items for wholesale purchase? Or of good, active forums on importing? Not that this one is bad. I was very happy to find it. But it seems like there must be people/services out there with a foundation in this subject who could help bridge my relative ignorance gap. Otherwise I foresee years of studying books and dubious Web sites about importing while I lose sales opportunities.
I don't want to be Pier One; I just want some stuff that I can't find anywhere else. Maybe a trip to Spain would be the cheapest route, in the long run. (At least, it would be the fun approach.)
Thanks very much for any insights.
Kim V.
Did you locate small shipping information?
I was curious if you located information regarding the importing of small shipments?
Ron
Air vs Ocean
I am just starting to import myself. The ocean freight quotes for 2 skids (1100 lbs) was $1106 and $993. Most of the $ went to 5 or 6 charges that were not freight. A freight forwarder in Dallas told me that there are less charges for air freight, and that he would get me some quotes. Considering the time difference @ 7 days vs 35 days, air might be better for some small shipments. What we should do is form a buying club so that we can split the cost of TEU's (twenty foot equivalent) containers. I found that the only way to understand all this stuff was to look up every abbreviation, otherwise I fall asleep.
Importing Resource
I am in the same situation with respect to importing small quantities and the myriad of questions surrounding importing in general. I have found a great resource in
www.SCORE.org which is an acronym for Service Corps of Retired Executives. The site is self-explanatory and will put you in touch (free of charge) with a retired executive who has expertise in your particular industry. This is a national not-for-profit agency that has local chapters all over the U.S. At the local chapter level, they sponsor a variety of workshops, one of which is on Importing. I'll be attending the Importing workshop in one week's time. I'll report back my learnings if anyone is interested.
Jeri
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