How to import from China

Importing products for sale from China is a sensible business venture. China manufactures 90 percent of the goods used by the world and they supply 80 percent of imported items worldwide. China’s advantage is their cheaper production and labour costs allowing for a good price mark-up. China also has a huge production capacity and the fastest movement of goods.

If you wish to know how to import from China, let us look at some of the basic steps. The first step is easy enough. It is finding the product or products to sell. The most common Chinese imports include toys, apparel, equipment and machinery, furniture, medical supplies and equipment. It is better to pick one or two products initially slowly increasing your wares as you go on.

Once you get settled on the product, the next step is to find your manufacturer or supplier. These two can be one and the same or you can work with a manufacturer-supplier or a  third-party supplier. Manufacturers are definitely quicker when it comes to the process of developing and producing the product while third-party suppliers would be able to offer variety and can move through the supply chain faster.

Research is essential when looking for your supplier. Potential suppliers should be able to offer client references, which you should definitely contact. Suppliers should also be ready to send you samples of their items. They should be willing to show some proof that they are a legitimate company, by providing business license data and other pertinent documents. It is important to go through the selection process carefully and slowly. Once you have found a supplier to work with, start negotiating the importing terms, including payments, delivery schedules, returns policies, and more.

At this point you would also be ready to tackle the landing cost. This is the sum total of all the costs related to buying goods from China. It would typically include payment for forwarders, local transportation, import duties, customs fees, and more. Suppliers would be able to offer a network of shippers or forwarders that can take care of your items from the point of origin to your doorstep. 

Author: Todd Johnson
Email: Todd@australianwebsitedevelopment.com.au
Mobile: 0449 041 815