Tips to Save Time and Money When Shipping From China to the USA
Here are a few tips that you can use in order to save time and money when you are shipping from China to the United States:
1. Keep Track of Chinese Holidays
This is such an easy thing to do but a lot of importers forget to check this. Aside from the fact that most companies are closed during this time, there is also port congestion then, since many merchants want to ship their cargo as soon as possible.
Not being aware of Chinese holidays can cause a delay in your shipment.
2. Pick Experienced Companies
Picking a Chinese company that you will work with can be tricky if you are just starting to import. Working with experienced suppliers and freight forwarders is one way that you can guarantee to minimize the problems which you might face.
3. Completing Clearance Paperwork
One of the things that can cause delay upon the arrival of your shipment is the failure to complete the clearance paperwork correctly. Your shipment is going to be stopped at customs if the paperwork is not complete or if there are missing details.
Most of the time, errors are honest mistakes. But there are also times when some suppliers will make intentional errors with the aim of making more money.
Make sure that you pick a supplier that has worked with clients in the United States before. There are ways that you can find that out.
4. Get Documents Ready
Make sure that all your documents for the shipment are ready even before it arrives. One of the most important documents that you need would be the International Security Filing or ISF.
Keep in mind that shippers will file the ISF even if they don’t have all the info about a shipment. They usually do this even before the cargo is loaded into a ship.
Now, you can make changes to the ISF before your shipment reaches its port of destination.
Remember that if your shipment arrives without an ISF, or if it is filled with incorrect information, then you could be fined. The fine could be as high as $5,000. Other documents that will be needed in order to get the shipment through customs are:
Entry or Immediate Delivery Form
Bill of Lading
Certificate of Origins Commercial Invoice
Packing List
If you are shipping your cargo via sea freight, then you should have enough time to prepare all of these documents.
5. Find the Right Timing for Your Shipment
As you gain more experience in importing from China, certain periods are more expensive when shipping from China to the United States. For example, it can be more expensive to ship during the holiday season as there would be a shortage of workers willing to work then.
Pick the right timing for your shipment and save a great deal of money.
6. Packaging for Efficiency
This can be a bit hard to implement since you will not be the one doing the actual packaging but you can ask your supplier if there is a way that your items can be packaged in a more efficient manner, that would save on the amount of space that it would take up.
However, it is more important that your products are packaged in such a way that it will not be damaged during the transit.
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