Importing from China
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Shipping a 20' container from Xiamen over to a port like Savannah or Houston usually runs you somewhere between $2,600 and $2,800, though honestly, it all depends on which carrier you pick and what season it is—rates fluctuate like crazy. You’ve got plenty of options in those major ports, so I’d say just fire off some inquiries or reach out to a freight forwarding agency; they can usually point you toward someone reliable. There’s also the route where you go directly through your supplier in China to find a carrier, and sometimes they can snag you a much better deal than you'll find on your own...
As for those wondering how the import process actually works... it's pretty straightforward, really. You send an inquiry to the supplier, they shoot back a pro forma invoice, and then you nail down the payment terms. If you haven't worked with them before—and if you aren't sure about their reliability, I’d strongly suggest using a Letter of Credit rather than just a wire transfer—you get everything settled. Then you coordinate with your freight forwarder to announce the arrival and work with the carrier to arrange the transport. Containers typically spend about 30 to 40 days in transit, and once they arrive, the forwarders handle the customs clearance and get them released...
As for those wondering how the import process actually works... it's pretty straightforward, really. You send an inquiry to the supplier, they shoot back a pro forma invoice, and then you nail down the payment terms. If you haven't worked with them before—and if you aren't sure about their reliability, I’d strongly suggest using a Letter of Credit rather than just a wire transfer—you get everything settled. Then you coordinate with your freight forwarder to announce the arrival and work with the carrier to arrange the transport. Containers typically spend about 30 to 40 days in transit, and once they arrive, the forwarders handle the customs clearance and get them released...