Posts by Jamie Cruz6

Angela Smith said:I’m looking for some advice because I’ve managed to walk right into a logistical nightmare regarding shipping from China to Cleveland. Basically, I ordered a carport through Jack Ma's platform. The deal was set up as Incoterms, priced at $60 for a 500 kg package.
Now, the shipment has arrived at the port, and the freight forwarder is demanding €550 just for the transport leg to Cleveland. On top of that, once it actually hits the destination, I'll be hit with customs duties, taxes, and more forwarding fees before I can even touch my goods.
My seller over on the site refuses to refund any of these extra costs, and now I'm stuck—the total import fees are almost equaling the price of the carport itself.

I think I mentioned this a few months back... whenever I try to quote a shipping price, they tell me, "Oh, the Chinese supplier is cheaper." Sure, they are, until you get blindsided by a forwarder in Canada hitting you with insane local fees. First rule of business: always buy on UPS terms and sell on CFR.

LCL shipping from China usually runs about $110 per cubic meter or per ton to New York City... depends on which measurement ends up being larger. If you want specific numbers, feel free to shoot me a DM.

The Chinese suppliers will lure you in with incredibly low rates if you book the freight through them, but just be ready for those massive, unexpected bills once the cargo hits the US. I’ve had a few bad experiences with this firsthand.

driftingangler16 said:Hi everyone,

I have a few questions regarding container shipping from China. If there’s anyone here kind enough to lend some expertise, I would truly appreciate it.

1) Does anyone know what a rough estimate looks like for shipping a 40HQ container from China to Cleveland? I realize there are endless variables at play, but even a ballpark figure would be incredibly helpful.
2) I am looking to order 500 units of a specific product, which I estimate will take up about half of a container. Is it actually possible for a freight forwarder to book just a half-container? And if so, what kind of lead time are we talking about? I'm a bit worried about what the factory will be doing with all that stock while we wait...

Thanks so much for the help!

Cheers,

1. Container rates fluctuate every single month, but as of right now—say, May 2018—you're looking at roughly $2,000 for a 40'HC.

2. You can always just grab a 20' container if a 40' is too much, or you could look into LCL (Less than Container Load) shipping by the pallet from China.