Posts by Timothy Green7

hollowcyclist8 said:I'm looking to pull the trigger on ordering about 1,500 lbs of metal parts from China, and I'm trying to figure out what my options actually look like.
What’s the best way to handle shipping if I want to keep costs from spiraling out of control?
Thanks in advance!

LCL ocean freight is your best bet for cost savings. Check this out: https://ship.hubbig.com/login/

Matthew Torres3 said:Hello everyone!

I have a quick question and would truly appreciate some selfless advice from this community.

I am currently importing goods from Guangzhou, China; the shipment is about 3 tons, totaling 20 cubic meters, valued at approximately $4,500.

My supplier has offered to handle the LCL shipping through his own contact for a mere $160.

However, local quotes for the exact same service here in the States are coming in closer to $1,100.

A couple of years ago, I imported a different type of product from Guangzhou, China, which was roughly 6 cubic meters weighing 800 kg and valued at $3,000.
I paid about $400 for that shipment, but for some reason, it was routed through the Port of Hamburg instead of arriving directly. Once it hit Hamburg, I was hit with unexpected port fees and handling charges totaling around $1,800, which was an absolute disaster for my profit margins.

Regarding this current 3-ton shipment, my contact insists nothing will go through Hamburg and that it will ship directly to Cleveland. Given how low that initial quote is,
will there be additional fees due upon arrival in Cleveland?

Thank you to anyone who can provide clarity.

🙏

Check your Incoterms first. I suggest using FedEx Guangzhou. Check your packing list and commercial invoice from the supplier to see what you actually agreed to. That Hamburg mess happened because you likely ordered CIF terms and let the Chinese supplier handle the freight. If you let them control the shipping, you'll get burned again.
Regarding that "$160" quote from your supplier's guy: ask him exactly which Incoterm that covers. Then demand a product invoice based on FedEx Guangzhou terms. Once you have that, calculate your total landed cost—shipping, customs, delivery, and insurance—using: https://ship.hubbig.com/login/

Olivia King3 said:If I want to get a quote from a Chinese factory for an order of 1,000 books—weighing 450 kg and measuring 25.1 x 20.1 x 3.3 cm—should I specify FOB China or FOB USA?
I need some guidance here:

- Is it always more cost-effective to request FOB Cleveland? If so, I would just need to hire a freight forwarder to handle the transit to New York, right?
- If I opt for FOB China, will I be responsible for finding a port near the US coast that services Cleveland? Where can I go to research this?
- How does one find someone interested in sharing a container from China to the States? In that case, I should just provide the factory with the specific FOB location in China, correct?
- Is anyone here looking to split a container coming from China?

Thanks,
Catherine

☕FOB Cleveland doesn't exist for imports. Don't try to share a container unless you know exactly what you're doing, or you'll end up with unexpected costs.😵
Once you find a supplier, tell them you're buying on FOB terms. They will provide the commercial invoice and packing list. That document tells you which port they'll deliver to—for example, FOB Shanghai. The packing list also shows the specs, like 3.58 cbm and 678 kg. Take those details to https://ship.hubbig.com/login/ and enter them to get a price. From there, you can use that site to book shipping, customs clearance, delivery, and insurance all at once.

hollowcyclist8 said:I'm looking to pull the trigger on ordering about 1,500 lbs of metal parts from China, and I'm trying to figure out what my options actually look like.
What’s the best way to handle shipping if I want to keep costs from spiraling out of control?
Thanks in advance!

Check prices here https://ship.hubbig.com/login/. Just make sure you negotiate FedEx terms with your supplier first. Once you have the commercial invoice and packing list, you'll know the departure port, the volume, and the weight. Then just check the rates and book your shipment online. https://ship.hubbig.com/login/

Thomas Thompson12 said:Hey everyone! I could really use some advice here. My husband and I are thinking about ordering these armchairs from China. http://grshop.com/media/catalog/prod...on-chair-9.jpgWe found a seller on Alibaba, and they quoted us $919 total for all six chairs, including shipping to Cleveland—which seems like a pretty solid deal. But now I'm getting a bit nervous about customs and all those extra fees once the shipment actually hits the US... Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Would love to hear your experiences or any tips you might have...

Find the item on Alibaba and ask the supplier for the price based on FedEx terms. For example, if it's FedEx Shanghai, plug it into this site: https://ship.hubbig.com/login/ to see all your costs. To check customs, use to find the duty percentage for your product. Calculate that against the value to figure out the sales tax, which you can determine once you know the total cost of the goods.