Importing from China

Greetings,

Could someone provide a quick breakdown of the import process from China? I need to know exactly what fees and overhead I'll be facing before my inventory is actually ready for retail.
What’s the best way to calculate the total landed cost—everything from the initial order until the goods are sitting on my shelf?

Also, can I run this kind of business under a simple sole proprietorship?

I see there's already a thread below regarding imports from China. I’d like to ask the moderator to just go ahead and completely delete this post of mine.

I’m looking into importing some electrical appliances and raw materials from China.

Where can I find out which specific certifications those products and materials need to clear customs and be legally sold here in the States?

I called up U.S. Customs and Border Protection to get some clarity on import duties and the whole legal process.

It was an absolute disaster. They transferred me to some guy on the line who honestly struggled to string a coherent sentence together. When I asked him to briefly explain the tax requirements and the standard procedure, he just launched into a fifteen-minute lecture without actually answering a single one of my questions.

He started off with, "well I am listening now..." and then went on with, "...you really ought to think twice about importing that stuff from China, what are you even looking at?" followed by, "you were probably lured in by the low prices, but that's not how this works," "if you try to bring that junk in from China and it doesn't meet our regulations, we'll just ship the container back or destroy everything," "if the goods lack the proper certifications, you're going to have massive problems," and finally, "can you even manage to get that into the country..."

Am I losing my mind here, or what?

Zachary Vaughn92 said:I called up U.S. Customs and Border Protection to get some clarity on import duties and the whole legal process.

It was an absolute disaster. They transferred me to some guy on the line who honestly struggled to string a coherent sentence together. When I asked him to briefly explain the tax requirements and the standard procedure, he just launched into a fifteen-minute lecture without actually answering a single one of my questions.

He started off with, "well I am listening now..." and then went on with, "...you really ought to think twice about importing that stuff from China, what are you even looking at?" followed by, "you were probably lured in by the low prices, but that's not how this works," "if you try to bring that junk in from China and it doesn't meet our regulations, we'll just ship the container back or destroy everything," "if the goods lack the proper certifications, you're going to have massive problems," and finally, "can you even manage to get that into the country..."

Am I losing my mind here, or what?

I don't know the exact regulations or the precise dollar amounts, but generally speaking, you'll be responsible for customs duties and sales tax.

While that customs officer’s attitude was certainly unprofessional, his point carries some weight. In practical terms, it frequently happens that Chinese suppliers ship products without the necessary documentation or with paperwork that doesn't comply with American laws, which forces officials to either return the shipment or destroy it entirely.

You would likely benefit more from consulting someone who has actual experience importing similar merchandise from comparable suppliers in China; general rules alone won't provide much guidance...

urbanwalker72 said:I don't know the exact regulations or the precise dollar amounts, but generally speaking, you'll be responsible for customs duties and sales tax.

While that customs officer’s attitude was certainly unprofessional, his point carries some weight. In practical terms, it frequently happens that Chinese suppliers ship products without the necessary documentation or with paperwork that doesn't comply with American laws, which forces officials to either return the shipment or destroy it entirely.

You would likely benefit more from consulting someone who has actual experience importing similar merchandise from comparable suppliers in China; general rules alone won't provide much guidance...

That's about the gist of it.

Does anyone have experience ordering furniture through Amazon? I’ve spotted two sofas with incredible designs—really high-end looking pieces. For instance, if a sofa costs $1167 including shipping, how much extra would I be hit with in import duties and taxes once it hits the US? I understand the rules for small parcels, but for something this bulky, I'm completely in the dark. If anyone can shed some light on this, I'd truly appreciate the help! 🙏

It’s basically the same deal as small packages. But here, the big question mark is which agency actually handles the delivery and just how much they're going to charge for the customs clearance...

I honestly think it’s best to just go with a commercial import agent—generally speaking. There are plenty of them operating here in the States, and since we deal with this side of the business ourselves, I know how much of a headache it can be... It’s usually worth it.
Just type it into Google... Importing from China... it’s a whole different beast than people realize. Everyone thinks it's just clicking a button on a screen and waiting for a box to show up on their porch, but once you actually dive into the logistics—the sheer scale of it—you start to see how complicated the supply chain really gets. It’s not just about finding a manufacturer; it's about navigating the red tape, the shipping delays, and that constant, nagging feeling that you might be getting a batch of products that don't quite meet the specs you agreed upon... if you're lucky. You have to be incredibly careful with quality control. If you aren't on the ground there—or at least working with someone who is—you're essentially flying blind. And don't even get me started on the customs issues... one wrong paperwork move and your entire shipment is sitting in a warehouse somewhere while the fees pile up. It requires a certain level of grit... and maybe a bit of cynicism, too.Look, there are plenty of agents out there—just a little word of advice... 🙂

Hey,

I’m looking to start pulling together some gear for an electronics and phone repair setup. We're talking equipment weighing anywhere from 20 to 110 lbs, with price tags ranging from $100 to over $1,000. I wanted to see if anyone here has experience ordering this kind of stuff. If I go through FedEx, am I going to get hit with customs fees and all that other nonsense, or is it smooth sailing?

I’ve ordered from China plenty of times—both big hauls and small bits—and usually, things breeze right through customs. I even managed to snag an inverter for about $900 without paying any extra duties, and FedEx just dropped it off. But then I read these horror stories from people getting absolutely hammered by customs fees, so now I’m second-guessing everything.

Since I’m still a student, my main goal is to keep costs down. I really don't have the budget to deal with expensive agents or middlemen unless using one actually saves me money compared to just doing it myself.

Andrew Ward8 said:Hey,

I’m looking to start pulling together some gear for an electronics and phone repair setup. We're talking equipment weighing anywhere from 20 to 110 lbs, with price tags ranging from $100 to over $1,000. I wanted to see if anyone here has experience ordering this kind of stuff. If I go through FedEx, am I going to get hit with customs fees and all that other nonsense, or is it smooth sailing?

I’ve ordered from China plenty of times—both big hauls and small bits—and usually, things breeze right through customs. I even managed to snag an inverter for about $900 without paying any extra duties, and FedEx just dropped it off. But then I read these horror stories from people getting absolutely hammered by customs fees, so now I’m second-guessing everything.

Since I’m still a student, my main goal is to keep costs down. I really don't have the budget to deal with expensive agents or middlemen unless using one actually saves me money compared to just doing it myself.

Look, whether you're a student or not doesn't really change the reality of the situation—you need to get your facts straight first.
If you want to do anything serious with this, you’re going to need a business entity set up properly.

Ryan Kelly3 said:Look, whether you're a student or not doesn't really change the reality of the situation—you need to get your facts straight first.
If you want to do anything serious with this, you’re going to need a business entity set up properly.

Yeah, I hear you, and I totally agree—that’s the end goal. But right now, I’m just trying to scrape together some budget gear as I can before I actually launch anything. If I don't, everything hits me at once, and since I'm starting from scratch, I can't exactly jump into the deep end without even having the basics.

So my question hasn't changed: when DHL moves packages, do they go through Customs inspection, or do they just drop them straight at the customer's door? And honestly, is there any legal way to "sidestep" paying customs duties and taxes?

Andrew Ward8 said:Yeah, I hear you, and I totally agree—that’s the end goal. But right now, I’m just trying to scrape together some budget gear as I can before I actually launch anything. If I don't, everything hits me at once, and since I'm starting from scratch, I can't exactly jump into the deep end without even having the basics.

So my question hasn't changed: when DHL moves packages, do they go through Customs inspection, or do they just drop them straight at the customer's door? And honestly, is there any legal way to "sidestep" paying customs duties and taxes?

To answer your question—there is no legal way to "bypass" customs and taxes, which is exactly why I'm telling you this... if you actually want to make this a serious venture, you really ought to study the fundamentals of trade and how the business world operates—it'll save you a lot of headaches down the road.

FedEx is honestly the worst option here; sure, they're fast and they're expensive, but everything gets flagged for customs.
Ask your supplier in China what the price is for DDP terms—basically, a door-to-door service.
Sometimes suppliers in China partner with major companies in Europe that already have your product in stock... so, a little tip for someone just starting out: ask the supplier if you can just buy it directly from one of their European customers. 🙂

Ryan Kelly3 said:To answer your question—there is no legal way to "bypass" customs and taxes, which is exactly why I'm telling you this... if you actually want to make this a serious venture, you really ought to study the fundamentals of trade and how the business world operates—it'll save you a lot of headaches down the road.

FedEx is honestly the worst option here; sure, they're fast and they're expensive, but everything gets flagged for customs.
Ask your supplier in China what the price is for DDP terms—basically, a door-to-door service.
Sometimes suppliers in China partner with major companies in Europe that already have your product in stock... so, a little tip for someone just starting out: ask the supplier if you can just buy it directly from one of their European customers. 🙂

Fair enough. Thanks for the reality check. Clearly, I've got a lot of homework to do if I want to take this seriously. If you have any recommendations on where to start or some solid resources to dig into, I'd really appreciate it...

You could take a look for yourself—Google has plenty of info if you just type in " imports from China "
...

Hello everyone. I’ve been doing some digging lately regarding importing goods from China, but I have quite a few unanswered questions. I decided to post here to see if anyone could lend a hand.

I’m working full-time and have managed to save up some capital. My plan is to purchase a piece of machinery from China—perhaps a mini excavator, a forklift, or something similar. I intend to use it personally, but I also want to list it for sale to generate some extra income on the side.
I am trying to wrap my head around how the import process actually works. I’ve received some quotes from manufacturers that include shipping costs to the Port of Cleveland for around $1,400, but now I’m wondering about the logistics. How does customs brokerage work? What are the implications for customs duties and sales tax? Do I need to establish an LLC or a formal business entity for this? I might be forgetting other crucial details, so please feel free to chime in if there is anything else I should consider. Thanks in advance for the help.

Jacob Watson3 said:Hello everyone. I’ve been doing some digging lately regarding importing goods from China, but I have quite a few unanswered questions. I decided to post here to see if anyone could lend a hand.

I’m working full-time and have managed to save up some capital. My plan is to purchase a piece of machinery from China—perhaps a mini excavator, a forklift, or something similar. I intend to use it personally, but I also want to list it for sale to generate some extra income on the side.
I am trying to wrap my head around how the import process actually works. I’ve received some quotes from manufacturers that include shipping costs to the Port of Cleveland for around $1,400, but now I’m wondering about the logistics. How does customs brokerage work? What are the implications for customs duties and sales tax? Do I need to establish an LLC or a formal business entity for this? I might be forgetting other crucial details, so please feel free to chime in if there is anything else I should consider. Thanks in advance for the help.

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Hey there! I’m thinking about picking up a couple of chef knives online—one from Japan and one from China. I was wondering if there are any weird weapon restrictions I should worry about? Like, I know you can't just drive an axe across state lines without running into trouble, maybe because of some limit on blade length or something. I don't want to get caught in some customs mess where I lose my money and never actually see the knives. I'm looking at blades around 6, 8, and 10.5 inches.

Hey there!
Is there any firm in the States that handles import brokerage from China without eating up 30% of my margins? At that rate, I'm basically working for free. I've got deals lined up with 5 different suppliers for about 550 units—total value around $2300.
Any leads or advice would be huge.

Richard Harris41 said:Hey there!
Is there any firm in the States that handles import brokerage from China without eating up 30% of my margins? At that rate, I'm basically working for free. I've got deals lined up with 5 different suppliers for about 550 units—total value around $2300.
Any leads or advice would be huge.

Hello everyone,
So many people look for this kind of help, yet they haven't even Googled Josip Glušac, an American guy who moved to China and started three different import-export companies there.