Importing from China

https://www.cbp.gov/index.do

This is where you check the customs duties.

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!

Find someone who’s shipping a container from China on a weekly or monthly schedule and just pay them. There are plenty of people out there who have zero choice but to go the full container route—leaving half the space empty. For a decent price—or even just a symbolic one—they’d probably let you jump in. Maybe. I’d love to have my own container, honestly.

That’s basically where my head's at too... does anyone know where I can track the current container shipping rates?

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!

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!

Honestly, your best bet is to talk to a freight forwarder directly—maybe reach out to someone like FedEx or a local logistics firm in the area. Anything else you find online is probably unreliable and won't give you an accurate number to work with. Good luck.

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.

briskmarlin87 said:A few questions for the professionals here

I run my own engraving business
I'm trying to figure out if I can import a CNC wood router from China for my own shop use without running into major issues.
I’ve already scouted the specific machine I want, and I've spoken with the owner of the manufacturing company a couple of times. She mentioned she could likely handle the shipping logistics, but she wasn't quite clear on which US ports the vessels typically dock at.
My initial thought was to reach out to a freight forwarder like FedEx or UPS to handle the transport.
The lady told me their payment terms are 50% upfront, with the remaining balance due once the machine is loaded onto the ship. In your experience, are these types of suppliers actually reliable?
The machine itself is priced at $8,000. It’s pretty massive—roughly 3000x1700x1600 mm and weighs about 1,500kg—so I’m wondering what the estimated shipping costs would look like and how much I should set aside for customs duties.
I’m under a bit of a deadline to get this sorted, so I’d appreciate any insight from those who know the ropes, or even just some advice on who I should consult to get this done right.

How did your machine import go? I'm actually looking at CNC routers myself right now, but I have zero experience importing stuff from China. Was it worth it? What did the total damage look like?

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.

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/

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.

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/

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/

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.

Sorry if this is off-topic.

Anyone heading to the Canton fair in October? Maybe during the first week?

I don't really feel like going by myself.

LP

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.

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.

Robin Kern76 dealt with something almost identical, and honestly, we had no choice but to pay those people a ridiculous mountain of fees.

Maybe try filing a formal complaint with the platform? 🤷

For future reference, never—and I mean never—agree to CIF terms! Always go with FedEx instead, where you hire your own domestic forwarders to handle everything from the port all the way to your doorstep. That’s always going to be the cheapest way to play it.

Greetings—I just received word from Customs requesting that I submit my proof of purchase and the exact amount paid for my package. Does anyone know how much this will actually impact the delivery timeline? I’ve already emailed everything over to them, so I’m wondering if this is going to drag things out for another month, or if they might actually process it and get it moving right away.

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.

If you’re running into roadblocks, we handle the whole thing—end-to-end services, really. You'll automatically get a breakdown of several different tiers, so you can pick whatever fits your needs... whether you just want a specific product quality level or if you need the full white-glove treatment, including customs clearance and direct delivery right to your doorstep.

If you find yourself stuck somewhere along the line, don't hesitate to reach out. Best,