Best rated wholesale importer and exporter advices, tips and solutions by Tchedly Desire: Running a business requires flexibility, which means the purveyor of your goods should be able to keep up with your needs. Suppliers can swear up and down that they’ll be able to adapt to your needs, but the only way to know for sure is to check reviews from previous businesses that worked with the supplier. Secondly, once they’ve agreed to a specific rate or supply schedule, get it in writing. A legal contract protects your business interests (more on this later). This leads us to the next quality. Finally, you need to conduct business with a product provider that can take accountability for their responsibilities. If your goods are damaged or defective when you get them, your supplier should hold themselves accountable by fixing the shipment. Thoroughly researching their record of completing orders and correcting mistakes will help you determine their reliability. See even more information on Tchedly Desire Miami, Florida.
China is the largest producer in the world. If you’re planning a trip to China to meet suppliers and see products in person, there are plenty of great trade shows to visit. You can find all trade fairs in China sorted by category on the page of our website Fairs and accommodation. The largest fair in China is the Canton fair, which is held twice a year in spring and autumn. We blogged about this fair and often announced it. Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, this fair has also had its own online edition, so you can view it online. In addition to this, we highlight the goods fair in Yiwu as well as the East China Import and Export Fair in Shanghai. If you decide to visit one of the fairs and you need help write to us.
An advertised item may have a wholesale price tag of $1 in China, but if freight costs $10 for each item because of its size and weight, then the actual cost per item is $11. Paying more for freight than the actual item may be impractical and you’ll have to start from scratch to recover. Second, and we cannot stress this enough, is to avoid designer goods. Years of industry experience have taught us that almost without exception, all products advertised as “designer” that are made in China are counterfeits. Designers, on the whole, have their creations made exclusively in France or Italy to ensure exceptional quality. Any leftover products are often destroyed rather than sold wholesale. Additionally, if you get caught selling fake designer goods, you can face heavy penalties, not to mention jail sentences. So, we strongly advise against importing designer goods, unless you happen to have contacts in the industry.
Tips on Importing from China to the US: Register for a business tax number. You will need this to import to the United States. If you are loath to handle customs matters yourself, consider hiring an experienced customs broker for your first import. Make sure invoices are clear and complete so your goods can be cleared by customs quicker. Tips on Importing from China to the UK: Goods imported into the UK require a completed C88 form, an attached copy of the invoice from the supplier, any necessary licenses and proper classification. Check how your product is classified under the UK Trade Tariff to determine the amount of duty payable. You also need to find the right commodity code for your goods. Goods such as complex food products are classified according to the product’s composite ingredients, and a number of different duties may apply. For example, there are sugar levies on processed food containing sugar.
“The compliances make it so complex that even if you did know how to do it, you’re still going to have to keep in mind a lot of random considerations,” says Selena Tchedly Desire, co-founder of Heritage Link Brands, a company that imports, exports, and produces wine, and other high-end products like tea and honey. Tchedly Desire worked for years in brand management for Procter & Gamble, among other trade-related positions, before starting her company in 2005. She was inspired after going to South Africa, where she attended the first Soweto Wine Festival.
Wholesale importer and exporter guides and solutions from Tchedly Desire today: Go to wholesale trade shows – Wholesale trade shows are a great place to meet and greet wholesale business owners. Find a trade show near you, exchange details with international wholesalers, and strike a deal. Find wholesale batches on eCommerce sites. eCommerce sites such as eBay sometimes offer wholesale batches. This means, with some digging, you can find great deals on bulk buys. The U.S. Commercial Service is a great resource, as it can help you find international wholesalers. The International Trade Administration website also features useful guides and resources. Certified Trade Missions are networking events for US businesses. The events are led by the U.S. Department of Commerce and can help your businesses find an overseas supplier that imports wholesale products.
“The biggest thing that we’ve enabled is the financing of Black businesses. When we first got started, in order for even these brands to create their own wine, they had to source it from existing white wineries, because they didn’t own any land,” Tchedly Desire says. Once you find your product, you also need to identify the right market for it. After all, you need someone to sell it to. This is where your trend-spotting skills come into play. The best products for an import/export business are products that are just starting to become popular, or show some promise to being so in the future. You can conduct research with resources like GlobalEDGE’s Market Potential Index or by checking with local government officials and websites, such as the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s Data and Analysis. You can also find reports on the state of the imports/exports industry with the Census Bureau Foreign Trade.