Is import export business for you?
Many people want to start a business of their own. To find a suitable business they search through business startup manuals. One day they read about how to start a…
Read moreImporting and product landed cost
Most amateur would be importers very likely visited a particular country on a vacation and came across a product that was so cheap that they instantly felt inspired to import…
Read moreWhat Product Should I Import?
Many people who want to start an import export business already know what product they’d like to start importing, or at least they think they do. Fact is most would-be…
Read moreLearn How to Start an Import Export Business
How to start an import export business cannot be answered with once sentence. Of all the emails I continue to get from individuals as well as companies that are looking…
Read moreImport export and what business am I in?
Client comes to me with an idea of a product he wants to import. It does not matter what the product is, but an important question is if it will…
Read moreStarting import export business, landed costs and trade leads
There is a lot more to starting import export business than deciding on the product to import and market. For now let’s say that deciding on the country to import…
Read moreImporting from the Third World
Many importers that are still learning how to start an import export business think they found a product to import from a particular country. In many cases that country may…
Read moreWhy You Need to Get a Reliable Door to Door Quote in Import Export Business
One of the problems many first time importers have is not being able to correctly estimate their likely landed costs of the goods they are importing from overseas. This is…
Read moreTextile quota restrictions no longer apply
For 2009 exports, textile quota restrictions no longer apply, though some nations are still excluded (Belarus, North Korea, Uzbekistan…, check the Harmonized Tariff Schedule!) The textile quota system as it…
Read moreNiche Marketing and Skin Care Product Development
One of the key issues associated with importing any product is deciding on what niche of the product or product category to focus on. With so much competition in the…
Read moreDealing with Customhouse Brokers, Customs Broker Charges and Services
Licensed by the US Customs, Customs Brokers all charge about the same for their services clearing your shipments through US Customs but you should check before you engage them in…
Read moreUnited States Customs: Dutiable Status of Goods
The customs clearing process, in a nutshell, amounts to clearing the arriving goods under a certain customs category. For this purpose, US Customs uses the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the…
Read moreImport Shipments Entry Process through US Customs
Understanding US Customs Entry Process is absolutely essential to clearing US Customs without delays and unnecessarily increasing the landed costs of your goods. I cover this information in depth in…
Read moreImport Export Financing: Documentary Draft for Collection
Other than paying cash for your import purchases or using Letter of Credit financing, using Documentary Draft for Collection is another popular method how to pay for your import orders.…
Read moreLetter of Credit and the use of Certificate of Inspection
As noted in my previous post, Letter of Credit does not guarantee the quantity and quality of goods shipped! You, the Buyer / importer must realize that when Shipping Documents…
Read moreImport Export Financing: Documentary Letter of Credit
The Documentary Letter of Credit, abbreviated L/C, is a written undertaking of a bank made at the request of a buyer, to honor drafts or other demands for payment (presented…
Read moreCertificate of Origin, From A, GSP Classification
Certificate of Origin or Form A is an evidence of a country of manufacture. GSP stands for the Generalized System of Preferences. The US Congress set up the GSP classification…
Read moreInsurance in Import Export Business
For the most part the airlines do cover the damages to your goods in transit and the insurance coverage is worked into the costs of the airfreight charges, however, they…
Read moreImporting Leather Products: Leather Certificate
Similar to the textile visa, Leather Certificate is an assurance of quality, a compliance to certain standards for specific leather products. It is basically a Certificate of Origin that covers…
Read moreSourcing Nepal – What To Import From Nepal
Anyone who has visited Nepal may have gotten inspired to import Made in Nepal handicrafts. The product range includes silver jewelry, clothing and fashion accessories, rugs, ritual artifacts, paper products,…
Read moreProblems with importing garments and other textile articles
In this post I’d like address not the scenario where you are an importer of textile articles and you buy from licensed exporters, regardless what the country of origin is.…
Read moreIncorrect Textile Visa
As noted above, in the event your goods arrive into the United States without Textile Visa document, you won’t be able to clear US Customs until your broker will obtain…
Read moreShipping Documents: Missing Textile Visa
Textile Visa is a certification of goods belonging to a specific product category – i.e. pillows, table cloth, blankets, etc. – as listed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. It is…
Read moreWho will be your customer – how will you sell your imports?
Importing is a two-part business – first you find a product overseas, you buy it and import it into a country you wish to import into. If you are going…
Read moreImporting into the United States – Quota Documentation
Quota is a quantitative restriction on some imports, i.e. farm products, pharmaceuticals, glass products etc. but most well-known products that are subject to a quota are garments and textile articles…
Read moreShipping Documents: Commercial Invoice & Packing List
Commercial invoice shows goods sold, unit cost and quantity. Typically, it will be in US dollars but it can also be written in a local currency. There are two things…
Read moreImporting from Laos – Lao textile arts
Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US in late 2004. Allowing Lao products to benefit from lower import tariffs levied by the US government, the favorable trading relationship…
Read moreShipping Documents: International Bill of Lading
Bill of Lading is a receipt for the goods shipped by sea and Airway Bill is a receipt for goods shipped by air. It’s an evidence of the carrier’s obligation…
Read morePacking & Shipping from Third World
In most western countries, freight forwarders are freight forwarders and call themselves freight forwarders. In the Third World, however, freight forwarders may also call themselves “export agents, shipping agents, or…
Read moreSales Contract in Import Export Business
Sales contract is an instrument meant to be more psychological than enforceable although it could be in countries where you may stand a legal chance of having your case heard…
Read moreDo you know what to sell online? Where do I find products to sell?
Valentine’s Day is here again. That means millions of ‘love-themed’ products are selling across the Internet. But WHERE do all these retailers FIND products to sell? Searching for suppliers online…
Read morePrice Quote in International Trade
OK, you have found a product you want to buy, received a sample in the mail, or found a source of supply overseas and now you are standing in the…
Read moreWorking with Import Export Freight Forwarders
Your customs broker should be the one that may recommend the freight forwarder based on the country or place of origin from which you intend to import. Freight forwarders are…
Read moreUnderstanding what information you should get from US Customs Brokers before you start buying
There are two important things you should do before you start buying. The first thing you need to do is find yourself a Customs Broker, also referred to as a…
Read moreImport Export Business Shipping Documents
Understanding shipping documents is absolutely essential to your success in import export business. Without a specific document attached with your shipment you will not be able to clear US Customs.…
Read moreFair Trade – where people come before profits
In essence, Fair Trade is a social movement where people come before profits. It is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international…
Read moreDeal in product you understand
In mid 70s I took a trip to Taiwan. It was about the time I was getting started in import export business, with only a handful of small shipments behind…
Read moreSourcing readymade products vs. product development
When people visit a Third World country they come across scores of products, whatever they might be – woodcarvings, jewelry, fashion or decorative accessories – and with prices so much…
Read moreOutsourcing Manufacturing Overseas
Although we certainly know today that most anything sold in the United States is made overseas, the American companies that make it there and import it from there are not…
Read moreMyth of where you need to import your product from
Do you want to import Icelandic sweaters, Norwegian and other Scandinavian woolens? Unless there is a need to do as I mentioned in my previous example with the Italian lighting…
Read more