Here is a scenario you might be familiar with as an Amazon seller- You’ve done hours of product research, found a winning product, and nailed down the perfect supplier on Alibaba. Your confidence is through the roof, and you are ready to start receiving deliveries either at your home, business, or an Amazon warehouse. The only holdup? There are several different ways to ship from China to the US, and you aren’t sure which one is best. Not to worry, in this article, I will go over the various ways you can ship products, the exact steps to take, and any pitfalls to watch out for.
3 Ways To Ship From China To The US
There are three main ways to ship your product from China to your home or Amazon FBA warehouse, which I will detail below.
Manufacturer
Most suppliers can coordinate shipping to the US. The benefit of using the manufacturer is that it removes a lot of leg work. For example, you can pay for shipping while you pay for your product, and you don’t have to hunt around to find another company to ship for you.
A drawback to using the manufacturer is that shipping prices are variable and may change month to month or season to season. Additionally, some suppliers may use shady practices to recoup money throughout the process. For example, in my business, I order from suppliers in bulk and often receive discounts for doing so. However, I once worked with a supplier that kept upping my shipping costs to make up for the money they were losing by discounting the products. This does not always happen, but it’s definitely something to look out for and be mindful of.
DHL
The second way to ship from China to the US is via DHL, an express air shipping company. You can get your products shipped over very quickly, typically in three or four business days. However, they do have higher rates. You are better off shipping small and light products with them if you want to save money. Bulky products are not cost-effective with this shipper. Keep in mind here that to ship with DHL, you will need to create an account. If you are new to shipping from China, your manufacturer may already have a DHL account that they will let you use. Just ask and get a quote for shipping to determine if DHL is suitable for you and your business.
Freight Forwarder
The third, and in my opinion the best, way to ship products from China is through a freight forwarder. Similar to DHL, freight forwarders can ship via airplane. However, they often take longer than DH, on average 7-10 business days, to get your product. Freight forwarders also use boats for shipping, delivering products in 25-40 days. If you decide to go this route, there are several steps you need to take and things you need to know, which I will go into below.
Using A Freight Forwarder To Ship From China To The US
Just like with any service, there are excellent freight forwarders and not-so-great freight forwarders. It’s important to vet potential forwarders to determine if they will deliver the results that you want at the price you want. Suppose you’d like to guarantee that you will be working with a US-based, English-speaking freight forward head on over to Freightos. Freightos allows you to search a vast pool of US freight forwarders and get quotes; however, it’s relatively expensive.
I recommend using a China-based forwarder to save money. Although you may struggle with language barriers from time to time, the money you save makes it worth the extra effort. Unfortunately, there is no website like Freightos to find Chinese freight forwarders. However, there is an even easier way. I find all of my Chinese forwarders by word of mouth. Yes, really. Ask around in the Amazon FBA communities and the Camron James Amazon FBA Mentorship community to see what company other sellers are using. Jot down two to three different forwarders, speak to them, and get quotes so that you can make an informed decision.
Making A Shipping Plan
Once you have received your quotes and selected a shipper, it’s time to make your shipping plan through Amazon FBA. Master carton labels need to go on your boxes and/or your palettes for Amazon to accept your shipment. Before you even talk to your freight forwarder, you can select your “ship from” address as a business or home address and see what Amazon warehouse your products will most likely go to. This will ensure that your freight forwarder gives you a reasonably accurate quote.
Pro-tip: Select a California address if you want your product to go to a west coast warehouse. No guarantees, but this can help for high-volume products.
If you want more information on creating a shipping plan and sending your first shipment to Amazon FBA, click here.
Ship From China To The US | Wrap-Up
You must find a great forward because the process is highly complex. Shipping from China to the US involves inspections, tariffs, bonds, customs, and more that you may not be familiar with and probably don’t have time to learn. A great freight forwarder takes care of all of that for you. Here are some quick tips to help you avoid some common pitfalls with shipping Chinese goods.
Quick tips:
#1 If you use Chinese freight forwarders get quotes from 2-3. Although some may seem cheap, often, they cut costs by avoiding tariffs or other necessary fees for international shipping, which can leave you with a headache and hefty fines.
#2 When collecting quotes, ask for both the shipping costs and the customs/tariff costs to compare forwarders and to determine if they are following protocols. If something seems fishy, it probably is, so go with your gut.
#3 Make sure your master cartons follow Amazon’s size and weight limits, 50lbs and 25x25x25. Verify with the manufacturer, Google, Amazon, and your freight forwarder that you have the proper labeling on your cartons, i.e., “Made in China,” “Net weight,” etc.
I know this process is challenging, especially for first-time sellers, but I hope this article cleared everything up and you are ready to start selling on Amazon.
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