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Buying a container
 

Any one shipped via sea with a full container. Looking to increase amounts and will have to look at this. Can anyone recommend a company to handle getting items from china to my front door?

Re: Buying a container
 

Two stages are involved in this.

Often who ever you are buying goods from will be able to help with the sea freight transportation.

You will then need to arrange a freight forwarder to get the item from the docks to your door.

Re: Buying a container
 

Freight forwarding company with brokerage ability is correct - Delmar works (company name:

Delmar International Inc. | Servicing The World Comes Naturally

Re: Buying a container
 

I gotta chime in on this one. There are HUGE risks. My family owned a lumber, window, millwork, and door distribution and light nmanufacturing business. We would buy wood mouldings by the container. They had to be paid for before the container was loaded on to a vessel. Once on the vessel, the deal is done. Your money and goods are at risk, uninsured, until they hit land again. The first container we got was great. The next two we purchased, the material was junk, barely usable with 50% waste. We improved the quality by hiring a represanative in China to inspect the goods before they were loaded but we never received the quality of the first load that got us hooked. We quit buying containers after there was an accident on a boat where some containers fell. The seals around the doors became loose and everything inside ours was covered in a black goo from salt water, boat fumes, I don't know. It cost us 200 grand though.

high risk, high reward
tread carefully

Re: Buying a container
 

steffyhat, thanks for the truepoint on risk involved...that is quite the mess you had :( rough to hear

Re: Buying a container
 

You didn't even mention the potential headaches with US Customs.

Re: Buying a container
 

Type in container forwarding on google - email all companies for quotes on the first 5 pages, if goods are FOB, you will need to know which port in China they are going from, then your delivery address in US and they will quote for you then. If your stuff is legit, there will be no problems at customs

Re: Buying a container
 

And have to negotiate best freight management prices

Re: Buying a container
 

if paperwork filled out wrong by sender, you can have huge problems

Re: Buying a container
 

Correct - good to get an agent both ends. I have sourcing agent China, then freight forwarding agent UK, once setup it is very easy.

Re: Buying a container
 

The most important thing is find the right company or the factory,and get the sample and confirm the order,and ask your agent to complete the order,such as QC the production and load the items into the container ,and finally get the custom clear paper work done.