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Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Hello guys,

Im on the verge of buying a new order of items (nothing illegal), usually in the past, ive had things delivered to my house, this is the first time the seller has a "FOB" shipping agreement with me, so they are being delivered to a port in the UK, and i have to do the rest.

I am new to this shipping method, so a noob to any potential problems ect, could any experienced guys chip in and give me some advice on things to avoid/look out for ect.

Questions:

1. What additional costs will there be? Import tax? Handling?

2. Can I arange for the port to deliver the items from the port, to my house? If so what costs are we looking at (i know its going be item/weight dependent).

3. If i go pick the items up from the port myself, what things will i need too do when i get there? Just show up and give them my order/tracking number? then they will direct me to my goods?

4. Anything else i should be aware of/ask my seller before i make the purchase.

Thanks alot, apprecate it alot.

Import tax and handling definitely based on quantity. If you have a big order, probably need a broker to clear it

Make sure you try to make payment with a good security source like branded credit card

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

its almost a full carton on the boat the seller said. 500 items, each weight aprox 0.5kg each about the size of a 2 liter bottle.

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Ask him to quote you for items delivered to your address.

Get a comparative figure BEFORE making a purchase.

Have you looked for other sources?

Provided the manifest (paperwork) is in order you should be able to avoid a broker. You want to keep your profits as high as you can.
:spy:

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

have you already paid for the item
i think FOB means free on board so the freight and everything till the vessel is paid by seller and shipping and everything is buyer's responsibility
CNF or cost and freight is when the freight and everything is included but that too to the destination port.
then depending on the port of destination you might be able to do all the formalities yourself or in some regions may have t hire a custom broker or clearing agent for the paperwork for import

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Call a forwarding agent, or a shipping broker who works at your local port. They'll be able to clear up all the costs for you as i'd assume most countries and even ports within countries will vary in price.

You might also want to think about what your item is - your package might require further inspection or fumigation.

Be as specific as possible with your forwarding agent so you don't have any surprises down the track.

Good luck!

EDIT: Also if you end up going by the sea. Make sure that you have all your relevant documentation and forms filled out to cause unwanted delays. The port won't have any issues charging you additional fees for storage while you get everything sorted.

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Don't it will be too much of a headache for you. Get a freight forwarding agent in the UK to sort it out for you and forward to your door.

The agent will email you and ask for EORI number to clear the goods and also VAT + duty owed on the shipment. I would apply for an EORI number now as they take around 1-2 weeks to process.

It costs me circa £500 to get a 40 HC container from the docks to my door including the forwarding agents costs - so should cost you a lot less for an LTL shipment.

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Thanks alot, guna look into getting a freight forwarding agent and all the other stuff you guys have mentioned before i make the actual purchase. My profit margine is decent atm, but would quickly be eatten up if i started getting a load of charges i didnt account for, so need to be sensible about this.

Thanks again, will look into all your advice.

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Costs you will have to pay on top of the FOB quote are:

Freight costs from China to UK

Duty on declared value + Freight costs

VAT @ 20% on declared value + freight costs + duty paid

You will then also have UK freight forwarding agents charges to take into consideration too.

The landed cost may surprise you so it is worth calculating this before you this you can make great margins looking at FOB costs only.

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Thanks alot, yea very eye opening once you find out all the other aditional costs, profit margin definatly took a hig but its still workable.

Thanks alot guys,

1 question, could anyone recommend any resorse or website to look at to learn the basic ins and outs of importing via shipping, something that will let me know eveything i will need to know and do so i dont mess something up.

Thanks in advance. As always, your time and advice is valued and appreciated.

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

Re: Picking stock up from port....Help/Questions
 

You need to access more than just the Customs site.

When you import your paperwork has to be faultless. Errors on the manifest are a common source of delays.

https://www.gov.uk/international-tra...ork-the-basics

I'll add another couple of sites that expand on finding the 'best' method too.