Was hoping someone could point me in the right direction regarding importing goods from Vietnam. Very large shipment (several tons) of metal for fabrication in the US. What forms do I need? Where do I get them? How long does the process usually take? I know I can probably Google the information, but would like some advice from someone with experience if possible. Thanks in advance! (and no they're not Katrina bracelets! lol)
Don't you need a freight fowarding company for that, or is that for going out? Is this going to be a one-time thing? You can try the US Customs department website to figure out the forms and procedures.
I'm not sure what I need. Totally new to this...I looked on the customs website and it's a little confusing. It won't be a one time thing, I'll be selling it in bulk to metal manufacturing companies (metal roofs,frames, gutters). Just trying to gather as much information as I can, so it can be a smooth process.
This is cool, lol. You're like a new player to the drug business and you have all this foreign supply, but you don't know how to get it here, except it's not drugs. This seems like a potentially costly endeavor, but if you think you can make money, then the best of luck. I do have clients who run businesses that needs supplies from overseas (including Vietnam and China). I'm pretty sure if I ask them "hey, I know this guy that wants to bring tons of material over here" I'll get some answer that comes out to "it's complicated." They'll probably need some incentive. I think what you should do is contact a freight forwarding company, where all they do is send and bring back big shipments and take care of the US Customs paperwork and legal work for you. They can quote you...this isn't something that's easy to quote like car insurance. Then you can get an idea of the costs...try a few companies. Then come back here and post your results. Then I can ask some of my clients and say, "hey, I know this guy who's about to do this...is he overpaying? Can you do it for cheaper?" Something like that might work. Whatever the case, google "freight forwarding."
Yea we ship stuff back all the time from China to here for work. You need to contact a freight forwarder. They will then set up a booking and loading and everything. As far as fees and all that the freight forwarder will take care of. You just need to know if there is any dutys for shipping aluminium into the US. I know for our plastic decking the duty into the US is 5.3% on the cost. You need to also figure out the dimensions of the stuff you want to ship. Can it fit on a 20' container or do you need a 40' 45'? Also weight restrictions containers can only carry about 40,000 lbs of weight. If you have any questions ill be happy to answer them.
Jim Crane is in the Logistics business, give him a call . While you have him on the phone tell him to get thus TV deal straightened out so we can watch some ballgames. Really though, good luck to you.
