bulk shipping from Thailand

[medic5678]

My wife wants to ship items from Thailand (I assume Bangkok) to the USA (Tampa) to resell in our business.  I'm trying to get a handle of what shipping might run. In particular, she's interested in bringing flower pots from Thailand - which will be heavy.  Anyone with experience importing from Thailand by sea?

[Drgship]

10 hours ago, medic5678 said:

My wife wants to ship items from Thailand (I assume Bangkok) to the USA (Tampa) to resell in our business.  I'm trying to get a handle of what shipping might run. In particular, she's interested in bringing flower pots from Thailand - which will be heavy.  Anyone with experience importing from Thailand by sea?

Please contact customs clearance agent who will advise you to ship goods to USA. Please add line drgsupadhyay
Or Whatsapp <<<<Phone number removed>>>>
Or call

Thanks.



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Edited September 10, 2018 by metisdead
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[mogandave]

I think a 40’ container (34,000 lbs) to US east coast is $5-6k.

Local delivery is extra as is clearance costs.

Contact a freight forwarder and have them quote a container door to door.

The Tampa port handles containers, yes? If so, use a forwarder that has an office in Tampa.

Probably best to have a local Thai forwarder (I like PJ Transpack) clear it at this end, and the US forwarder pick it up FOB Laem Chabang.

[medic5678]

Actually, I think Jacksonville is our best port.  I priced a container from Bangkok to Jacksonville at around $4,200.  However, I have no idea what other fees would be involved (loading/unloading)....  and this was only at the port o Jacksonville, not our house (we have storage here)...  That said, I'm not all that sure that this would work out economically and would probably take a small shipment just to see how effectively we can sell them before taking a big plunge to buy a container full.  Not sure on the import duties as well.  

 

I'm sure the first time around will be quite an education.   Complicates matters that Thailand is about as far from our home as it can be given it's almost on the exact opposite side of the globe.  And of course I'm concerned about getting caught trying to out-Walmart Walmart, with is certainly a losing proposition for a small entrepreneur.   Then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

[medic5678]

Regarding a small player making a large purchase, I remember when I was a kid I worked as a busboy and one of the waitress's husband made a big buy on air purifiers, like 20k worth.  Then Eckerd drug store chain put exactly the same model on sale for a couple of dollars less than he paid in his bulk "wholesale" purchase.  I took that lesson to heart and hope not to do the same thing here.  

[mogandave]

The $4,200 is likely sea freight only, and does not include local delivery.

Get with a a few forwarder and have them quote it a few ways, but make sure it’s door to door.

Local delivery in the US will kill you, particularly if it takes more than a hour to unload, as they’ll drop it and come back, doubling the cost.

You can ship LTL but again local pick up and delivery is strong. Also, packing has to be indestructible.

Best way to go will be to bite the bullet and try to fill a container...

Good luck...

[Naam]

4 hours ago, mogandave said:

I think a 40’ container (34,000 lbs) to US east coast is $5-6k.

make that 58,380 lbs / 26.48 tons loading capacity / gross weight 67,200 lbs. freight can vary daily and also depends on destination port.

[medic5678]

5 hours ago, mogandave said:

The $4,200 is likely sea freight only, and does not include local delivery.

Get with a a few forwarder and have them quote it a few ways, but make sure it’s door to door.

Local delivery in the US will kill you, particularly if it takes more than a hour to unload, as they’ll drop it and come back, doubling the cost.

You can ship LTL but again local pick up and delivery is strong. Also, packing has to be indestructible.

Best way to go will be to bite the bullet and try to fill a container...

Good luck...

I think I'm probably going to bring a couple of pallets over first.   I can go to Jax and pick them up with my trailer.    I don't mind selling at break even or even a small loss to see how this is going to work before I commit 25k to this and find out that I'm going to have to invest a lot of time just to get my money back out.    

[mogandave]

Crates, not pallets...

[fakename]

If they are the big pots, then fill them with other stuff, dont let them go empty.

[Naam]

33 minutes ago, fakename said:

If they are the big pots, then fill them with other stuff, dont let them go empty.

som tam?

[lannarebirth]

7 minutes ago, Naam said:

som tam?

 

Well wrapped smaller pots.

 

Most enterprises I have seen like this are a play on vacant commercially zoned land. Someone buys a pice of C-1 land and while waiting for it to appreciate in value sell pots, RV's, farm equipment, maybe a nursery. Anything that can be dropped on the land in a day and removed should the land sell.

 

The local guy where I live gets his ornamental pots from Vietnam FWIW.

[medic5678]

23 hours ago, fakename said:

If they are the big pots, then fill them with other stuff, dont let them go empty.

Not giant ones, to be sure.  You could have them filled with other items but I'm trying to keep the business model very simple to start.  Maybe not a bad idea to buy a few crates of pots and load them up with other merchandise to resell to test a few more things.  Not sure how all this works with US customs.  But my wife is very excited about this :).

[mogandave]

Not giant ones, to be sure.  You could have them filled with other items but I'm trying to keep the business model very simple to start.  Maybe not a bad idea to buy a few crates of pots and load them up with other merchandise to resell to test a few more things.  Not sure how all this works with US customs.  But my wife is very excited about this :).

US customs is fair and easy to work with. Don’t try to get tricky and you’ll be fine.

[medic5678]

4 minutes ago, mogandave said:

US customs is fair and easy to work with. Don’t try to get tricky and you’ll be fine.

Have you actually done this?  Mind sharing what you imported to the U.S. and how it worked out for you?  I'm not out to whip the world here, just find a little niche.   We are building a good sized greenhouse complex, looking for items to compliment plant sales.

[mogandave]

Have you actually done this?  Mind sharing what you imported to the U.S. and how it worked out for you?  I'm not out to whip the world here, just find a little niche.   We are building a good sized greenhouse complex, looking for items to compliment plant sales.

HVAC components & fabricating equipment. I managed a US owned manufacturing facility in Thailand. Most everything shipped to SEA, Middle East and India, but to the US a few times a year.

As long as you’re honest, follow the rules and are not importing seeds, plants, bugs, animal products or other restricted stuff you should be fine.

Just make sure what is on paperwork matches what is in the crate. I can’t speak to pottery, but most tariffs are pretty low. Look up what the duty should be. Your forwarder can help with this, but if you have not done business with the they might not be much help.

Shipping into the US is much, much easier than shipping into Thailand, or most anywhere else for that matter.

Have fun...

[lannarebirth]

1 hour ago, medic5678 said:

Have you actually done this?  Mind sharing what you imported to the U.S. and how it worked out for you?  I'm not out to whip the world here, just find a little niche.   We are building a good sized greenhouse complex, looking for items to compliment plant sales.

 

Effective micronutrients and coca fiber very cheap in Thailand, pretty expensive in US. Maybe buy in bulk and put your own label on it. Garden statues/water features as well as teak garden furniture also much cheaper in Thailand. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by lannarebirth

[mogandave]

 
Effective micronutrients and coca fiber very cheap in Thailand, pretty expensive in US. Maybe buy in bulk and put your own label on it. Garden statues/water features as well as teak garden furniture also much cheaper in Thailand. 

This kind of stuff might be tricky, be sure to check.

[lannarebirth]

15 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

This kind of stuff might be tricky, be sure to check.

 

Yeah, I meant coconut husk fiber. Coca's gonna be a problem for sure.

[medic5678]

The attractive thing about coconut husk fiber is that it could be used for packing.  I'm not sure how to put this all together.  My wife's family could help, I'm sure.   In particular, she has a cousin who could pretty much do anything for us and oversee the shipment.

[mogandave]

Any agricultural products might me tricky, make sure you check

[medic5678]

6 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Any agricultural products might me tricky, make sure you check

I'm sure that anything classified as a product that could affect commercial crops with be highly scrutinized if not outright disallowed.