Importing To The Usa

[bangkoksingapore]

if i take a suitcase full of women's jewerly to the united states from thailand how much will i have to pay in import taxes in the usa. will i have to pay anything in thailand? what forms will i need to fill out? i dont want to sell it myself, i am going to give it to my sister to sell on her campus (if that matters)?

[Carmine6]

if i take a suitcase full of women's jewerly to the united states from thailand how much will i have to pay in import taxes in the usa. will i have to pay anything in thailand? what forms will i need to fill out? i dont want to sell it myself, i am going to give it to my sister to sell on her campus (if that matters)?

I think there are places you can find this info on the internet like the US Customs website. Make sure you have receipts to support the value of the goods.

You could also try asking a shipper like Fedex or DHL what the estimated customs duty is. I think you can also go through the process of creating a shipment at Fedex's website which will give an estimate of duties. Just don't complete the shipment. I think the customs estimate does not automatically come up but you have to select it on one of the screens so watch for that.

[nemo38]

Hi,

US customs has a trade tarrif database which you can use to find out how much you will pay. Check it out here

http://dataweb.usitc.gov/

There are a few things to consider before setting out on your business. Firstly, have you already arranged a market? Thai Jewellery isn't to many people's taste and you might end up with something you can't sell, at least for a reasonable price. When you factor in your cost price, travel costs, and the tariff by US customs, do you arrive at a price which is competitive in the US market? If you try talking to just one US jeweller this will give you some idea of the potential for your business and perhaps alert you to any problems.

The problem with fake jewellery in Thailand is so serious that they make a note of it in your entry card when you arrive in Thailand. Thai people have been scamming tourists in fake 'government sponsored' shops 'on the kings birthday' with 'sets created by the Thai government to help students go abroad in selling jewellery' for 20 years.

People successfully export jewellery from Goa (India). Many people do this on a small scale to finance their holidays. But you need to have a good knowledge of your market. I know one lady who owns a jewellery shop in the UK who takes several trips to Goa a year to stock her shop. She is a professional who both understands her market, knows how much she can pay for items, and can identify items as genuine. Goa might be a good place for you to start this business.

I am in a country where I can import equipment and materials duty free. I can export to the US duty free (due to a treaty) and I am in an industry related to jewellery. But I'm not making jewellery. Its is too tough to compete with countries like Korea. Jewellery is a very competitive market.

If you have already paid for this jewellery it is not too late to have it checked in Thailand. If there is a problem the tourist police can help you recover your money. Don't just trust to luck.

I hope you don't take my impertinent advice as patronising. I just hate to see people get into difficulties with their businesses. Hope you have already considered all these things, planned carefully, and that everything works out well for you.