Import From China Business
A practical guide for starting a small business
2010-
Real Experiences!
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What’s New!
China Imports
February 2012
Costume Jewelry
December 2011
Bamboo Towels
November
2011
Bamboo Flooring
November 2011
China Economy
November 2011
Ivory
October 2011
Wigs
October
2011
Drop Ship
September 2011
Photography Equipment
September 2011
Medical Supplies
September
2011
Ginseng
August 2011
Acupuncture
August 2011
Chinese Tea
August 2011
Chinese Herbs
August
2011
Trade Leads
August 2011
China Adoption
July 2011
Import to USA
The Process in Detail
Step 1: Import to USA -
Once the Bill of Lading is submitted, your broker has five days to deliver the documents which will allow you to get your goods off the dock and successfully import to USA.
Import documents required:
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Origin
- Commercial Invoice
- Customs Bond
- Inward Cargo Manifest (U.S. Customs form 7553) or Entry/Immediate Delivery (U.S. Customs form 3461)
- Packing Lists
When these documents have been accepted by the U.S. Customs, your broker has another 10 days to submit the duties and file these additional documents:
- U.S. Customs Form 7501 which is an Entry Summary document
- Any other appropriate invoices to assist in tariff assessment.
There are 22 different types of Import to USA entries. The most common ones are:
- Immediate Delivery -
goods which are perishable. - Consumption Entry -
goods which are for resale. - Warehouse Entry -
store goods in government bonded warehouses. Pay duties only when the goods are withdrawn from the Warehouse. - Mail Entry -
Only for goods total value <$2,000
There are numerous major and minor Shipping to USA ports for you to choose from. Import to USA requires that when the carrier arrives to the Port of Entry with your goods from China, the carrier needs to submit a Bill of Lading to the customs officer. It is also known in legal jargon as "Evidence of Right to Make Entry for Importations by Common Carrier".
Step 2: Import to USA -
During the valuation phase the U.S. customs officer will determine the total value of your goods imported from China. The total value is based on the actual price paid for the merchandise plus:
- Packing costs.
- Any selling commissions incurred by the buy.
- Any royalty or license fees.
- Value of assists -
machinery parts, molds etc which were used in the manufacturing of the merchandise.
The U.S. customs officer will inspect your goods to ensure that they meet U.S. import regulations. Some key things that they will check are:
- Country of Origin clearly marked and visible.
- Are there any illegal goods?
- Properly invoiced goods for valuation stage.
- Does the quantity shipped match the quantity indicated?
Step 4: Import to USA -
If everything goes well, all you need to do is to write the government a check and your goods are considered liquidated. You can officially take legal possession of your goods. There is a possibility that your paperwork is incomplete or incorrect. In that case, you will need to provide revised documents or new documents before they will accept payment and let you take the goods.
Step 3: Import to USA -
The Customs Service will determine the grouping for your merchandise. This determines the amount of duty that you have to pay. Tax rates can be found in the U.S. Government's Harmonized Tariff Schedule. http://www.usitc.gov/tariff_affairs/
Depending on your nature of imports, it is possible to obtain a refund for your tariffs.
- Drawback (Refunds of duties) -
Manufacturing drawback -for goods brought into the U.S. to be used for manufacturing other articles which will be exported. Unused-merchandise drawback -refund on duties paid due to goods will be exported and never used in the U.S. Rejected-merchandise drawback -refunds to duties due to goods are out of specifications. The goods are rejected and returned to the exporter.
Import to USA -
Import to USA Overview
Import to USA requires the following four steps: Port of Entry, Examination & Valuation,
Classification and Payment and Liquidation. The detail step by step instructions
are below.
An Import to USA summary is also available to show a quick overview of
How to Import Products. You will need to learn to collaborate with
USA Customs every
step of the way as well as understanding the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States. You may be able to take advantage of the Foreign Trade Zones also called
Free Trade Zones which are enclosed facilities set aside near ports of entry to allow
special treatment of tariffs.
As you are learning the process of importing goods to the USA, you need to be aware of the American Business Culture. If you are on the importing side of Import to USA, you should know how foreigners stereotype Americans. If you are on the exporting side of exporting to USA, understanding American Business Culture will improve your success.
Eventually, you may want to investigate in an overseas buying trip. The goal is
to generate a list of Easy to Import Products. One of the import industries that
an importer should pay close attention to is Fashion USA. Also look at the industries
of American Shoes, American Electronics, American Toys, US Furniture, American Leather
and Photography Equipment and Photographic Supplies in detail as other potential
great import into USA opportunities. There is also a growing trend of Chinese products
and services such as Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture making their way into the U.S.
Market.
Beware that certain items such as Ivory are banned from being imported from
China or from any other country.
International business travel can be challenging
for even the most seasoned business traveler. Be sure to understand what you need
and how to plan your US Business Travel trip abroad.
Top 10 Categories for Import to USA -
According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, The U.S. imported over $300 Billion worth of goods from China in 2009. The top 10 categories of goods imported from China into the U.S. are:
- Electrical machinery and equipment
- Power generation equipment
- Apparel
- Toys and games
- Furniture
- Iron and steel
- Footwear and parts thereof
- Plastics and articles thereof
- Leather and travel goods
- Optics and medical equipment
Some categories have Trade Restrictions which you should be aware of before taking on importing the goods from China.
Four Steps to Import to USA
Real Experiences!
Erika G. -
“Thank you for the website. it is a wonderful tool for us all”
