Import From China Business
A practical guide for starting a small business
2010-
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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 Jobs
Import Jobs -
Import jobs are the result of the rapid growth in international trade. Whether you are importing from China or from any other country, you need to determine your import role or your import job prior to starting an import business. Learning the different import jobs will help you understand the skill set necessary for you to be successful in world of international trade.
Types of Import Jobs
Here are some of the import jobs that you can participate in as you start your importing business:
- Import Agents
An Import Agent brings together the supplier of the goods and the companies interested in purchasing the goods. This is the simplest way to participate in the international trade because the Import Agent does not take possession of the goods. He or she merely plays a liaison role.
You can be an Import Agent in the United States. If you find a company that is interested in importing bamboo flooring from China, your role will be to link the interested party with the Chinese supplier.
- Import Distributors
The Import Distributor is essentially a wholesaler of imported goods. He or she takes buys and takes possession of the imported goods. The Import Distributor will then find customers to sell the goods to for profit. The customers could be end consumers or business customers (retailers) who in turn will find end consumers for the imported product.
This role is more involved than the Import Agent role because the Import Distributor takes possession of the goods. He or she is responsible financially for the goods and need to make sure that customs regulations and product quality are met.
- Importers Manufacturers
The Importers Manufacturers role is the most complex and the most capital intensive of all the different Importing Jobs. Your goal is to manufacture the product in a foreign country such as China and then import them into the United States or your home country. You will also take on the role of finding customers for your manufactured goods. The customers could be end consumers or other business customers (retailer) who will in turn find end consumers for the imported product.
You will need to necessary funds to start a manufacturing plant in a foreign country. Importers who are inventors or who want very specialized products tend to take on the Importers Manufacturers role.
In addition to these three broad categories, there are also subcategories of each Importing Job. Depending on how much time and resources you want to commit, you can start as an Import Agent, an Import Distributor or an Importer Manufacturer. Usually the more commitment in terms of time and resources, the higher is the earning potential.
