Import/Export Biz

[booey]

Does anyone have any experience in importing/exporting from overseas? If so, can you point me in a direction of a book/website that can help me get started? I have a couple ideas but need some direction. Thanks!!!

[TrenAman]

Originally Posted by booey

Does anyone have any experience in importing/exporting from overseas? If so, can you point me in a direction of a book/website that can help me get started? I have a couple ideas but need some direction. Thanks!!!

depends on what you want. for instance in my biz we have to send in ITAR's to the gov't, google ITAR, it maynot be what you need it for but it will get you the the website that has all the other forms..

Like I said, depends on what you want to send\receive, guns, chairs, bat poop, AAS "jk"..

[2ez2brich]

Wow ! !


I just started looking into this with my nephew about 2-3 months ago. We are looking to export stuff from China and Thailand. I have a friend that is more versed in this, so he said he will handle the filling of the containers (he handles 20 – 40’ containers) and paper work for 3-5%, contingent on the commodity. One of the items needed in parts of Africa is Jasmine and 25% broken rice. Thailand is the go to place for this and my friend has offered to skip over to Thailand while he is visiting in China to help us along with our endeavor.

I am not sure what you are trying to ship and receive, but there is a lot of work involved. More than I initially thought. I thought I could hand over a credit card, place the order and then have it shipped…but there is more paperwork involved. It will help us a lot having the friend along…because he normally ships 400+ containers per year anyway.


Which areas are you looking to do biz with ?

[booey]

I have a number of products in mind, but have yet to narrow it down. Definitely from Asia though. Very preliminary, but also very serious.

[booey]

Does your friend do this exclusively? How much profit is he averaging annually?

[Iron God]

Shipping and freight or just importing?

[2ez2brich]

Originally Posted by booey

I have a number of products in mind, but have yet to narrow it down. Definitely from Asia though. Very preliminary, but also very serious.

Then you and are on the same path Smiley. I thought I was on third base, but quickly realized with the help of my friend that I am still at bat.

There is more involved with what we are trying to do. We will not be in Africa to receive every freakin shipment, so we need to set up a good system with some trusted people. Same deal in China and Thailand. Nothing like here…..lotz of fraud and scams going on out there. My nephew is in DC working towards his MBA. He was just accepted to Harvard for another Masters. He’s rubbing elbows with some people that deal with some areas in Africa. These people received a contract from one of the countries to supply rice.

Let me explain how……this particular country not only awarded someone a contract….but paid half in advance....normal business practice. The person that received this advance, took the funds and ran…so now the country has to start from square one….but now the demand is much higher.

My nephew and I are trying to be part of the supplying the rice to the country. As we are putting this together, he has other people coming at him for other items….that we can get from China. And this is why I asked my friend to help out here. I am not versed in this at all….and I am not 100% sure I can pull it off….but we are trying to make it happen.

Just trying to give you an idea on how the ball started here and what we have found thus far as far are needing to network to pull this all together.

[solidspine]

Medical and surgical products are fairly straight forward, almost all countries have an agency similar to the FDA and your first step is to contact them, and complete the necessary forms, pay fees.

ISO9000, and compliance are basic, for exporting anything to anywhere now.

[booey]

Originally Posted by 2ez2brich

Then you and are on the same path Smiley. I thought I was on third base, but quickly realized with the help of my friend that I am still at bat.

There is more involved with what we are trying to do. We will not be in Africa to receive every freakin shipment, so we need to set up a good system with some trusted people. Same deal in China and Thailand. Nothing like here…..lotz of fraud and scams going on out there. My nephew is in DC working towards his MBA. He was just accepted to Harvard for another Masters. He’s rubbing elbows with some people that deal with some areas in Africa. These people received a contract from one of the countries to supply rice.

Let me explain how……this particular country not only awarded someone a contract….but paid half in advance....normal business practice. The person that received this advance, took the funds and ran…so now the country has to start from square one….but now the demand is much higher.

My nephew and I are trying to be part of the supplying the rice to the country. As we are putting this together, he has other people coming at him for other items….that we can get from China. And this is why I asked my friend to help out here. I am not versed in this at all….and I am not 100% sure I can pull it off….but we are trying to make it happen.

Just trying to give you an idea on how the ball started here and what we have found thus far as far are needing to network to pull this all together.

Interesting. I'm in a sort of different situation. Was thinking of personally marketing the products myself here in the States - to retailers or from my own business. It's apparent that I still have a lot of reading and networking to do.