Sharing is caring!
The Million Dollar Case Study continues this week with our session on importing. And who better to join us than Philip von Mecklenburg-Blumenthal, Senior Director Marketplace at Freightos. And when you want to learn about freight, importing from China, and shipping, there isn’t a more appropriate person to learn from. After 15 years in the freight industry, incuding a PhD thesis on ocean freights, you can trust that Philip knows his stuff!
The best part is that he broke everything down into easily understandable content, even for those who are just addressing their first experience importing their product.
Even if you don’t make it through the whole video or recap below, but you are interested in getting a shipment imported, there is a nice discount at the end of this post:
Here is the video recap of the webinar:
本周，百万美元的案例研究将继续进行，我们将就进口问题进行讨论。还有谁能比Philip von Mecklenburg-Blumenthal更适合加入我们呢？当你想学习货运、从中国进口和航运，没有比这更合适的人了。在货运行业干了15年，读了一篇关于海洋自由号的博士论文，你可以相信菲利普知道他的东西！
最棒的是，他把所有的东西都分解成易于理解的内容，即使是那些仅仅是在谈论自己第一次进口产品的经历的人。
即使你没有通过整个视频或下面的概述，但你有兴趣得到进口的货物，在这个帖子的结尾有一个很好的折扣：
这是网络研讨会的视频摘要：
Here are Philip’s slides:
So the key takeaway from the session is Philip’s reassurance – shipping is actually not that complicated… until you start taking in too much information and complicating it.
A lot of it is common sense, and there are resources and guides to help you through the process.
A quick note on Freightos
Freightos is a marketplace and comparison site for freight forwarders. Like Kayak for freight forwarders. Simply enter some key information about your shipment: what your shipment is, the volume, weight, from and to destinations, and get your hands on a range of different quotes. Once you enter that info, you are connected with a variety of rate quotes from freight forwarders, making this part of the task much simpler and quicker.
因此，从会议中得到的关键是菲利普的保证——航运其实并没有那么复杂……直到你开始接受太多的信息并使之复杂化。
其中很多是常识，并且有资源和指南可以帮助你度过这个过程。
关于卡菲托斯的简要说明
货运公司是货运代理的市场和比较点。像皮划艇为货运代理。简单地输入一些有关你的货物的关键信息：你的货物是什么，数量，重量，来自和到达目的地，并得到你的手的一系列不同的报价。一旦你输入了这些信息，你就会连接到货运代理的各种费率报价，使这部分工作变得更加简单和快捷。
Freight forwarders are like travel agents for your product. They arrange the transportation, the paperwork, the forms and whatever else you need to get your product from Point A to Point B.
Pre-Shipment Checks
Before you start down the road of looking into importing your product, you have to ask yourself some basic questions. Namely, can this be shipped?!
There are some products that have special restrictions on importing, or restrictions from Customs and Border Protection, or other international agencies.
A simple Google search like “can I import [your product]” is a good place to start. Freightos also has a list page to help you figure out if your product may be hazardous, which you can see here:
Here’s sample list, (not exhaustive), to give you an idea of the random products that canbe considered hazardous:
Camping gear/ equipment (signal flares, heat producing packets, cooking stoves)
Cosmetics and perfumes
Frozen food
Biological materials
Certain battery powered equipment
Small gas cylinders and aerosols
Toolbox items (propane torches, touchup paint, adhesives, urethanes, epoxies)
Equipment containing radioactive sources
Breathing apparatus & diving equipment
Dry ice (for air shipments)
Household goods (paints, bleaches, spray cans)
Laboratory/testing equipment
Refrigeration equipment & mercury switches
Fire extinguishers
Magnetized material (by air)
Shipping Jargon Explained
Before going too far into any details, let’s get an understanding of the common shipping terms used. In shipping parlance, these are known as “Incoterms”, which are the trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce and used universally in trade contracts.
This is where confusion can cloud over the whole process. Thankfully, Philip pulled out just the few that are most important to us as Amazon sellers.
These are international standards for who is paying for the freight, and who is taking on the risk of the shipment.
货运代理就像你的产品的旅行社。他们安排运输，文书工作，表格和任何你需要的东西，把你的产品从a点送到b点。
装运前检查
在你开始考虑进口你的产品之前，你必须问自己一些基本的问题。也就是说，这个能被运出去吗？！
有些产品对进口有特殊限制，或来自海关和边境保护或其他国际机构的限制。
一个简单的谷歌搜索，比如“我能进口（你的产品）”是一个很好的起点。Freightos也有一个列表页面，帮助您确定您的产品是否可能是危险的，你可以在这里看到：
以下是样本清单（并非详尽无遗），让您了解可能被认为是危险的随机产品：
野营用具/设备(信号照明弹、发热包、炉灶)
化妆品和香水
冷冻食品
生物材料
某些由电池驱动的设备
小型气瓶和气雾剂
工具箱项目（丙烷火炬、涂漆、粘合剂、聚氨酯、环氧树脂）
含有放射源的设备
呼吸设备和潜水设备
干冰(空运)
家用物品(油漆、漂白剂、喷雾罐)
实验室╱测试设备
制冷设备和汞开关
灭火器
磁化材料(空运)
航运术语的解释
在对任何细节进行过分深入之前，让我们先了解一下常用的运输术语。在航运术语中，这些术语被称为“国际贸易术语表”，即国际商会公布并在贸易合同中普遍使用的贸易术语。
这就是混乱可能笼罩整个过程的地方。值得庆幸的是，飞利浦仅推出了少数对我们亚马逊卖家来说最重要的产品。
这是谁在支付运费，谁在承担运输风险的国际标准。
EXW, or Ex Works
This means that the factory is only responsible for getting the goods out of the factory. The supplier is not responsible for loading the goods on the transport vehicle, getting the goods to the port, or anything beyond making the product and getting it out of the factory. You as the seller take on all cost and risk from the moment it is out of the factory.
EXW will generally mean that you pay more in additional fees.
FOB or Free On Board
The factory will assume responsibility for the goods all the way through getting the products to the port of shipment. You as the seller assume costs and responsibilities from this point. FOB still requires that you as the seller clear the goods for export.
DDU or Delivered Duty Unpaid
The factory has complete all responsibilities at the country of import (for us, this would be the United States). The factory would pay for all costs and liabilities associated with shipping to the destination country, but you as the seller are responsible for duties, taxes, and other fees related to final clearance.
DDP or Delivered Duty Paid
This means that the factory is responsible for all costs and liabilities of getting the goods to the country of import, with all duties, taxes, and other fees paid for and cleared for import.
Philip’s important recommendation here is to pay close attention to the terms of shipping that are used when negotiating prices with your factory. For example, if your factory offers to cut the sales price but changes incoterms, you may not actually have negotiated a better price in the end. So make sure that you consider all of these terms to calculate your landed cost before you agree to pricing with your supplier.
Also, it is recommended to ask for FOB. Why? If you get FOB, you can get control of the shipment and don’t have to rely on your supplier as much in the importing process.
The Shipping Process
Right, jargon out of the way, let’s walk through the steps you need to take to get your inventory shipped. Philip has broken this down really well so it’s super easy to follow…
A Note on Packaging
Unnecessarily bulky packaging can cost you a lot if it takes up a lot of extra weight and space. A key recurring theme is to make your shipment as efficient as possible, otherwise you end up with increased time or costs.
或前作品
这意味着工厂只负责把货物运出工厂。供应商不负责将货物装上运输车辆，将货物运到港口，或生产产品和将其运出工厂以外的任何事情。你方作为卖方承担一切成本和风险，从它离开工厂的那一刻起。
一般来说，exw意味着你需要支付更多的额外费用。
船上的空舱或空舱
工厂将承担货物的全部责任，把产品运到装运港。你方作为卖方从这一点上承担成本和责任。fob仍然要求你方作为卖方为出口货物清关。
未缴或交付的税款
这家工厂在进口国完成了所有的责任（对我们来说，这就是美国）。工厂将支付所有的成本和负债与航运到目的地国，但你作为卖方负责的关税，税收和其他费用有关的最终结算。
已付或交付的税款
这意味着工厂要负责将货物运往进口国的一切费用和责任，并支付一切关税、税款和其他费用，以便进口。
菲利普在这里的重要建议是，密切注意航运的条款，用于谈判价格与你的工厂。例如，如果你的工厂提出降低销售价格，但改变了合同条款，你可能实际上没有谈判一个更好的价格在最后。因此，在与供应商商定价格之前，一定要考虑所有这些条款来计算你的着陆成本。
同时，我们建议您要求使用fob。为什么？如果你得到了fob，你就可以控制货物，而不必在进口过程中同样依赖你的供应商。
运输过程
好吧，行话行话吧，让我们来看看你需要采取的步骤，以使你的库存装运。菲利普把这事说得很清楚，所以非常容易跟踪...
关于包装的说明
不必要的笨重包装如果占用了很多额外的重量和空间，会花费你很多。一个关键的经常性主题是使您的发货尽可能高效，否则您最终会增加时间或成本。
One other way to save on shipping is to palletize the shipment after your goods have cleared US customs. This allows you to save space, and therefore time and money.
And lastly, work with your supplier and freight forwarder to confirm that you have properly labeled and marked your shipments.
Which mode of transport to select?
So now we come to the question of which method we use to transport our goods.
Depending on the size and desired timeline, air or ocean may be more cost-effective. Here’s a handy graphic Philip shared, that includes some rough cost estimates per kilogram:
另外一个节省运费的方法是在你方货物通过我们海关后，用托盘装运。这让你节省空间，从而节省时间和金钱。
最后，与你的供应商和货运代理合作，以确认你已经正确的标记和标记你的货物。
选择哪种运输方式？
因此，现在我们来谈谈我们用什么方法运输货物的问题。
空气或海洋可能更具成本效益，这取决于大小和预期的时间表。这里有一个方便的图形菲利普共享，其中包括一些粗略的成本估计每公斤：
Ocean or Air?…
Basically, if it is under 50 kilo or under 100 pounds, using courier is the cheapest after you account for various fees. This should take 3-5 days from door to door, assuming China to US.
So for getting samples from a factory, for example, you would want to use Air Express.
If your goods are between 100 and 500 kg, your best option is air freight. On average, this will cost you $5 per kg, from China to US. However, this will also require some fixed costs for transportation,
Ocean Freight costs roughly $0.60 cents per kilogram, though this estimate depends on whether you are ultimately getting your product to the east or west coast of the US. You will have some additional fixed costs for transportation and delivery costs, as well as customs fees. The nice thing though is that even if you double the weight of your shipment, your costs wont’ go up very much. This is especially true if you are paying for a whole container—your prices won’t vary much based on the weight.
The Quote
To get the process of importing your goods started, you will want to generate some quotes. You just need some basic information to get a quote:
Philip highly recommends getting cargo insurance for your shipment. It will cost about $0.60 cents for every $100, but will cover you if anything in your shipment is damaged, stolen, or lost. So seriously consider comprehensive cargo insurance, which it will keep you covered. A small additional investment, but worth the outlay in spend.
海洋还是空气？......
基本上，如果是50公斤以下或100磅以下，使用速递是最便宜的后，你说明各种费用。这应该需要3-5天从门到门，假定我们是中国。
例如，为了从工厂得到样品，您需要使用航空快递。
如果你方货物在100到500公斤之间，你方的最佳选择是空运。这平均每公斤要花你5美元，从中国到我们。但是，这也需要一些固定的运输费用，
海运成本约为每公斤0.60美元，不过这一估算取决于你最终是将产品运往美国的东海岸还是西海岸。你们将有一些额外的固定的运输和交货费用，以及海关费用。不过，好的一面是，即使你的货物重量增加一倍，你的成本也不会上涨很多。如果你要为整个集装箱付钱的话，情况就更是如此——你的价格不会因重量而有很大的变化。
报价
要启动您的货物进口过程，您需要生成一些报价。你只需要一些基本的信息就可以得到报价：
尺寸
重量
来源邮政编码或端口
目的地邮政编码或端口
装运价值——这是指你方作为卖方支付的货物价值。也不知道你们卖的是多少钱。
菲利普强烈建议为你方货物投保。每100美元大约要花0.60美分，但如果你的货物有任何损坏、被盗或丢失，你将得到赔偿。因此，认真考虑全面的货物保险，这将使你的保险。一小部分额外投资，但值得花费。
Paperwork
Philip says to expect 10 to 20 documents to fill out, if you are shipping by ocean freight. If you are working with a freight forwarder, they can explain everything here in detail.
Here are the main forms that you will need to complete:
Commercial Invoice – This is the invoice you get from the factory, lists the value of the goods, the invoice you have to pay, and who’s selling it (the factory to you). This commercial invoice is needed at least 48 hours prior to the departure of the goods from port, so you want to have this prepared to avoid any hold ups.
Packing list – The packing list is simply a list of what is in the container and what is items being shipped. You want to review this carefully (it will come from your factory). If there is any mistake, you need to go back to factory to get it fixed asap.
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) – This form is only needed when you have hazardous goods, anything with explosives, batteries….the details matter here!
Power of Attorney – This is a form you receive from the freight forwarder, in which you complete and give to the freight forwarder. The Power of Attorney is needed to eventually clear customs.
The key takeaway from these forms is that you want to thoroughly review the documents (I know, it is a lot to take in, and quite tedious!), but even small errors like spelling can add delays or costs, so make sure to have everything lined up!
文书工作
菲利普说，如果你是通过海运，预计会填写10到20份文件。如果你和货运代理合作，他们可以在这里详细解释一切。
以下是您需要填写的主要表格：
商业发票——这是你从工厂得到的发票，列出了货物的价值，你必须支付的发票，以及谁在出售它（工厂卖给你）。在货物离开港口前至少48小时内需要这张商业发票，所以你方准备这张发票是为了避免任何耽搁。
装箱单----装箱单仅列出集装箱内的物品和装运的物品。你要仔细检查一下（这会来自你的工厂）。如果有任何错误，你需要回工厂尽快把它修好。
材料安全数据表（msds）——只有当你有危险货物，任何带有炸药，电池……时，才需要此表。细节在这里很重要！
授权书--这是你从货运代理处收到的表格，你在表格中填写并交给货运代理处。为了最终通关，需要有授权书。
从这些表格中可以得到的关键是你想彻底地检查这些文件（我知道，这是一个很大的吸收，而且相当乏味！），但即使是拼写这样的小错误也会增加延迟或成本，所以一定要把所有东西都排好队！
Customs Bond
A Customs Bond is required to have your goods clear US Customs for any inventory that is greater than $2000 in value.
There are two common types of bonds used most frequently by Amazon sellers: a Single Entry Bond and a Continuous bond.
The Continuous Entry Bond lasts for 12 months, and costs $500. You can use it as many times as you want to import your goods. If you are importing more than 4 times per year, you are better off paying the $50 0 for the continuous entry bond.
A Single Entry Bond is $125 to use for a single shipment. Fill it out once, use it, and get your single shipment cleared.
Your freight forwarder can help you figure out which bond would be best for you, and help you complete it. Here’s a copy of what it looks like:
Customs Bond
对于任何价值超过2000美元的存货，你必须要求你方货物通过美国海关。
亚马逊卖家最常用的债券有两种：单一的入门债券和连续债券。
连续进入债券持续12个月，费用为500美元。你想进口多少次就用多少次。如果你每年进口超过4次，你最好支付50美元的连续进入债券。
单次进账保证金为125元，用于单次发货。填写一次，使用它，并得到你的单批货物清除。
你的货运代理可以帮助你找出哪种债券对你最有利，并帮助你完成它。这里有一份它看起来像什么的副本：
Delivery
When you are coordinating a variety parties and working in international importing, Philip recommends always adding in an extra buffer to finally get your delivery. There is always a chance that something can go wrong or a hold up occurs somewhere.
If you are shipping to multiple locations, consider consolidating the shipments in China, send to one port, and then have your forwarder split and deliver separately once it has cleared US Customs.
And if you are ultimately delivering your products to Amazon’s warehouses, make sure to mention that to your freight forwarder, as there are specifications for an Amazon shipment that they should know about (ie how pallets are built, setting up an appointment with Amazon’s warehouses, etc).
This webinar just scratches the surface of the details of shipping your product from China.
And if you have any additional questions, you can reach out to Philip directly: philip@
Next week the Million Dollar Case Study continues with some insights on leveraging Amazon’s platforms to launch your product. We have Joel Lentz from the Amazon Business Development team join us!
交付
当你在协调各种聚会和在国际进口工作时，菲利普建议总是增加一个额外的缓冲以最终得到你的交货。总有可能会出问题或者在某个地方发生耽搁。
如果你正在向多个地点发货，考虑合并在中国的发货，发送到一个港口，然后将你的货代分开，并在货物通过美国海关后分别发货。
如果你最终要把你的产品送到亚马逊的仓库，一定要告诉你的货运代理，因为亚马逊的货物有他们应该知道的规格（例如托盘是如何制造的）。与亚马逊的仓库等建立一个约会）。
这个网络研讨会只是对从中国装运你的产品的细节进行了梳理。
他们的网站上有大量的资源：货运资源
以及费率估计数：运费估计数
如果你还有其他问题，你可以直接找菲利普：philip@
下周，价值百万美元的案例研究将继续进行，并就如何利用亚马逊平台推出你的产品提出一些见解。我们有来自亚马逊商业开发团队的Joel Lentz加入我们！
227 Shares
34 Comments
