COMMON QUESTIONS & CONCERNS
While Shadstone Sourcing tries its best to address its clients concerns within its website and correspondence, there are certain questions best answered in our popular frequently asked questions section. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to contact us!
I am just a small business. Can I really save on my import needs like the “Big Boys” do with their volume buying and shipping?
YES! We can offer you the savings of imports with the convenience of buying local. We have family- owned factories in China that we deal with. This eliminates issuses that arise when you use other companies. China is a relationship base culture and really no relationship is better than family.
Is there any information I should read as the first time China buyer?
There are libraries of information, both on the web and in print – for a short and to the point briefing, we created this First time China Buying Guide.
How do I learn about customs clearance and other broker terms?
That can be pretty cloudy, customs brokers have a lot of acroyms and fees you don’t learn about until the bill is arrived, so a sneak peak check customs broker bill examples Those fees such as OCEAN FREIGHT CHARGE, CBM, FREIGHT INSURANCE PREMIUM, INBOUND H/C, U.S CUSTOMS ENTRY will be shown.
What types of products can Shadstone Sourcing help source and import?
Just about anything that is labor-intensive can be sourced; manufactured in China and imported to the U.S. Shadstone Sourcing has extensive experience working with anything metal and small electronics. Not every item makes economic sense to have manufactured in China, but if it is labor-intensive chances are we can do it.
Why outsource my import needs to Shadstone Sourcing?
You obtain a whole team of skilled and dedicated professionals who understand all the nuances of international trade, shipping consolidation, quality control, and import documentation. You have no overhead expenses or aggravation to deal with. Allowing you to focus on your core business.
Do I have to endure numerous contacts and voice mail trees just to check the status of my order?
NO. From moment one you will remain in communication with one person at all times. You deal with only one person, always! All telephone calls, faxes and E-mails are guaranteed to be answered by the next business day. We truly believe that you need to focus on your core business and we focus on ours; and our core business is importing goods from China at a lower cost than can be manufactured is the U.S.
What if I am already importing from China?
That is good, but are you having shipping or quality control issues? Are you getting the best price or just a lower price. Do you even truly know who you are dealing with? Most likely one or more of these questions apply to you. That is why we deal with family, and friend-owned factories in China. This takes out the guess work for all parties involved. We also invite all of our clients to go on a factory tour with us at anytime during the manufacturing process.
Do you offer importing and manufacturing services on less than a container load?
While we prefer to keep orders at a minimum of 1 container load, there may be certain cases we can make exceptions. LCLs (Less Container Loads) are rated a bit differently and pretty much the way you describe it.The rate is divided in to 3 categories :
- Pre carriage: From the time it’s ready at the factory in China until it’s loaded inside the container at the cfs terminal
- Main Carriage: Port of departure to port/terminal/railhead of arrival
- Beyond Carriage: From arrival port/terminal/railhead to door delivery location1 & 3 are often based on the gross weight.2 is almost always based on the volume as the chargeable weight calculation factor is 1cubic meter equals 1,000kg/2,204lbsMeaning if the actual weight is less than 1,000kg / 2,204lbs per cubic meter then you would pay the ocean freight rate based on the cubic meter volume.
What do the terms FOB and CIF mean?
FOB (Free On Board) – The seller must take care of any paperwork or expenses necessary to remove goods from his country and place them on an international carrier. With regard to airfreight, the term FOB port of departure means the goods must be placed in the custody of an air carrier at an airport. It does not mean the must actually be loaded on a plane. I typically quote FOB (port name in China and CIF port name in America) which does not include shipping costs from the Chinese port. Those costs I then add in separately and then give the customer the total price.
CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) – with a CIF shipment, the exporter must also buy insurance. Tehchnically, he sells the insurance policy to the importer along with the goods. Thus, if you import beer CIF and most of the bottles are broken, you will have to file a claim against insurance that was bought by the exporter.
For more information and some sample customs clearance bills, see customs broker bill examples
Who can I contact if I have a question that is not on this list?
Please feel free to contact us at any time with questions you may have regarding your sourcing project or Shadstone We value the feedback we receive from all of our customers and will do our best to answer any questions you might have as quickly and thoroughly as possible.