Customs fit for a Queen
So many people are afraid to manufacture overseas because they are afraid of one thing…….customs! Transporting your goods to the USA and passing customs can be a scary idea if you don’t know anything about it. Most manufacturers (meaning you) use a freight forwarder to take care of the travel plans for their products. The Freight Forwarder will book room in a container for your merchandise, hire a customs broker to accompany it through US customs once it lands and then deliver it to your place of business…….without you having to lift a finger!
I hope you enjoy this interview with Laree Griffith who is a licensed customs broker in Los Angeles. Laree enlightens us with some terminology so you can sound more savvy, and gives the lowdown how the whole thing works to hopefully scare off any “customs demons” you might have created in your head!
She has also generously offered to speak to you and answer any questions you might have about the whole process or just part of it. She can even tell you what your duty charges will be!
Click here to download the interview.
Laree has also provided some excellent links with more information on importing, legal issues, and labeling for apparel.
This is a great resource article Sarah, thanks so much. I’ve been dragging my feet on some of the fabrics I want to import for this very reason – no longer. With great appreciation, Alana
Dear Sarah:
My name is Edie Tolchin, known as “The Sourcing Lady” (SM) in the invention and new product industry, and owner of EGT Global Trading (www.egtglobaltrading.com), specializing in product safety and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. I enjoyed listening to the piece on Customs Brokerage (I am also a licensed customs broker), and would like to recommend a follow-up program/interview to address product safety and the CPSIA, for children’s products and consumer products in general. I will give tips for entrepreneurs on where to begin and all the steps involved in bringing a safe product to market – whether manufactured domestically or overseas, and how to work with Asian factories, etc. Hope this interests you – please let me know.
Best wishes, Edie Tolchin – author of “Sourcing Smarts: Keeping it SIMPLE and SAFE with China Sourcing and Manufacturing” – aka “The Sourcing Lady” (sm), EGT Global Trading – http://www.egtglobaltrading.com, EGT@warwick.net
Sarah, thanks for defusing the anxiety and mystery associated with import/export. We are excited to explore this arena.