Last week, we hosted a webinar about importing products from China. Today we’re going to talk about the nitty gritty of shipping products from China to western countries like the United States and Canada. Joining us in this episode is Noah Alhadeff. He’s a sales manager at Freightos, a “digital freight marketplace” that connects importers to freight forwarders.

Noah likens Freightos to Expedia in that it allows importers to instantly compare “all-inclusive” rates from as many as 60 different freight forwarders, depending on where you intend to ship your products to. In addition to comparing rates, the marketplace allows you to narrow down your results based on reviews, shipping method (air or ocean), bonds, insurance and so on.

Noah also offers some great advice for those who are new in their importing journey.

1. Make sure you choose a freight forwarder who knows what they’re doing with Amazon. You’re go-to forwarder might be reliable when shipping directly from point A to B but Amazon has specific pallet requirements that your forwarder of choice should know about.
2. Ensure that you get the closest Amazon Fulfillment Center to your factory. If your shipment is coming from China, that would be the Fulfillment center located in Moreno Valley, or if you’re shipping from Europe, the best choice would be the Amazon Fulfillment Center in New York
3. Get paperwork filed quickly and accurately, preferably 7-10 days before your goods are ready. This includes Material Safety Data Sheet and Dangerous Goods Document.

In addition, Freightos is also offering a 5% discount to EcomCrew listeners on the first shipment. Just enter the code ECOMCREW5 on checkout (this is not an affiliate code; they just know how much even a 5% discount can help ecommerce owners especially in a very low margin business).

As part of what led to this interview, check out Freightos’ Experts Guide to Importing from China, for which we contributed a chapter. This guide is brought to you by some of the best in the business--people running ecommerce, sourcing and freight companies.

Other Useful Resources:

MyEcomcrew

5 Minute Pitch

International Freight Index

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