Whats the costs of shipping a 20' container from china to the U.S.?

Question

I am going to purchase 30 atv's(4 wheelers) from china and am trying to find out some aproximate costs to get it here with customes and all. and what percent duty tax would i have to pay on the items? and any other hidden fees that are involved.

Answer 1

For info on duties check the US International Trade Commission's Tariff Information Center at the following link:
http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/...
See chapter 87 "Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof". You will need to read through the descriptions to find the one that most closely matches your vehicle.

How much you pay for your 20' container depends mainly on (1) port of origin and final destination, (2) how much business you do with your logistics provider / freight forwarder and (3) how good their contract rates are with the steamship lines. As an example, I just pulled out a random BOL and found that my company pays approximately $3400 for a 20' container from Shenzhen to Chicago. It would be cheaper to ship to Cali, more expensive to ship to, say, Kansas or some other destination far from a coast or main transport hub. Btw, this total includes $2500 for the container, plus fees of $75 for customs clearance, $500 container drayage, $100 packing materials, and $250 container stuffing.

I don't know about any "hidden fees", but I can think of a few possible "hidden costs". For example, the exporter in China will get a VAT (value-added tax) rebate from the China government when they export. That rebate runs as high as 14%. So, up to 14% of your purchase price goes back into the exporter's pocket. If you bought through a trading company and not direct, then this is at least part of the trading company's profit on your transaction (in addition to whatever commissions or management fees they're already charging you).

Next, I don't know what your payment terms are, but standard is 30% down with the balance paid net 30 days. So, if your terms are not as good as that, then you have the extra cost of capital to consider.

Next is the risk factor. I don't know if you've done your due diligence on your supplier. Have you actually visited them and seen the factory and the product you're going to buy? Who is handling the pre-shipping quality inspection & approval? What arrangements have you made for after-sale support and returns? Many people think they will save money by "going direct" but it ends up being costlier in the long run. You are usually better off using a US sourcing company as you will probably save time, money and resources in the long run and avoid potentially disasterous pitfalls. I don't mean for this to sound like a sales pitch, but this is what I do for a living. Feel free to call me to discuss it in more detail: 212-847-7175. I'd be glad to offer advice (no obligation!). Good luck! -Hank