Whether you import clothing, books, gym equipment, medical goods, finished appliances or sub-assemblies, the likelihood is that your firm will at least have looked into the Chinese market for such items. The fact is that China is able to produce goods in many commodity classes to a high standard at a relatively low cost.
However, something that puts many British importing firms off the Far East is that it will take a great deal of time and effort to get their orders out of the country and into the UK. This shouldn’t be the case though because it is possible to import freight from China to the UK cost-effectively. How?
Get Expert, High-Value Help
To begin with, many CEOs of smaller businesses need to know that they don’t have to become experts in Chinese exportation rules, Mandarin language documentation or international shipping regulations to use suppliers in China. Indeed, they won’t need to hire an expert to deal with all of the associated customs clearance work and freight movements for them because all of this work can be outsourced successfully in the UK.
According to a freight forwarding firm based in Essex, Barrington Freight, most British exporters continue to use their services long after they’ve become accustomed to importing from China because the service can be procured as and when it is needed. In other words, it becomes part of the operational costs only when importing freight from China and not a constant overhead that needs to be factored in whether overseas goods are ordered or not.
Choose Seaborne Containerised Shipments
Ports like Shanghai, Shenzhen, Qingdao and Dalian are geared up for shipments to the UK. As such, British exporters don’t need to rely on suppliers in their traditional trading partner cities like Hong Kong. Not only are Chinese exporters ready to deal with British buyers in locations throughout the People’s Republic nowadays but containerisation at the country’s biggest ports means getting goods out of the country is inexpensive.
Even if you don’t have a full container load to ship, the costs of loading goods onto a vessel bound for Europe at the largest ports in the country are lower than you might think. Much cheaper than air or road freight – both of which are viable options, too – containerised sea freight usually only means having to wait six to seven weeks for goods to arrive in British waters.
Groupage Shipments and Economies of Scale
A groupage shipment might take a little longer than ordering your own container to be sent to the UK from China. However, they can often be arranged within a couple of weeks so don’t usually take a great deal more time.
The big advantage of grouping your order with others passing through the same Chinese port for the UK is that you can benefit from a dramatic economy of scale. Nearly all of the freight costs will be shared without compromising the safety or security of your order.
If you don’t need an entire container to yourself, why would you not take advantage of this highly affordable shipping method?