Importing from China feels easy… until the shipping starts
Something I keep noticing with importers sourcing from China and Southeast Asia:
Many don’t actually lose money on product cost.
They lose money on:
*delays *poor communication *surprise charges *unclear shipping terms *suppliers who disappear after cargo is ready *forwarders who only explain problems after they happen
Especially with EXW shipments, a lot of importers underestimate how complicated things become once cargo leaves the factory.
I’ve seen shipments where:
*the factory wasn’t ready on time *trucking got delayed before cutoff *customs paperwork was incomplete *Amazon appointments took days longer than expected *storage charges started accumulating immediately
The frustrating part is: Most of these issues are predictable before shipment starts.
But many importers only discover the risks when the cargo is already delayed.
Feels like a lot of people sourcing from Asia are forced to learn logistics the hard way.