Shipping cost & method
 

We've seen a prior post (from a year ago) about shipping methods from China to the U.S.
Does anyone have specific experience shipping something as heavy as stone Foo Dogs (about 150 pounds total) from either Beijing or Guangzhou?

Generally, what is the cost we can expect and with specifically what kind of shipper; and has anyone tried to ship through the airlines using air freight?

Hy,
I would also be interested in the answers but from Hong Kong to Austria/Europe.
I want to ship my custom made clothes (suits, dress).
thx

For smaller items maybe up to 50kgs ( approx 100 lbs ) best to use the deffered services of the likes of Fedex and UPS, you can set up and account and then they will pick up from you, bill your account, it will all be customs cleared and delivered. For heavier items such as 150lbs you can go thru an air freight agent but it is also worth checking with people like Fedex, it would be more than just normal freight charges but they would handle all the paperwork and it should be stress and worry free, they can handle any weights.

Beware of port charges. I bought a terra cotta warrior at the museum and although shipping was included it was shipped to LA. There I paid a port charge of $180.00. There would have been substantial additional fees had I not lived in LA and been able to pick it up myself. Friends from Detroit had to pay to have their items shipped from LA to Detroit. This was 3 years ago.

You will proably be able to get prices from the likes of Fedex in advance and they should give you a price customs/paperwork included delivered to your door, though you need to check on any import tax but again they should be able to tell you or point you in the right direction to find out, also they can do the packing and insurance.

I am also interested in purchasing a terracotta warrior. Can you tell me what you paid, its dimensions and weight, and what you paid total to get it home?

Thanks so much!!
Ida

Get a copy of The Pleasures and Treasures of China, which gives fairly extensive details on how to ship things home. You can get it from Amazon.com.

Do a LOT of comparison shopping at home before you make a purchase that requires shipping. I just Googled “foo dogs” and “terra cotta warrior replicas” and found lots of site where you can buy them in the US. Even if you have them shipped within the US, this is much cheaper and easier than international shipping, plus you are about 100% sure that the item will be delivered and/or you can use a credit card and therefore don’t have to pay for a failed delivery. I have had some bad experiences with shipping internationally, including occasions when items simply never arrive.

Finding Asian products in the US is so easy now, and stores buy and ship in bulk and so get better prices. If buying in China or elsewhere in SE Asia, you have to figure paying at least as much as you paid for an item to ship it. I saw a website that quoted US$190 per cubic meter (and charged a minimum of one cubic meter no matter the actual size), which may be a good starting point for comparison. Always get insurance, it is worth the extra cost, IMO. Don’t forget about customs duties, as items you do not carry with you are NOT included in your duty-free allowance of US$800 per trip. As noted above, be very sure that shipping is to your door, and not to the nearest port or airport, or consider the time, trouble and possible extra cost of a port or airport pick up when tallying up shipping costs. Pay by credit card so you will have the credit card company’s assistance if the item does not show up.

If you ship by FedEx, make sure you can insure the item, as I don't know that FedEx provides insurance automatically.