Choosing the Best Freight Forwarder for Your China Imports
As we are all aware, you should look in China if you want to get any product at lower prices. China is the global hub for importing many types of products, including safety pins for airplane parts. The varieties of products are more and also the size of every containment will differ. Hence, to take care of the condition of the products, you should hire the best China freight forwarder. The selected company should be professional and have experience in forwarding different products to different vendors.
1. What Is Freight Forwarding?
2. Why Do I Need A Freight Forwarder When Buying From China?
3. Why Is Freight Forwarder Important?
4. What Are Freight Forwarder Services?
5. How Does a Freight Forwarder Work?
6. Things to Note Before Choosing a Chinese Freight Forwarder
7. What Is the Freight Forwarder Bill of Lading?
8. Best Way to Find Freight Forwarder in China
9. How Much Should It Cost Freight Forwarders from China to FBA?
10. Top 10 Freight Forwarders list in China
10.1 COSCO SHIPPING Logistics Co., Ltd
10.2 CTS International Logistics Corporation Limited
10.3 Kerry Logistics Network Limited
10.4 Zhongfa (Tianjin) Shipping Co. Ltd.
10.5 China Railway Express Co., Ltd
10.6 Bansar
10.7 SINO Shipping
10.8 TJ China Freight Co., Ltd
10.9 Ningbo Tongze International logistics Co., Ltd
10.10 China Freight
11. What Makes HunterSourcing Different?
12. Conclusion
You have landed on the right page if you are unsure who the best China freight forwarder is. Here, we will discuss everything that assists you in selecting the top China freight forwarder for your imports.
What Is Freight Forwarding?
Before jumping into looking at the best forwarder, let us understand the freight forwarding process in short. Freight forwarding is a key activity that is involved in the import process. Freight forwarding is a process under which the freight forwarder coordinates and ships the goods from one country or one place to another.
The mode of transportation can be various, including marine, rail, road, or air. The freight forwarder can be a company, an agency, or a single person. In other words, a forwarder, freight forwarder or forwarding company, or forwarding agency is a company or a person that coordinates and ships products for corporates or individuals to receive products from producers to the customers, markets, or distributors.
Now let us look at the best China freight forwarder to get your imported goods from China.
Why Do I Need A Freight Forwarder When Buying From China?
Cheap
Since China enjoys the benefit of lower labor costs, lower expenses, lower exchange rates, and other factors, you can get freight forwarding services in China at lower prices. These factors don’t only make the shipping charges low but also the holding charges.
Agility
The Chinese freight forwarding company or agent will be generally agile since there is more competition in this field. This agility will help you even if you change your plan without prior notice.
Flexibility And Efficiency
To import goods from China, you must go through many paperwork, documentation, and local requirements. To perform all these things, you need a local freight forwarder. Language can also become a big barrier while transacting in China.
Personalized Services
The freight forwarder will take care of your complete logistic operations, and they can offer one-to-one services. It will help them to understand your needs more precisely.
Why Is Freight Forwarder Important?
Many people still think that hiring a China freight forwarder is an unnecessary cost that reduces the margin. And they think they can only handle shipping since only logistics is the thing the freight forwarder is good at. But there are many other benefits of freight forwarders, as listed below.
Save Time & Energy
The biggest thing in your import business is how quickly you can import the products and make them available to the customers. If you hire the services of a freight forwarder, you can get the products more quickly than if you try to involve in the logistics. This is because the freight forwarders will have good contact in the transportation industry.
The freight forwarder will be the regular customer for the logistics company, and they will prioritize the request of the freight forwarder over someone new and one-time customer. Hence, hiring the best China freight forwarder is necessary if you want to save energy and time.
Save Money: Cost-Effective
If you are new to the shipping business, getting the lowest prices for shipping services will be difficult. And another challenge is there will be many logistics companies and modes of transport to choose from. If you are a newbie in this field, it is tough to decide the optimum mode of transport and the best logistics company.
On the other hand, selecting the best freight forwarder will help reduce the logistics’ overall cost. Even after paying the charges of the freight forwarder, the cost will become less than undertaking these activities by yourself.
Experience
There is no substitute for experience. If you are new to importing business, it won’t be easy to decide the best mode of transport and the correct logistic partner. The freight forwarders will be excelled in performing these activities since all these tasks are their day-to-day activities. Hence, hiring a freight forwarder will help to save time, energy, and money.
Local Knowledge Customs and Export Regulations at the Point of Origin
China is the best place to source all types of products; however, the biggest barrier is language and local customs and culture. If you don’t speak Chinese, it is hard to coordinate the logistics activities and get the products in your country.
Also, you need to be aware of the local customs and export regulations if you want to import. Hence, if you take the services of a freight forwarder, they help you in making the import process effortless.
Goods Consolidations
It is well known that it is often hard to find all the products or the varieties of the same product in a single place. If you import different products from different places, collecting the goods from all the sources and consolidating them can become a nightmare task.
But if you hire a freight forwarder, you can forget this issue since they can help you consolidate all the products. Also, there will be a difference in the date of collection of products, and hence you need good warehousing services; this will be taken care of by the freight forwarder.
Multimodal Transportation
You can import products from China through many modes of transportation. The mode of transportation depends on various things such as type of product, urgency in getting the products, weight, and size of the goods, etc.
Depending on the nature, urgency, and size of the goods, the freight forwarders will help determine the best mode so that you can get the goods in time. They can ship using the road, air, train, and through the ocean.
What Are Freight Forwarder Services?
If you are new to the importing business in China, without the help of a freight forwarder will become difficult. Hence, many importers select the best China freight shipping method and companies to make the process easier. This is why freight forwarding service becomes essential. Let us look at the services a freight forwarder offers to every importer.
1. Sea Freight Forwarding Services
If you are looking to hire an ocean freight forwarder, that can be a great decision since they help you take all the tasks involved in sea shipments. In sea freight forwarding always involves many activities such as transporting the products to the dock, loading the goods, booking the containers, etc. Hence, many importers opt for the services of the best sea freight agent to avoid all these headaches.
Container Forwarding Services
In sea forwarding services, the freight forwarder does many activities, and container forwarding services are one of them. It involves determining the best type of container depending on the size and quantities of goods.
FCL Shipping
FCL shipping or Full Container Load is needed when you have goods in larger quantities. In FCL shipment, a single party owns the complete container, and all the goods contained inside the container are of a single purchaser.
LCL Shipping
LCL shipping or Less than Container Load is needed if you have products in fewer quantities. This container is also called a consolidated container since many parties’ goods are contained inside a container. Hence, if the load of the goods is less, the freight forwarder chooses the LCL shipping method.
2. Air Freight Forwarding Services
Freight forwarder companies generally have both specialists in air freight forwarding and all modes of transportation specialists. The air freight forwarder help to determine what is the best air vehicle and all other aspect included in that process.
The air freight agent will have complete knowledge of air transportation, and they generally do not indulge in other modes of transportation. Hence, if you hire an air freight agent, you can get specialized services.
The activities involved in air freight forwarding need to be performed by the people who know this to make the process smoother.
3. Rail Freight Forwarding
Rail freight forwarding is one of the oldest and cheapest ways of getting the product delivered to your doorstep. However, this method arrives with some of the limitations. You can only avail of this service if your place can be reached by land. Or you can ask the freight forwarder to transport using rail and then select the convenient mode if there is no more option to transport through rail.
4. Express Freight
If you are importing perishable products quickly, you must select express freight services. The products such as medicine, fruits, vegetables, meat, and other food products should be transported using express freight. Under this method, the importer can get the goods on short notice. The freight forwarding company or agency will also offer these services to the importers.
5. Amazon FBA Freight Forwarder
Amazon FBA or Amazon Fulfillment By Amazon is a service where Amazon picks, packs, and ships products to the customer. In this service, the products will be stored in the fulfillment centers of Amazon. Amazon has the most advanced fulfillment network in the world. You can find the best Amazon FBA freight forwarder in China if you search through various available means. FBA freight forwarder assists the sellers by transporting the goods from overseas factories to the Amazon distribution center locations. The FBA freight forwarder helps to organize, warehouse, and take care of logistics.
6. Door to Door Freight Forwarder
China freight forwarder also provides door-to-door freight forwarding service. That means freight forwarders deliver the goods from the seller’s factory or warehouse to the buyers’ warehouse or transportation center. From here, the buyer will store the goods and send them to the end customer’s location. To carry out these transportation services, the freight forwarder can use any of the transportation modes.
How Does Freight Forwarder Work?
The import process, paperwork, rules, and regulations about international trade look daunting for many traders, especially if you are new to international trade. Luckily, you can get hassle-free importing with the help of a freight forwarder. Freight forwarders take care of these activities on your behalf. Sometimes, it looks like an additional cost, but in fact, it can save you money, time, and energy.
Things to Note Before Choosing a Chinese Freight Forwarder
If you look for the best forwarder agent in China, you must consider many things to make your importing process effortless. Let us look at everything essential while choosing the freight forwarder.
Port Location
The port location is an important factor in the freight forwarding business. You can find several local freight forwarders in China, most of them situated near the ports. You can find freight forwarders mainly in industrial areas. Hence, you can find people searching with Shenzhen freight forwarder, Ningbo freight forwarder, Qingdao freight forwarder, and Guangzhou freight forwarder, keywords.
Registered Capital
The registered capital of the freight forwarding company is important since it let you know the worthiness of the agency or company. The higher the registered capital, the more resources they will have to facilitate and provide good services.
Always freight forwarding companies are required to pay for different modes of transport. Hence registered capital and working capitals are important for every company. So, it is always better to choose a company with good financials to avoid delays in receiving the goods. Sometimes the companies with fewer resources delay the shipment process until they receive payment from other sellers.
Location
The company location is close to the coastal port is essential. If the company is located near the port, the transportation cost will be greatly reduced. Hence, if your products are sourced from a factory near a port, make sure to choose the freight forwarder in the same location if every other consideration is met.
Business Scope
Safety
The freight forward service provider must offer all the safety features. It is the foremost important thing since if they follow all the safety measures, you can rely upon their services and be free from all worries. The more safety precautions a forwarding company takes, the more security will be there for you.
Business Advantage
The freight forwarding company must have a business advantage. This will come if they are experienced in the freight forwarding business for many years. One of the business advantages is the good contact with logistic companies; it will help get the shipping prices lesser than other competitors.
Price
The price of the freight forwarding services is significant since if the service provider quotes a higher price, the per-unit cost will increase, and consequently, it will reduce your profit margin. So, you need to compare the prices of different freight forwarding companies and opt for the cheaper one.
Easy to Communicate
It is hard to understand better and communicate if the freight forwarder will not speak English or your language. Hence, you must find a freight forwarder who can speak your language and offer multiple ways of communication. The communication method should offer all the standard ways of communication, including call, and email services.
What Is the Freight Forwarder Bill of Lading?
The bill of lading of a freight forwarder is a document used in ocean shipment and other shipment modes. It is signed and issued by a freight forwarder and contains evidence of shipment and the terms and conditions of the shipping contract.
How to Find a Good Freight Forwarder Import from China?
To make your import process smoother, you need to find the best freight forwarder. However, the challenge is finding the right method to find the top-rated freight forwarder. So, let us look at the best ways to find freight forwarders in China.
Best Way to Find Freight Forwarder in China
Finding a freight forwarder in China is easy, but sometimes it can be tricky. The common ways to find freight forwarders in China are as follows.
Google Search
This is the most common way to find freight forwarders in China. Searching on Google is always a great way to find almost anything in the modern-day, and it applies to finding freight forwarders. You can search with the right keyword to land on the websites of freight forwarders, or you can get the guideposts like this to find the freight forwarder.
Trade Shows
Every year in China, you can see many organized trade shows. If you visit such trade shows, you can contact the top freight forwarders, manufacturers, sourcing agents, etc. These trade shows will help you in knowing the freight forwarders in a better way.
Yellow Pages
Yellow pages contain the name, addresses, and contact details of all the major businesses; hence it is also a reliable and good way to find the freight forwarder for your import business.
Sourcing Agent
The best way to find freight forwarding services is through sourcing agents. The sourcing agents will help you in the end-to-end import business, from identifying the source to delivering the goods to your doorstep.
How Much Should It Cost to Freight Forwarders from China to FBA?
The answer to this question depends on various things. Hence, it is impossible to quote the exact cost for freight forwarding services. If you send the products to USA FBA, you can expect roughly around $4 per kg using air freight.
How To Use a Freight Forwarder with Your China Supplier?
If you let the freight forwarder about your source, a freight forwarder will help you take care of the shipping part of it.
Top 10 Freight Forwarders list in China
1 COSCO SHIPPING Logistics Co., Ltd
Cosco Shipping Logistics is a subsidiary of Cosco Shipping group limited. This group is one of the largest logistics companies in China and performing these activities for many years. This company is well known for providing professional and complete logistics services to customers abroad and domestically. They have complete supply chain solutions, and hence it is one of the reputed logistics partners of many multinational companies, government organizations, etc. Without a doubt, this company will be on the list of the best China freight forwarders list.
2 CTS International Logistics Corporation Limited
If you are looking for the best forwarder in China, you will stumble upon CTS International Logistics Corporation Ltd. This Chinese freight forwarder was founded in 1984, and since then, they are leading the freight forwarding business. It was listed in the Shanghai stock market in 2012, and hence you can rely on its services. It has over 90 branches and covers major ports in China, and has a presence in the United States, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, United Kingdom, etc.
3 Kerry Logistics Network Limited
Kerry Logistics is another reliable shipping forwarder in China. It has a great presence in many emerging markets of the world. It has localized supply chain solutions in India, China, the Middle East, LATAM, and other locations. It has a presence in over 60 countries, and this company has solid financial stability. In 2020 it generated HK$53 billion in revenue. If you search in the list of the best freight forwarding companies in China, you will find this company for sure.
4 Zhongfa (Tianjin) Shipping Co. Ltd.
This company is the best freight forwarder in China to USA Amazon. It is a first-class forwarding company in China, and it is approved by the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Economic Cooperation. It has active partnerships with many domestic and international airlines as well as other modes of transportation. They offer good China international freight services to domestic and overseas clients.
5 China Railway Express Co., Ltd
China Railway Express Co. Ltd. is one of the best Shanghai freight forwarders who are excelled in the freight forwarding business. This Chinese forwarder is excelled in providing freight forwarding business. They offer all modes of transportation to domestic and overseas customers. Without a doubt, it is the best forwarder company in China.
6 Bansar
Bansar is the leading China shipping forwarder and has rich expertise in shipping all types of goods from China to many countries using sea, railway, and air transportation. This company is also known for providing freight forwarding services at very reasonable prices. Hence, this forwarder in Chinese is a good choice if you have limited capital and want better services.
7 SINO Shipping
SINO Shipping was established in 2003 and is the proud owner of offering international shipping and logistics services to many companies. This China freight company is globally recognized and comprises many experienced freight forwarders. They are proficient in French, English, and Chinese, so you can easily reach out to them to clarify your doubts. Hence, language will not be a barrier with this freight agent in China.
8 TJ China Freight Co., Ltd
If you are looking for the best cargo agent in China, you can stop searching once you find TJ China Freight Co. Ltd. It is famous among traders for cost-efficient logistics solutions for their LCL, FCL, and air cargo. They are also well known as the best FBA freight forwarder in China.
9 Ningbo Tongze International logistics Co., Ltd
Ningbo Tongze International Logistics is the best freight forwarder in China. This company was approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the Republic of China with NVOCC qualification. They offer efficient services to many international customers and hence it is the popular choice when it comes to shipping from China to the USA. The key to their success is because of their experienced employees.
10 China Freight
This company is the best freight forwarder in China to the USA. This company was founded in 2012 and is devoted to offering personalized and efficient logistics services to many companies on a budget. That is the reason why this company is the number one choice for freight forwarders from China to the USA. They also offer good customer service to their clients.
What Makes HunterSourcing Different?
If you are still unable to decide the best freight forwarder for your import from China, you should not worry since huntersourcing is the best freight forwarder for you. Let us look at why we recommend huntersourcing.
10 Years of Professional Freight Forwarding Experience
The more time you spend in any field, the more expertise will increase in that field. Huntersourcing is in the freight forwarding business for over a decade, and hence you can get the services based on vast experience. It will help get lower prices and, more importantly, the knowledge of tackling different scenarios. It is known as one of the best China freight forwarders in China, and the happy customers prove that.
Order Follow Up
Often, manufacturers will get orders from many buyers. Hence usually, it is crucial to follow up regarding the order status to get the products on time. Otherwise, it will pave the way for unnecessary delays. Hunterosurcing will help you follow up with the manufacturer about the production and ensure getting the goods as planned.
Quality Inspection
Inspecting the goods is always necessary even though you picked up some samples before placing an order. Quality inspection is needed in various stages of production, and huntersourcing will help you perform those inspections on your behalf.
Print & Stick Labeling
If you want to label your brand name on the packages and deliver them directly to customers without making anything by yourself, huntersourcing will help you achieve that. Huntersourcing will print and stick the labels on the packages to create awareness about your brand to the users.
Repackaging
Manufacturers send the packages to you or your freight forwarder. But many times, the packaging will be shabby and requires repackaging to make it better. Hence, huntersourcing will make this task efficient and ensure the goods are packed inside good packages and printed and labeled as per your requirements.
Pickup and Delivery
Huntersourcing will help you pick up the products from your source and deliver them to your doorstep at reasonable prices.
Goods Consolidation
If you have many products and different manufacturers to source them, then the goods consolidation problem arises. Hence, if you want to escape from this problem, you can take services from huntersourcing. It helps to consolidate goods from many sources and warehouse until it is ready to ship.
Deconsolidation
Many logistics Warehouse in China offers consolidation services, but only a few are good at deconsolidation. Huntersourcing helps to separate goods from LCL shipments to prepare for their final delivery.
China Freight Insurance
Insurance is a great instrument to get cover against an unexpected turn of events. This becomes crucial in international trade. Huntersourcing will help to get you freight insurance at a lower premium with maximum benefits.
On-Time Delivery
Delivering the products at the right time is important to meet the demand of the customers. Huntersourcing will help to meet that requirement.
Customs Brokerage
Huntersourcing provides services at competitive prices to all customers. Hence, you need not pay higher customs brokerage to get all the benefits.
Operational Efficiency and Flexibility
Sometimes, customers’ requirements can change instantly, and need great efficiency and flexibility to get the products at the right time. Huntersourcing is good at flexibility and provides great services with the help of efficient professionals.
24/7 Online Support & Free Quote
You can contact huntersourcing to get a free quote. The customer service is also of exceptional quality, and you can get 24 hours of customer service in a day. Hence, you can expect a hassle-free experience from huntersourcing.
Conclusion
After seeing everything so far, now you can understand why it is so important to hire a China freight forwarder to make importing from China a smooth process. However, sometimes it can be trickier if you are unaware of where to look for the best freight forwarder and the method of finding them. After reading this post, we hope you can become free from all the tensions and problems associated with that.
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