Freight forwarders are of great benefit to companies that import products from China. This is due to the fact that Chinese imports have to go through a very complicated process that is also time-consuming.
If you are thinking about how to cut out transporting costs when importing goods from China, then hiring a low-cost yet active and reputable freight forwarder in China is a good starting point.
Larger freight forwarding companies will often be more competent and trustworthy than newly established or smaller businesses overall. They will, however, not be so flexible when it comes to small shipments, and it may be a better decision to opt for a small freight forwarding company rather than a very large one. An experienced freight forwarding agent can help you find the best solution for your shipment.
In this guide, we have created a step by step guide to find a Chinese shipping agent and also listed three popular method to find a forwarder online. Let’s jump right into the subject and see how you can select the best freight forwarder in China.
Step 1: Establish your Freight Forwarding Needs
There are a few questions that you need to ask yourself in order to establish if the freight forwarder you found is right for you. Here are some of the most essential ones:
- Is the freight forwarding company enough, or do you also require a 3PL company to assist you with sourcing, procurement, or transport from factory to export port?
- What type of merchandise will you transport, and in what quantities will you forward it?
- What is the country of origin, and where is the destination port?
- Is your business shipping regularly, or is it not that often?
Addressing these questions will make it so much easier to pick an experienced company to help you with the freight forwarding process.
Step 2: Analyze a Freight Forwarder in Depth
When selecting a freight forwarder, consider following these key points:
Extensive Experience
In your quest to hire a freight forwarder to handle your logistics needs, take into consideration the experience he has, the range of services, the country that he serves, as well as the languages he speaks.
If you are looking on a certain platform for freight forwarders, you will also see their reviews, when they first opened, and essential information regarding their business.
Risk Management
Political variables can affect global transportation. Therefore, time frames can shift sometimes. Your freight forwarder must have the ability to handle unexpected situations with ease and reduce delay times as much as possible. Large freight forwarding companies will also provide cargo insurance to cover any potential liabilities. Make sure to ask for this before you decide on collaborating.
Area of Services Offered
Based on your logistics needs, you may need multiple shipping services, warehousing solutions, and other important logistics services. Talk about your supply chain needs with your freight forwarder and make sure they can accommodate your needs and requirements. Some of the services every business needs when importing goods from China are:
- Pickup
- Delivery
- Customs Clearance
- Inspection
- Repackaging
- Labeling
- Warehousing
Communication & Customer Service
Does your selected freight forwarder speak your language? Do they answer quickly and come up with a solution for your needs? If the answer is yes, then you have found the right partner. Tracking options are also important, so make sure to check if they have that as well.
Licenses, Certifications, and Permits
Freight forwarders need to have various permits for import and export in order to handle your cargo. If you ship hazardous or sensitive cargo, the freight forwarding company will need to have a special permit for that as well. Check if your carrier has all the appropriate licenses before signing the deal.
Step 3: Start working with a Chinese freight forwarder
| Method | Pros | Cons | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search on Alibaba | Find a large number of freight forwarding companies in a short time | Finding a reliable freight forwarding company is very time-consuming | ||
| Search on Search Engines | Able to find a freight forwarder that matches your needs in a short time | Some companies may not accept low demand and small quantity orders | ||
| Search on Chinese Language Platforms | 100% of the companies you found are from mainland China | You have to speak Chinese | ||
Method 1: Search "China Freight Forwarders" on Global Plaforms
Method 2: Search "China Freight Forwarders" on Google
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Type “freight forwarder in China” and take into consideration both sponsored and organic results. Keep in mind that organic results are there because Google considered them the best options over decades of experience, while ads can be run by any company. Just select organic results instead of paid results because Google only rank websites with good reputation.
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You’re easy to match your needs with services the freight forwarder provide, because you can find all information on their websites.
Method 3 : Using Chinese language platforms like 1688 and Baidu B2B
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Step 1: Fill out our form.
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Step 2: Enter all the details, such as origin and destination (port, factory, warehouse, etc.), in the form. Also, mention if you are shipping to an Amazon FBA fulfillment center as the destination.
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Step 3: Mention if it’s FCL or LCL, pallets or boxes quantity, dimensions, units, etc.
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Step 4: Specify the type of products you want to ship, the goods value, if the goods are ready, and if you’re shipping hazardous materials or high-value goods.
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Step 5: Mention any additional services you may require, i.e., customs brokerage, liftgates, bonds, or insurance
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