To Import or Not, That is the Question!

The single largest change in my business over the past few years is the increasing amount of fabric that I sell that is located overseas. Many of my customers are still afraid to purchase fabrics from overseas and quite frankly, I do not understand why. There is much less available fabric in the states. And reversely, the variety and quality of fabrics available overseas is outstanding. If you think about it, all types of fabrics can be imported and quite often the price of fabrics from other countries is much cheaper than what is available in the United States. Plus, there are no restrictions on what can be brought into the  US and the price for shipping a container of fabric from Asia to the United States is about the same as shipping fabric from California to New York. Which is a bit baffling to me, to be honest.  But don’t jump in too quickly. Keep in mind that the single most important factor you need to know about importing is to work with a well established freight forwarder or logistics company. One of my favorites is TransGroup International. I work with them often and like that they are a full service company with offices worldwide, including over 10 offices in China alone! A good logistics company will handle everything from picking up the freight overseas to the delivery of the fabric to your door. On the overseas side, they will work with the shipper to get the proper documents as well as submit the documents to a customs broker that will handle the actual entry and clear your fabric once it gets to the United States. They take on a lot and help you avoid the headache of dealing with customs. Phew.  However, if that sounds intimidating, don’t worry, you can still take advantage of purchasing fabrics that are located overseas. Work with a US sales agent for the mill or convertor you want to purchase from. This eliminates any communication barriers, which we all know can be a major challenge, and many times the sales agent will handle the shipping and actual importing of fabrics for you.

If you are ready to take the plunge, and would like to begin importing but have further questions about the actual process, check out the US Customs website, US Department of Commerce Office of Textiles and Apparel website or the US International Trade Commission website. After you take it all in, you’ll be surprised at how ready you’ll feel!