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For buyers who are importing power cords from China for the first time, here are the list of 10 useful tips from our actual work experience with our customers. These tips will enable you to avoid a lot of unnecessary mistakes and get your work done better.
The first thing that you should know and confirm is the HS code for the power cords in your country customs system.
The main purpose of the HS code is to confirm the category of imported products, so that the import customs can confirm the tariff rate of the product or the preferential tariff policy of the exporting country.
After confirming the tax rate, you can calculate the customs duty that needs to be paid. This duty is the extra cost, in addition to the supplier’s quotation.
For importers or buyers in the United States, you can refer to this website (Harmonized Tariff Schedule Search) to query the code of imported goods. The right HTS codes for Power cords is 8544.42.9090
The second tip is whether the imported power cord products comply with the safety regulations of the importing country or have corresponding electrical certifications.
U.S. power cords must have UL certification, and Canadian power cords must be cUL/CSA certification, which requires your vendors to provide the corresponding UL or CSA certification in order to import goods normally.
If your supplier is unable to provide these certificates, you will face the inability to complete import customs clearance and the goods will be returned to the country of origin.
Regarding your supplier’s quotation, there are several international trade terms you should know, which are related to price composition and risk transfer.Most of the manufacturers’ favorite quotations is based on FOB and CIF term.
FOB price term means that the manufacturer sends the goods to the departure port, and the risk of damage to the goods is transferred to the buyer after the goods cross the ship’s rail, that is, the seller is responsible for the losses caused by the goods before they are loaded on the ship.
FOB term does not include sea freight, insurance and import duties and other inland costs of transportation to the buyer’s warehouse.
CIF term has the same risk transfer as FOB, both of which are transferred to the buyer when the goods cross the ship’s rail. But the CIF term includes ocean freight and ocean insurance rates.
In addition to price terms, buyers need to pay attention to details, especially the power cord specifiaction or descriptions. Be As Specific As Possible.
Please check it if the product described in the offer is consistent with the product requirements you want. such as power plugs types, cable cords types and length,Label or Package information etc.
If a supplier does not have a detailed description or technical parameters of the power cord, it is likely to be an invalid quotation, and it will be better for you to discard this supplier.
Most Chinese manufacturers like to be paid by T/T wire transfer, if it is a large order transaction. For small orders or sample orders, paypal or western union may be accepted.
You can see the corresponding payment method and terms in the supplier’s quotation file.Most Chinese suppliers prefer 30% or less advance payment to start order, balance payment before shipment.
If the two parties have been working together for a long time and have a foundation of trust, you can communicate with the supplier about payment methods such as credit 60 or 90 days payment term.
For Eelectronic products, especially power cord products, samples are really important.First, the sample is the final expression of the product details communicated by both of you. If the sample is OK, it can be used as the basis for mass production of your product.
If the sample is unqualified, the manufacturer needs to re-make the sample for your checking, Rather than a few simple email confirmations,Because which is easy to cause problems and most manufacturers will probably produce according to the previous samples, which will be a big trouble.
Of course, if you need samples, they may charge the sample fee, which is normal. But don’t worry, the manufacturer will also deduct this fee from subsequent bulk orders.
When placing the first batch of orders, try to reduce the quantity as small as possible.
Of course, the supplier may need the minimum order quantity.If it is within the acceptable range, small batch orders can go with MOQ quantity.
Because even if the sample is qualified, there will be some problems in the follow-up production process, if the management of a company is very messy.
At the same time, it is necessary to know as much as possible about the salesperson’s in the company you are talking to.
Many buyers will ignore this. Because you can learn a lot of information about the company through sales.
If the relationship is good, the salesperson will get a lot of benefits, such as better price or payment methods, which will save you a lot of time and experience.Maybe it will be a good work assistant
Before the small batch order is shipped, you can ask the supplier to send you detailed pictures to ensure that there is no problem with the product. Then arrange the balance of the order and ask the manufacturer to send the goods.
Regarding the shipping cost, you can also ask the manufacturer to quote a shipping price for reference. If it is cheaper than your freight forwarder, it will save soem cost. But in the long run, it’s better to have your own freight forwarding company to help you handle transportation, customs clearance, etc.
If you follow our above tips, this kind of thing will rarely happen on you.
But if it does happen, the first thing to know is whether it was caused by the manufacturer deliberately or because of a work management error.You need to send pictures in time to communicate with manufacturers.
If the manufacturer does not recognize it or ignore your email, it can only take legal weapons to protect its rights and interests, and it can be represented by a Chinese lawyer in the litigation.
At the same time you have to prepare for the worst result to change your supplier in time
We hope this article can benifit you and get your work better and better.If you have better suggestions, you can also contact us for discussion and consultation.
Hi, I’m the author of this post, and I have been in this field for more than 10 years. If you want to wholesale UL/cUL power cords or custom power cords, feel free to ask me any questions.
We help you avoid the pitfalls to deliver the quality and value your power cords need, on-time and on-budget.
We will contact you within 12 hours, please pay attention to the email with the suffix “@Chinaqingmin.com”.
