Importing from China to Ireland -The Definitive Guide

Have you been having problems importing from China to Ireland?

Problems such as lack of adequate information may prove a challenge when importing from China to Ireland.

But you don’t have to worry anymore. Here is a guide that solves all your problems when importing from China to Ireland.

In this guide, we give you a simple walkthrough into the details of a door to door shipping from China.

Sea freight from China to Ireland

To help mitigate factors such as importing huge volume of goods from China to Ireland conveniently, you can use ocean shipment.

This kind of shipment is ideal if you are not in urgent need of your goods.

Furthermore, by using ocean freight, you can import virtually anything from China to Ireland.

The other advantage when using ocean freight is the cost.
Ocean freight is relatively cheaper when you compare to air shipment implying that you will save by using it.

However, you will have to factor in time when importing using ocean freight.

This is because ocean freight normally takes time to arrive in Ireland from China.

You will, therefore, have to make prior arrangements before settling on ocean freight.

Air freight from China to Ireland

The advantage of shipping your goods via air from China to Ireland is that your goods will take the shortage of time to arrive.

If you are in urgent need of your import, this is the best option that you can use.

Also, if you are importing sensitive goods such as jewelry and weapons, then this is the secure way of shipping them.

However, shipping via air has several limitations.

First, the cost of shipping via air is relatively high.

You, therefore, need to factor in this cost when choosing which method to import your goods.

Another limitation that you will have is that there is a limit to the volume of goods that you can import.

This can be serious when you are in urgent need of a large volume of gods.

Ireland Import Duty and Tariffs

There are several taxes that you will incur while importing your cargo.

These taxes and duties will depend on the kind of imports you are bringing into Ireland from China.

It is important to understand these duties as they will affect the cost of your goods when you import them.

Here is a look at the duties and taxes that you will pay when importing different kinds of goods.

The basis upon which the customs will use to calculate your taxes and duties is the CIF value of your imports.
The customs will do this at the port of entry of your goods.

The customs will use the Harmonized system to classify your goods according to the customs duties that you need to pay.

The average customs duty that you will pay on your imports is 8% which depends on the goods you are importing.

If you are importing raw materials, you won’t have to pay any customs duty.

You will have to pay an exercise tax which varies depending on the kind of import you are bringing to Ireland.

On top of these, you will have to pay a standard VAT rate of 23% on your imports.

However, there are goods which you can import without paying VAT.

Such goods include books and children clothes.

Also, you won’t have to pay customs duty on certain goods.

How to Buy from Alibaba to Ireland?

1) Select a product to import
2) Search for potential suppliers
3) Supplier interaction
4) Cost consideration
5) Choosing your supplier
6) Port of origin and port of destination selection
7) Goods collection

• Why Import Products from China to Ireland

Here, we unpack all the relevant information so that you are confident when importing from China to Ireland.

Have a look.

Chapter 1: Why Import Products from China to Ireland

One of the frequent questions that I encounter is – why should I import goods from China to Ireland?

Though it is an important question, the truth is, there are many benefits of importing your goods from China.

Here is a look at some of these benefits.

1. Reduction in cost

The key benefit of importing from China is that you can reduce your total cost.

This cost includes the cost you would have incurred producing the goods in Ireland.

The production cost of Chinese goods is much cheaper than you producing the same goods in Ireland.

With this in mind, you can cut cost which is the main objective of all importers.

2. Unique products

Chinese manufacturers offer unique products that you can import to Ireland.

The advantage of having unique products is that you will have a unique niche for your products.

To be able to utilize this opportunity ultimately, you need first to conduct market research to understand the market needs.

Once you have known what the market needs, you can go ahead and import your cargo from China.

3. Increase in profit

The main intention of any importer importing goods from China to Ireland is to make a profit.

You achieve this by choosing unique products which are fast selling in Ireland.

The more customers buy your goods, the higher the profit you make.

Also, the products in China are cheap, and when you add up with the shipping cost, you will notice that the cost is lower.

The implication of this is that you will be able to increase your profit margin through importing from China.

4. A wide range of goods

The availability of a wide range of manufacturers in China implies that you can virtually import anything from China.

Chinese manufacturers can produce different versions of the same product.

This gives you the advantage of selecting a product that will suit the market that you want to venture in.

5. Importing quality products from China to Ireland

If there is one thing that your clients will appreciate is the kind of quality of your goods that you will import from China to Ireland.

Chinese manufacturers can produce high-quality goods at a relatively low cost.

Proper planning and analyzing of the market are important before you realize the benefits of importing.

Don’t be in a rush to import anything to benefit from importing from China to Ireland.

Chapter 2: Top Imports from China to Ireland

If you want to engage in the importation business, you will have to look for top imports from China to Ireland.

These are goods that will sell quickly and give you a high-profit return.

The advantage of going for the top imports is that it will save you of the inventory cost.

You won’t have to spend a lot looking for a warehouse since you will be importing to sell.

But what are these top imports?

Let’s have a look at the answer to this question in this segment.

• This includes any legally approved medicines in Ireland.
• Under this, you can import different types of machinery including agricultural machinery like tractors, heavy industrial machinery or even basic home appliance machinery.
• Electrical and electronic appliances. This may include simple appliances such as home theatre and television sets to heavy appliances such as transformers computers and laptops.

Under this, you can also import items like spare parts for a variety of electrical and electronic device.

• Beauty products. This is an attractive market segment for women that you can target your imports. Among the products that you can import under this include perfumes and cosmetic products.
• Medical apparatus. If you are in the medical field, you can import various products under this. For instance, you can import lifesaving machines such as medical ventilators, incubators, and anesthetic machines.

You can also import diagnostic machines like ultrasound and MRI machines, PET and CT scanners, and x-ray machines.

Lastly, under this category, you can import medical laboratory equipment

• Organic chemicals. The agricultural sector can benefit from the importation of organic chemicals from China to Ireland. These are important in the agricultural sector as they help increase the yields of the farm.
• Aircraft and spacecraft. Importing these goods include the importation of their spare parts as well. They are important in the aviation industry
• Perishable products. This covers a wide of your imports. You can import animal products from China to India including milk, meat including goat, bovine and pig meat, cheese and butter.

You can also import poultry products such as eggs.

Apart from that, honey is in high demand in Ireland which makes it an important import you can choose from China to India.

• Industrial Chemicals. If you want to specialize in industries, you can import industrial chemicals from China to India. Industries use these chemicals for the various manufacturing process.
• Specializing in this category involves the importation of vehicles and motorcycles.

Chapter 3: Customs Clearance Ireland – How it Affects Importing from China to Ireland

For the safe imports of your goods, you need to be careful when dealing with the customs authorities in Ireland.

Complying with the customs implies that you will have your goods as soon as possible.

However, failure to comply with the customs will mean that your goods will have to be confiscated by the customs.

You may also have to pay fines for these delays.

To prevent such issues, let me take you through the customs clearance in Ireland.

3.1. Prohibited and Restricted Imports from China to Ireland

While you can import goods of your liking from China to Ireland, there are some goods which you cannot import to Ireland.

These include restricted and prohibited goods in Ireland.

Restricted goods are those which you can import only after receiving a necessary permit from authorities in Ireland.

These goods include the following:

• Animals, Animal Products and remedies
• Wrappers and bags
• Books and periodic publications
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Explosives, firearms, and ammunition
• Endangered Species
• Drugs
• Dairy products
• Footwear
• Iron and steel products
• Medicinal products
• Any pesticide
• China Porcelain
• Seed potatoes
• Plant and plant products
• Radioactive substances
• Tobacco
• Traps and snare
• Tableware and kitchenware
• Waste
• Wild animals

On the other hand, prohibited goods are goods which you cannot import to Ireland.

The customs will confiscate these goods if you import them.

They include the following

• Any product that has traces of biocide dimethylfumarate (DMF)
• Counterfeit and imitations
• Pornography and indecency or obscene materials
• Collectible coins
• Copyrights
• False Trademarks
• Smokeless tobacco
• Offensive weapons
• Food imitations

3.2. Ireland Import Requirements and Documentation

Documentations will help facilitate the customs clearance of your goods from China to Ireland.

You will, therefore, need to have all the proper documents when clearing your goods in Ireland.

The following are the important documents that you need to have when clearing your goods in Ireland

· Certificate of origin

You will need a certificate of origin when importing from China to Ireland to indicate where the imports are coming from.

In this case, you will indicate your imports are coming from China.

The certificate helps the customs authority in estimating the trade volume between countries.

It also helps in cases where there is a trade agreement with a particular country as well as a basis for Tax calculations.

· Commercial Invoice

A commercial invoice is a document that indicates the value of your goods.

Among the information that you will find include the value of your imports and the total quantity, you are importing.

It must also indicate the value of each unit of your import if possible.

The importance of this document is to enable the customs to estimate the value of duties and taxes that you are to pay.

You need to ensure that your supplier indicates the correct information to avoid cases of paying incorrect taxes and duties.

· Airway bill or Bill of lading

The airway bill or bill of lading is a document which the carrier of your goods will issue your forwarder.

In the case of air, the carrier will issue out an airway bill while a bill of lading in the case of ocean shipment.

The bill of lading has vital information that the customs require.

Such information includes the value of the goods as well as the nature and quantity of the goods you are importing.

They will use this document as a cross-reference document when estimating the duties and taxes that you will pay.

It is therefore important to ensure that the information of this document is the same information as that of the Commercial invoice.

· Special permits

In case you are importing goods that are regulated, you will need to have a special permit depending on which goods you are importing.

The purpose of these documents is to give importing access to your goods.

Besides this, there are special documents that you will need to have when importing from China to Ireland.

For instance, you will need to have agricultural certification when you are importing any agricultural product.

Some of these agricultural documentations include Sanitary certificate which checks into the safety of foodstuffs that you import to Ireland.

· Single Administrative Document

The Single Administrative Document is an important document when importing to Ireland as it acts as the import declaration form.

The information that you will find in this document includes the nature of the goods.

You will also find the harmonization code and the customs procedure code.

The customs will use these codes to classify your goods according to the taxes that you are to pay.

You will also find your information or that of the person you have designated to do customs clearance for you.

You or your customs broker will be responsible for filling of this document which you can either do manually or electronically.

3.3. Ireland Customs Regulations and Clearance Process

Let me take you through the customs clearance process and the regulations that will affect your imports to Ireland from China.

First, when importing your goods from China to Ireland, you or your customs broker will have to fill a Single Administrative Document.

This is a requirement for all importers to the Eu to which Ireland is a signatory.

You can do this electronically via the Revenue’s Automated Entry Processing (AEP) system.

Always ensure that you check the type of goods you are importing to ensure they comply with the customs regulations.

That is, if you are importing restricted goods, ensure that you have the required permits.

If you are importing goods that require testing before getting into Ireland, ensure that you do so and you have the approval certificates.

Again, ensure that what you are importing is not among the prohibited items.

Before the customs release your goods, you need to pay the necessary taxes and duties.

You can do this using Electronic fund transfer.

Ensure that you have paid the total duties and taxes.

By doing this, you minimize situations that can lead to a delay in releasing your goods.

While submitting your taxes and duties, please ensure that you accompany them with all the required documents.

These documents are listed above as such you can go through them.

There are no general requirements when it comes to the labeling of your imports.

However, you need to ensure that your manufacturer or supplier includes the name of the manufacturer and their address the label.

The standardization mark of quality needs to be on the label.

The Irish authorities encourage the use of multilingual your import labels.

The packaging requirements for your imports are simple.

First, they need to conform to the EU standards that address such issues like human health safety.

The packaging also needs to consider the environment like waste management.

Also, if you are using wood to package your imports, it will have to undergo phytosanitary inspection.

You can import samples duty-free from China to Ireland, and such samples are valid for up to a year.

For a product to qualify as a sample, you will have to include a mark that will render it useless for future usage.

Such marks may include perforations on the product or cuttings on the product.

However, the customs will require that you deposit security with them for the period the goods shall be in the country.

The value of this security shall be 10% of the value of the duties and taxes that you would have paid if they were not samples.

Chapter 4: Calculate Cost of Importing from China to Ireland

Cost plays an integral part of your importation.

Even before you start importing your goods, you need to have an estimate of the cost that you are going to spend.

Lack of proper accounting of your importation cost may lead you into trouble.

For instance, you may not be able to clear your goods at the post.

You may also be at a disadvantage when purchasing goods in China.

This is because you may be forced to settle for cheap quality or less quantity of the goods that you wanted.

Let’s go through the costs that you will encounter during the process of importing your goods from China to Ireland.

4.1. Know Buying Price of Imports in China

To be able to import your products from China, you need to be able to know what buying price you are going to buy these goods.

There are several advantages to doing this.

For instance, you can plan well on the total cost that you are going to incur.

The importance of this is to ensure a smooth flow of your importation.

Different suppliers offer different prices for your goods.

Of course, this does not imply that you settle for the supplier who offers the least price.

You need to factor in other elements.

For instance, you need to consider the incentives the suppliers offer such as discounts and payment terms.

Another element you need to consider before choosing a buying price for your goods is the lead time of production.

A supplier may offer low price but takes long to deliver the goods which may disrupt your activities.

The buying price will have to consider the quality of your goods.

When it comes to Chinese goods, you will always have different quality of the same product at different prices.

You, therefore, need to be careful when choosing a buying price for your goods.

Before settling on a price, I would recommend that you request for samples from your supplier.

You will be in a position to check if the quality matches the one that you need hence settling for that buying price.

4.2. Estimate Shipping from China to Ireland Costs

Shipping cost is an important cost element that you need to consider to ensure a smooth process of importation.

You will incur different shipping cost depending on the volume of your goods and the container you will be using.

To be able to understand this, here is a look at the shipping cost of different containers from China.

I have arranged this according to different ports of origin in China and destination in Ireland.

Shipping a 20 ft container from China to Ireland

Shipping a 40 ft container

Shipping an OOCL container

During the period of your importation, you will come across several Incoterms which you need to understand them.

Here is a walk through to these incoterms.

· FOB

Free on Board is an incoterm that gives you control over the shipment of your goods.

The advantage of this is that it allows you to look for a carrier for your goods and negotiate with them.

You will be responsible for selecting an insurance cover for your goods as well as meeting the custom requirements at the customs.

Other responsibilities include freight payment and paying for your transportation cost from your port of destination to your address.

Your supplier pays for availing your goods to the port of destination including transportation fee.

The loading of your goods to the carrier and clearing your goods at the customs at the port of origin is the function of your supplier.

· CIF

Cost Insurance and Freight is an incoterm that allows you to pay for the cost of your cargo as well as clearing with the customs at your port of destination.

You will also have to make arrangements for transporting your goods from the port to your address.

Your supplier, on the other hand, avails the goods at the port of origin as well as clears with the customs at this port.

They will also look and pay for a carrier for your goods as well as taking an insurance cover for the goods.

However, there is no maximum guarantee of the nature of the insurance, and if possible, you can buy an insurance cover for your goods too.

CIF is the commonly used incoterm when it comes to international shipping.

· EXW

Ex-works allows you to have some control over your imports.

Your responsibility under this incoterm includes paying for your goods.

You will also do the customs clearance at the port of origin in China and your port of destination in Ireland.

Under this incoterm, you need to pay for cargo insurance as well as the cost of t