As a businessman, you must be looking for the most efficient way to bring merchandise to South Africa from China.
The worry might intensify when you think of getting it all the way from China to supply your customers.
Well, worry no more because you are about to know everything about transporting your cargo from China to South Africa.
Which products can I importing to from China to South Africa?
Here find out about the main products that China exports to South Africa in the following paragraphs:
· Importing Bags from China to South Africa
· Import cars from China to South Africa
· Importing wedding dresses from China to South Africa
· Importing electronics from China to South Africa
· Importing furniture from China to South Africa
· Importing hair from China to South Africa
· Importing machinery from China to South Africa
· Importing building materials from China to South Africa
· Importing tires from China to South Africa and others.
How to calculate the Import Cost from China to South Africa?
The factors that you will look at when calculating the cost of transport are:
· Calculate the Landed for Importing from China to South Africa
. Import Duties from China to South Africa
. Importing from China to South Africa Logistics Cost
. Cost of Hiring a Customs Broker
. Cost of hiring Chinese freight forwarder to South Africa
May I know any other documents that may be important when I am importing goods from China to South Africa?
Do you offer any form of door to door services from China to South Africa?
There is the door to door services that you can get depending on the money you pay.
Express shipping offers this service, and you can get it from other forms of transport.
It will depend on the type of arrangement you will have with the supplier.
I have made this guide to help you solve this problem.
And, here we go.
- What Can I Import from China to South Africa?
- List of Prohibited and Restricted Imports in South Africa
- Calculate the Import Cost from China to South Africa
- Search for Chinese Product Suppliers & Place Order
- South Africa Import Customs Procedures and Regulations
- Steps to Import to South Africa for Small Business
- FAQs on Importing from China to South Africa
Chapter 1: What Can I Import from China to South Africa?
China is a leading manufacturer of different products that they export to various parts of the world including South Africa.
According to the United Nations COMTRADE, South Africa imports goods from China to a tune of 15.22 Billion dollars.
Continue reading and find out about the main products that China exports to South Africa in the following paragraphs.
· Importing Bags from China to South Africa
China is one of the biggest manufacturers of designer bags with the highest quality you can find.
South Africa imports bags from China in huge containers because of the high demand for the product.
The main mode of transporting the bags to South Africa is by using the full container load depending on the importer.
If the importer does not import a lot of luggage, then he will have to use less than container load.
Most of the containers come through the sea on different shipping freights depending on the importer’s choices.
Many of the bags are women handbags, clutch bags, backpacks, camping bags that manufacturers make from different materials.
· Import cars from China to South Africa
Since South Africa does not have many car manufacturing industries, they opt to get them from China.
China is a leading car manufacturer economy and takes care of the demands from other countries such as South Africa.
The cars come on special types of ships that have the ability and capacity to carry the load of cars.
The ships that carry cars or luggage that has wheels are known as the roll on roll off cargo ships.
The ships have ramps that the car can easily roll on to the ship and roll off the ship.
The cars also pack on different decks of the ship when on transit to South Africa.
· Importing wedding dresses from China to South Africa
Wedding dresses is another key import that South Africa gets from China for the ladies planning for their weddings.
China exports all types of wedding dresses to South Africa that have different price ranges to accommodate everybody.
The cheap wedding dresses come in containers via sea freights and put for display in different wedding shops.
There are other types of dresses that the owner can order for early enough for customization.
These types of dresses are high end very expensive since it requires special material and designs.
The importers usually prefer to use express shipping services such as DHL to deliver the dresses at their doorsteps.
The mode of transporting wedding dresses will depend on the type of dress that you are importing.
The government will also charge import duty on the dresses depending on the quality and cost of the dress.
· Importing electronics from China to South Africa
Whenever you are transporting electronics from China to South Africa, you should use the air freight.
Electronics are usually fragile and should get to the buyer as soon as possible and in good condition.
It is the most significant reason why exporters typically prefer to use air freights as they are safer and faster.
The kind of electronics that China exports to South Africa include refrigerators, television sets, radios, computers, phones and many more.
Most of them are fragile and require special packages as they are on transit to South Africa.
· Importing furniture from China to South Africa
China is a leading manufacturer of different types of furniture that manufacturers make from various materials including timber.
The timber that the manufacturers use varies from hardwood to softwood for creating different designs of furniture.
The manufacturers load the furniture into containers that will come to South Africa on ships.
The type of shipping freight that you decide to use for the furniture will depend on the cost you pay.
It means that the furniture can come on the air freight or through the sea freight depending on the bulk.
A huge consignment of furniture will go into the country through the sea freights as it is economical.
· Importing hair from China to South Africa
Cosmetics are taking a huge share of the market in the world today including hair for the ladies.
The type of hair that South Africa imports from China are mainly for the ladies which is synthetic.
The other models are human hair, and they come into the country through the sea freights, or air freights.
Air freights a reserve for express shipping where the customer needs to get the hair as soon as possible.
There is the possibility of shopping for the type of hair you need on AliExpress.
This is the easiest mode of shopping for hair, and you will receive it as soon as possible.
· Importing machinery from China to South Africa
The size and type of machinery that you intend to import will determine the mode of transport.
Heavy and fragile machines are given special packages, and the freight forwarder takes extra care of the merchandise.
The type of machines varies from the type of machines for construction of buildings and roads, among other types.
The big machines may come in different parts for assembly one they arrive in South Africa.
Other types of machines that are too big to fit in a container will come on different types of ships.
The ships that transport this type of machinery that are out of shape is known as out of gauge ships.
· Importing building materials from China to South Africa
Certain types of building material are not readily available in South Africa.
Most of them come from China and arrive in South Africa on cargo ships.
Some of the building material from China include floor tiles among other types of building materials.
There has been an issue about the imports from China flooding the market of South Africa.
The competition is real, and many of the products arriving in South Africa are of the same quality.
· Importing tires from China to South Africa
Tires are spare parts for vehicles that will need replacements once they wear out.
Many of the tires that arrive in South Africa from China come from the car manufacturing companies.
Once the manufacture of the cars is complete, the manufacturer has to make spare parts for replacements.
The parts such as tires come into South Africa in containers through different importers.
Since they come in bulk, they are often put on sea freights.
An order for the tires should come through to the manufacturer in time for disbursement of the consignment.
· Importing solar panels from China to South Africa
South Africa has the potential of lighting up their homes using solar power and solar panels.
The solar panels require enough sunlight which is a resource that is available in plenty.
This is the reason why South Africa imports many solar panels from China and uses them for lighting.
The imports arrive in bulk on special containers on ships through the sea freight.
Air freights can also transport the solar panels depending on the urgency of the order.
· Importing clothes from China to South Africa
China has many cloth manufacturing companies that produce clothes of very high quality.
The production process is cheap due to cheap labor, and most of them produce in bulk.
The bulk produce is taken to different countries for sale including South Africa.
Most clothes come through sea freights on the FCL or LCL shipping freights depending on the importer.
Full Container loads are the most common for clothes, and one is sure to receive the goods in good shape.
Besides that, clothes are not fragile and can take a long time in transit, and that is the reason why sea freights are common.
· Importing shoes from China to South Africa
Shoes are huge imports from China to South Africa, and most of them arrive in containers via sea freight.
Just like clothes, they are not fragile and can take time on the sea as it is on transit to South Africa.
Most of the shoes from China are of different qualities, and therefore the pricing is also different.
Many shoe companies base in China because of the cheap cost of producing shoes and cheap labor.
It is sufficient enough to produce shoes in China and then export it than importing the raw materials.
The type of shoes and delivery time will also determine the type of freight that you will use for transport.
· Import toys from China to South Africa
Toys also make one of the greatest imports of South Africa from China.
You will need to import the toys in bulk before and bring them in a container via the sea.
Some of the toys are expensive and require extra care that’s why it is important to use air freights.
The size of the toys will determine the type of container you will use in transporting the cargo.
Importing bigger toys in bulk will require a huge container or many containers to make it successful.
The government also charges different rates for the toys depending on the cost of the cargo.
Chapter 2: List of Prohibited and Restricted Imports in South Africa
South Africa as a sovereign state has the rules that govern the import of goods and there are restrictions.
These restrictions are on certain types of goods that they do not allow into the country.
The reason why the country does not allow the importation of these goods vary depending on the type of good.
The most significant difference between prohibited and restricted goods are:
i. The goods under prohibition are not to be given a chance to exit or enter the country. The circumstances that the goods are under will not matter and can never be given a chance.
ii. Restricted good will get a chance to get into the country only under special circumstances. The conditions for allowing such goods into South Africa include:
Provision of particular permits, letters, and certificate that the government requires
The prohibitions and restrictions apply to all forms of transport that you can use in transporting the merchandise.
The status of the cargo you intend to import into South Africa must be well articulated as either:
i. N for new goods
ii. U for the goods that have been in use
iii. S for the goods that are changing hands from the first user to the second (Second-hand goods)
The prohibitions and restrictions are on a list that the government usually compiles from different departments.
The list is available online for reference and also with the customs department for inspection.
The list has special categorizations in accordance with the tariff structure of the “Harmonized Commodity Coding and description System.”
The list of the restricted and prohibited goods in South Africa include:
i. Habit forming drugs and narcotics that can cause addiction such as marijuana
ii. Fully automatic, unnumbered, military weapons.
iii. Fireworks and explosives
iv. Toxic substances such as poison and other materials
v. Cigarettes that have a mass over 2 kilograms for every 1000 sticks
vi. Counterfeit goods that take advantage of logos and trademarks from other legal companies
vii. Unlawful reproductions for any subject that has copyrights
viii. Penitentiary or prison-made goods
The department of trade and industry is responsible for revising and publishing the list of prohibitions.
It is the department that issues the permits for restricted goods.
There are certain groups of goods that will require the involvement of other departments for clearance.
Chapter 3: Calculate the Import Cost from China to South Africa
The cost of importing cargo from China to South Africa will vary according to a number of factors.
The factors that you will look at when calculating the cost of transport are:
i. The cost of the merchandise that you intend to transport
ii. The distance that the cargo will cover from the factory to the final destination. It will include the distance from the factory to loading port, from the port to South Africa and then to the warehouse.
iii. The means of transport that you choose for the cargo. It includes the cost of either sea freight or air freights. Air freights are more expensive than sea freights.
iv. The cost of the insurance you choose
v. The cost of the Incoterms you intend to use for transporting the cargo
vi. The shipping company that will transport the merchandise for you from China to South Africa Different shipping companies offer different price lists depending on the services they offer.
vii. The type of merchandise you are transporting from China to South Africa Fragile goods require extra attention and care, so you have to pay more for it.
· Calculate the Landed for Importing from China to South Africa
The cost of land for importing goods from China is inclusive of a number of factors.
You might be lucky to get a product at a cheap price in China but the product is not in South Africa.
Importing it to South Africa will lead to additional costs on the product making it more expensive.
The cost of land for goods from China to South Africa will include the following:
i. Cost of the product
ii. Cost of transporting the product to South Africa
iii. Cost of insurance for the products
iv. Cost of import duties in destination country
v. Excise taxes and VAT charges on the product
vi. Other fees that the customs department may charge on the product
· Cost of Best Products to Import from China to South Africa
The cost of transporting the best products from China will also vary accordingly.
The factors you have to look at include the cost of the products and the type of freight.
The best of products will also require the best treatment thus increasing the cost of transport.
Note that when you purchase the goods online, the supplier in China will organize for the cost of transport.
Most of the time the cargo comes through air freight that the supplier will organize for but you have to confirm.
· Cost of Shipping from China to South Africa
The cost of shipping cargo from China to South Africa is significant to a lot of factors.
The factors that you will incur when making inquiries into transporting any form of cargo.
The key factors that you will have to look at in this case are:
i. The type of transport you will use for transporting the merchandise. It includes the use of sea freights or air freights. Air will deliver the merchandise faster than sea freight making it costly
ii. The distance that the transport will cover with the cargo on board. It will depend on the sea route that the ship has decided to take.
i. The Incoterms that you will choose for your cargo
ii. Shipping companies that you contact will have different prices, and that will affect the cost. Remember, other factors such as geopolitics, global oil prices, sea weather, etc. can also play an important role when it comes to shipping cost.
· Choose the Best Incoterm when importing from China to South Africa
Incoterms 2010are the terms you will use when shipping merchandise from one country to another.
The terms are international, and many people who work in the import and export of goods accept them.
They are also admissible in a court of law, and you will use them whenever you are referring to transactions.
Apart from that, they also explain the relationship between you and the seller or supplier of goods.
It gives a clear explanation of the responsibilities that the seller or supplier has towards the cargo.
It will also explain the terms of payment that you should be taking care of during the transport of your cargo.
The cost of transport will vary according to the kind of incoterms that you decide to use.
Some of the Incoterms will exempt you from payments while others will force you to dig deeper into your pockets.
The most significant incoterms that you may encounter during the process of shipping merchandise are:
1. FOB
Free on board where the buyer takes care of the contract and insurance of the cargo.
The buyer will deliver the cargo at the loading port and clear it for export.
The rest of the responsibilities are for the buyer to take care of.
2. CIF
Cost, Insurance and Freight where the seller pays for the freight contract and Insurance for the cargo.
His responsibility will end once the cargo is safe on the ship.
The buyer will assume responsibility for the cargo from that point.
3. CIP
Carriage and Insurance paid to the relevant authority, and the seller is only partially responsible for the cargo once the seller delivers the load at a destination where the buyer states.
Responsibility shifts, the buyer becomes responsible for the goods for the rest of the journey.
4. CFR
Cost and Freight is the incoterm that allows the seller to pay for the freight but not the insurance.
The insurance will be the responsibility of the buyer, and he will take care of the goods once on board.
It means the seller will take care of everything until the cargo is on board the ship.
5. CPT
Carriage paid to the relevant authority by the seller and the rest is the responsibility of the buyer.
It means that the seller will only transport the goods to the carrier and leave the rest to the buyer.
6. DAT
Delivered at Terminal is where the seller takes care of the delivery of goods to the destination port.
The seller will take care of all the costs all the way to the port of destination.
The buyer will take responsibility for the rest of the journey to the place of interest.
7. DAP
Delivered at Place is the incoterm that states that the seller will deliver the cargo to the final place.
The seller will assume full responsibility for the cargo up to the point where the buyer receives the cargo.
It might be at a specific warehouse or at a place the buyer will specify.
The buyer will take care of the customs clearance, import taxes and duty for the cargo.
The seller should worry about insurance just in case of any problems before the unloading of cargo.
8. DDP
Delivery duty paid means that the seller will deliver the goods to the buyer after paying all costs.
This includes all the import duty and taxes, customs clearance and any other cost.
All the risks that the goods may have during the process of transporting the cargo is on the seller.
9. EXW
Ex Works means that the seller will deliver the goods at a destination such as a warehouse or a factory.
The buyer will assume all the responsibility for the goods all the way to the destination point.
It includes the cost of transport, export and import clearance among other issues.
10. FAS
Free Alongside Ship means that the seller will cease responsibility for the cargo once they are at the side of the ship.
The seller will take care of the export clearance, but the buyer will take care of the rest.
The rest will include the cost of loading the cargo on the ship, insurance and many more till delivery.
11. FCA
Free Carrier means that the seller will complete his responsibilities when he delivers the cargo to the carrier.
From that point, the buyer will assume full responsibility for the cargo to the destination.
This includes the cost of transport, insurance for the cargo, customs clearance among other costs.
Estimate Import Duties from China to South Africa
As soon as you consider importing cargo from China, you have to know about the import duties.
It means that the government will charge a certain amount of money to allow your goods in the country.
The import duty will depend on the type of goods that you import into the country and the cost of the cargo.
The fee that you will pay for the goods to come into the country is in different divisions as follows.
· Calculate the Customs Duties
The first step in calculating the customs duties for the imports in South Africa will be filling a declaration form.
With the assistance of a customs agent, you will be able to complete the declaration form stating your intentions.
The key issues that you should fill in the form are:
Value of the goods you are importing
i. The cost of freight you are using
ii. The cost of insurance for the goods
iii. HS code of the product that you are importing
iv. Description of the product and more information about the product
v. The total cost of all the orders that you are making
vi. Cost of shipping the cargo
vii. Name of the insurance broker,
Please include your details such as name and the mail address then wait for the confirmation.
The confirmation will include the cost of customs duties that you should be paying.
· Anti-dumping and Countervailing duties
Antidumping and countervailing duties are the charges that you will pay on the following goods:
i. The goods that the government seems to consider as dumped goods.
ii. The goods or imports that have subsidies on them
Such goods are subject to an investigation into the export incentives and pricing from the origin country.
The rate that the government will impose depends on the results of the complete investigation.
The duties are either as a percentage of the value of goods or have specific duty charges on them.
The criteria for determining the type and amount of duty depends on the following factors:
i. Customs value of the goods
ii. The quantity or volume of the goods
iii. How VAT is imposed on the goods in particular and the rate of charging VAT at 14%.
iv. Added tax value
The calculation follows the following procedure:
((Customs value + 10% thereof) + (any non-rebated duties levied on the goods)) * 14% = (ATV) * 14% = VAT payable
Importing from China to South Africa Logistics Cost
Considering to use certain types of logistic companies can simplify the job of importing to South Africa.
The logistics companies that you can use include freight forwarder and customs brokers.
The logistics companies are available in both South Africa and China for your consideration.
Cost of hiring Chinese freight forwarder to South Africa
In case you are taking a freight forwarder from China, it will be cheaper for the whole process.
It is because they know the country well and can find cheaper deals for your goods.
The suppliers also know the freight forwarders, and they can help you in getting one that is cheap, and you can trust.
The freight forwarders in China are also available online for you to find.
There are certain factors that you have to look at when looking for a freight forwarder.
This will include the kind of equipment they have for handling the cargo and experience.
Other factors that you will consider are:
i. Do they have the licenses to act as customs brokers?
ii. Do they have a clean record of customer references?
iii. Do they have online tracking systems you can use to track your goods?
