Importing from China

[MadMullah]

Looking to get a few items for the shop and was looking at Alibaba for some suppliers

all great prices but the shipping costs have gone through the roof.

I believe this is to do with the EU law being changed

Are there any cheaper alternatives available or is it time to look towards more Europe based suppliers?

[VEIGHT]

China and the Far East isn't always the cheapest anymore however it all depends on the product and the volumes.

What sort of thing are you looking for?

[MadMullah]

I was hoping to import stuff like fake flowers

[Evoluzione]

We aren't in the EU anymore so unsure why their laws would apply?

[MadMullah]

Evoluzione said:

We aren't in the EU anymore so unsure why their laws would apply?

this is regarding drop shipping but it does have the reason

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/dropshipping-brexi...

wired said:

In the aftermath of Brexit, Aliexpress, one of the main sites that connects dropshippers with China-based manufacturers, slapped a 20 per cent price hike on every product sold through its platform. The policy was introduced to cover a change to UK tax law that shifts the requirement for levying VAT on items brought into the UK from the customer at the point of receipt of the goods to the company selling them, at the point of sale. Previously, smaller items that were sent to the UK, costing under £15 each, weren’t checked and taxed because they were assumed to be gifts.

so it wasnt the EU changes but UK tax changes though i believe EU has applied the same rule

[hidetheelephants]

Also freight rates have gone loopy since ZOMGPANDEMIC, the container trade flows were all fked up with stacks of empty boxes clogging up ports.

[Aquarius909]

hidetheelephants said:

Also freight rates have gone loopy since ZOMGPANDEMIC, the container trade flows were all fked up with stacks of empty boxes clogging up ports.

This is more correct. The multi-fold increase in freight rates has less to do with Brexit and more to do with the pandemic leading to large demand for PPE from China last year which has left a dearth of containers in China. In the UK many companies did stockpile ahead of Brexit which accentuated the global problem and BAM suddenly shipping gets 3x or 4x more expensive.

At least no one is getting stuck in the Suez canal as that would really foul things up. Oh wait...

[MadMullah]

Its a bit infuriating

I've found a great supplier for some Hookah's too but the shipping is proving too much. just my luck.

[Canute]

No moral concerns about this?

[JeffreyD]

Canute said:

No moral concerns about this?

About what?

[anxious_ant]

JeffreyD said:

Canute said:

No moral concerns about this?

About what?

Probably China...

[Canute]

JeffreyD said:

About what?

Supporting and importing from a very unpleasant genocidal regime? Nowhere else you can help/support that is not worse than Nazi Germany?

[22s]

Canute said:

Supporting and importing from a very unpleasant genocidal regime? Nowhere else you can help/support that is not worse than Nazi Germany?

Give it a rest.

[Canute]

22s said:

Canute said:

Supporting and importing from a very unpleasant genocidal regime? Nowhere else you can help/support that is not worse than Nazi Germany?

Give it a rest.

No. Why?

[jonamv8]

22s said:

Canute said:

Supporting and importing from a very unpleasant genocidal regime? Nowhere else you can help/support that is not worse than Nazi Germany?

Give it a rest.

This x 2.

Fair play for looking for some opportunities, it’s a global marketplace, no laws against doing business in China

[JeffreyD]

Canute said:

Supporting and importing from a very unpleasant genocidal regime? Nowhere else you can help/support that is not worse than Nazi Germany?

Sorry I thought you were talking about something specific, rather than the big picture.



I'd have thought it's pretty difficult to own any computing hardware or use the internet without supporting the regime somehow.

However, I am all for reducing tat whilst sticking it to the genocidal regime, Brother.

[ChocolateFrog]

Surely the moral implications are more with shipping cheap plastic ste half way round the world rather than what China does with its Muslims.

The fact shipping rates have gone up is a blessing, it's only a shame it's temporary.

[Canute]

jonamv8 said:

This x 2.

Fair play for looking for some opportunities, it’s a global marketplace, no laws against doing business in China

OK, how would you feel buying off of Hitler if we go back a few decades? curious???

I'm asking if it can be sourced from a more deserving country too, so not a totally bad way to go.

Surely, also, some of this stuff could be brought in closer to home now Borris is making Britain great again.

[Canute]

ChocolateFrog said:

Surely the moral implications are more with shipping cheap plastic ste half way round the world rather than what China does with its Muslims.

The fact shipping rates have gone up is a blessing, it's only a shame it's temporary.

Wasn't referring to Muslims particularly, it seems it's many races, religions and others that are under the hammer.

There is also a massive worry about the green credentials of their products.

[Canute]

JeffreyD said:

Canute said:

Supporting and importing from a very unpleasant genocidal regime? Nowhere else you can help/support that is not worse than Nazi Germany?

Sorry I thought you were talking about something specific, rather than the big picture.



I'd have thought it's pretty difficult to own any computing hardware or use the internet without supporting the regime somehow.

However, I am all for reducing tat whilst sticking it to the genocidal regime, Brother.

I'm trying to reduce my overall reliance on their stuff, but it starts with who imports and brings it in really. I know it can't just stop tomorrow too, but no harm in me trying to alert it a little unless we have total ahole capitalist pigs here (but why would they support communism in such a way?) ;-)