Importing wooden furniture requires a substantial initial investment.
If you are moving between countries, or if you are importing for profit, you will need to understand the intricacies of international shipping. The import-export industry is vast, moving billions of dollars worth of merchandise every year. You need to know what you are doing in order to move your furniture safely and efficiently, without spending money than you have to, or finding that your container of valuable goods has disappeared. You can hire an agent to cut through most of the red tape for you, or you can take the time to learn about it yourself.
Instructions
Organize Your Papers and Keep Everything
1. Buy an accordion file and label each section for a particular type of paperwork (of which you will have a lot). All receipts, permits, letters, and authorizations must be kept. Communications via email should be printed out and filed with everything else. In the unfortunate event that your shipment is lost, you will need this paperwork either to recover it or to seek compensation.
2. Contact the customs authorities in the country from which you are exporting furniture. Regulations vary from country to country, so be very careful in learning what regulations apply to your situation.
3. Hire a shipping container company. The enormous steel shipping containers that can be seen on any international dock are used for most imports. Rent one from a shipping company and fill it with your furniture.
4. Ship LCL, or less than container load, if you don't have enough furniture to fill a container. The company will pack your furniture into a shared container along with other people's things. Freight is charged by space, not weight, so it makes economic sense to pack everything as tightly as possible.
5. Allow plenty of time for the journey. Trans-Atlantic shipping can take several months. Shipping times vary, especially for small players, because companies allow a ship to fill up before sailing. If you are one of the first loads to go in, your shipment will take longer than if your load goes in just before the ship sails. Some companies require you to bring the goods to the port, while others will deliver door to door. The latter option is, of course, more expensive.
6. Insure your shipment. Total loss is rare, but damage is not uncommon. Even enormous shipping vessels are thrown around quite a bit at sea, so pack your belongings accordingly. Inspect your goods immediately on arrival and if there is any significant damage document it with photographs and contact the company immediately.
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