AboutNicola Zheng Expertise All issues from sourcing, import, customs clearance, binding ruling, consumer safety testing, freight forwarding, terms of payment, US-based distribution (to retailer or e-commerce based).
Experience I work for an consumper product importer/distributor that imports from China, India, and Pakistan. I deal in both front end (dealing with retailers) and back end (dealing with overseas factories and agents).
Question Can you help us with sourcing?
There is a battery operated shaver made in China
called "shaveman".
We would like to import these.
Can you help us? Or refer us elsewhere?
Thank you Richard
Answer Hi Richard,
Thank you for contacting me. In order for you to import this shaver, you should find out the following (very preliminary, no means exhaustive list of questions):
1.) is this an exclusive design/product that somebody owns the patent on? If there is a patent number, you can easily find out who holds it by going through http://patft.uspto.gov/
2.) who manufactures it?
3.) who current imports and distributes this?
4.) what customers (by that I mean retailers) do you intend to target and at what retail price? This helps you determine what you can afford to pay to land the product here based on retail math.
The importer or distributor info can generally be found on the product packaging. If the product is UL listed, then you may contact them and see if you can trace the manufacturer info.
Should you need further assistance, please feel free contact me for additional information regarding my sourcing consultation service.
