Import is a bureaucratic business. Very bureaucratic.
On its way from China to Amazon’s warehouses, your product will be transferred to the customs of the country where it will be sold or stored.
(For the purpose of the article, we will use the UK and the US as examples because they are the countries with the biggest amount of Amazon warehouses, but each country has different import and export laws that must be carefully examined before importing.)
In most cases, an importer does not require an import license, but there are certain products requiring a license. After selecting a product, you should check its commodity code in the UK (or Harmonized Tariff Schedule code – HTS – in the United States) with which you can find information about the product such as whether you need an import license to import it, do you deserve a certain exemption from taxes, and what are the regulations for importing this product.
To find the commodity code in the UK click here and for the US Click here.
When the product arrives at the port of entry in the destination country, there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done for it to be released from customs and start its way to the distribution warehouses. It is possible to obtain certifications and to be an importer who transfers the product through the customs clearance process, but it is customary (and recommended) to use the services of a customs broker. A customs broker is a person authorized by the local authorities to fill out the documents and execute the process. Hiring a broker is recommended since he knows how to submit the paperwork and knows the solutions for problems that may arise during the customs clearance. In addition, the broker will do so relatively quickly and therefore you will not have to pay for storing the shipment in the port warehouses. The broker can also answer your questions about the regulations which the product must meet, calculating taxes, etc.
Here you can find a list of brokers in the US by state and city, and telephone numbers of ports of entry that provide information; you can ask to speak with an import specialist.
Special requirements for the UK: any importer who does not reside or whose business is not located in the UK must fill in a form and receive a VAT number here. You can find information about the VAT rates in the UK here.
Importers who do not live in the UK should issue an EORI number; you can read about it here.