Expert guides, freight tips, and China import insights for global importers.
Road TransportationGoogol Traders provides domestic and cross-border trucking solutions within China and nearby regions, connecting factories to ports and borders for onward shipment to North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
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Air FreightWhen speed matters more than cost, air freight from China is the answer. Googol Traders arranges fast, secure air cargo services from Shenzhen and other Chinese airports to destinations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
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Sea FreightTL;DR Sea freight from China to the USA costs $1.80-$2.80 per CBM all-in for FCL, 4-6x cheaper than air. FCL (Full Container Load) is best for shipments over 25 CBM; LCL (Less than Container Load) is best for 3-25 CBM. Transit times range from 14-25 days port-to-port depending on US coast (West vs East) and [ ]
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Sourcing & SuppliersBy: QIMA Date: Feb 19, 2024 Categories: Traceability While China was once the primary supplier for global supply chains, the COVID pandemic caused many companies to shift their suppliers to southeast Asia and nearshore locations. A recent QIMA survey, however, indicates that they’re shifting back to Chinese suppliers. China’s Sourcing Volume Trends Where China once [ ]
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Product InspectionSource: <https://blog.qima.com/inspection/pre-shipment-inspection-guide> Published: Aug 18, 2023 Categories: Inspections, Quality Control Most businesses know that it’s vital to ensure that orders are fulfilled correctly before goods are shipped. However, not all businesses take advantage of a powerful measure to verify that your production orders meet all desired and required standards: the pre-shipment inspection (PSI). The PSI, [ ]
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Product InspectionSource: <https://blog.qima.com/ethical-audit/social-compliance-audit-explained> Published: Oct 11, 2022 Categories: Ethical Audits, Social Responsibility, Supplier Audits You can find out whether or not your supplier acts responsibly with a social compliance audit. What is a Social Compliance Audit? A social compliance audit (also known as an ethical audit) is an examination of an organization that assesses whether or [ ]
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Product InspectionSource: <https://blog.qima.com/quality-control/pre-shipment-inspection-procedure> Published: Sep 27, 2022 Categories: Inspections, Quality Control TL;DR What pre-shipment inspection is: A final quality check carried out when production is at least 80% complete, to verify quantity, quality, packaging, and safety basics before shipment. Why it matters: Prevents costly returns and ensures goods meet buyer, regulatory, and packaging standards. How it [ ]
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Product InspectionSource: <https://blog.qima.com/quality-control/garment-quality-control-textile-apparel-inspections> Published: Jul 29, 2022 Categories: Apparel, Inspections, Quality Control, Textile A quality control checklist is an essential QC tool for any brand or manufacturer that cares about the quality of its products. It is a list of requirements and specifications for particular products, drawn up by the brand and provided to quality control [ ]
Read MoreProduct InspectionSource: <https://blog.qima.com/inspection/garment-quality-inspection-procedures> Published: Jul 28, 2022 Categories: Inspections, Quality Control Product quality, especially in the apparel sector, doesn’t simply happen. It is the result of continuous quality control efforts and strict quality inspection procedures. Quality inspections are carried out at the garment supplier’s facilities during and after the production process, before the garments are shipped [ ]
Read MoreProduct InspectionSource: <https://blog.qima.com/quality-control/5-key-benefits-of-outsourcing-your-quality-control> Published: Apr 28, 2022 Categories: Quality Control Outsourcing is a common practice in the quality control industry where brands, retailers or importers contract an independent third-party to provide services such as quality inspections and lab testing, rather than running these processes with a dedicated in-house team. 1. Cost Control Many businesses choose to [ ]
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Sea FreightStatus Quo No Longer Works The ocean freight market has been caught in a vicious market cycle that has created levels of congestion never seen before. Spot rates have soared; and space has become a premium for those who are importing and exporting goods across the globe. For now, that volatility looks here to stay—at [ ]
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Air FreightWith the traditional peak season in progress, this year’s erratic shipping volumes highlight a freakish pattern of supply, demand, and capacity. Covid-19 has created an unprecedented scenario, featuring an artificial peak, several flat weeks, and, lately, a hint of cautious optimism. As trade presses on, shipping rates and capacity remain in flux. Shifting Demand In [ ]
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Air FreightIf there’s anything to learn from the past few weeks in global freight, it’s that tariff announcements can be anything but straightforward. After initially announcing an additional 10% tariff on $300 billion worth of goods imported from China set to take effect on September 1 and December 15, the White House followed up with a [ ]
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Sea FreightTwitter is often cited as a source for updates about regulatory changes in the U.S.-China trade war, but it should come as no surprise that Twitter is not actually an official medium for tariff communications. In reality, for any changes to the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and related duty rates to take effect, an [ ]
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Sea FreightStarting today June 1st, 2018, the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) is changing its China Customs Advanced Manifest (CCAM) requirements for imports and exports according to GACC Announcement No. 56. The new requirements include data that must be electronically shared with the GACC for all inbound and outbound imports [ ]
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Sea FreightBy now there’s a good chance you’ve seen the news that a fresh round of import tariffs have been announced by the U.S. Administration. The Chinese have responded in kind. While we believe that global trade is absolutely essential to a free and prosperous society, our immediate focus in the coming weeks will be on [ ]
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Sea FreightThe Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) is a highly cited metric used to discuss the health of global trade. In the past 30 days alone, news outlets and industry journals have published over 100 articles referencing the SCFI. Carriers, such as global shipping giant Maersk, have referenced the SCFI in their annual reports since the [ ]
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