8
votes
Sending stuff around the world
I want to try something new and send some sacks of coffee over the atlantic and maybe start a sidehustle. I'm in the process of checking tarifs and stuff, but I have no idea where to even start looking for somebody who would do the actual transporting or what it might even cost.
did anybody here do something like that?
how did you do it?
what did you send?
why did you do it?
what was your experience with it?
would you do it again?
It depends a little on where you want to fit in the coffee supply chain. It sounds like you aren't the grower, so you'll probably be working with a counterparty who will already have some experience with shipping in their geographic area. Can you give a bit more detail about what you're planning on doing?
I just found some nice local coffee here and want to send 50-100 kilos back home to myself to get it roasted there and give it to friends and family. To learn how all that works and if they like it i might make a side-hustle out of it.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional or a business person. I researched the shit out of importation to the United States when I brought in a valuable item in this summer.
If you plan to send a lot of product, it may be worth looking into hiring a customs broker? For the one-off shipment, the EMS mail service is a good way to send internationally for cheap. That's USPS for the United States, who will hand it off to another national post office or courier. FedEx and UPS seem to have different rules depending on the volume of business you do, but they have "fast lanes" that can expedite the import process for you.
Normally your client/receiver is responsible for customs duties and whatnot. So that might not technically be your problem. Food, like coffee beans, will be interesting. It may fall under different categories depending on if it's roasted or not. In the US, you might be held up by the FDA if you're importing.
If it's packaged mailed in a sealed bag, you'd probably be able to write a customs declaration and send it fairly straightforward. The courier can usually charge your client any customs fees at the time of delivery.
i will be sender and reciever, I'm already talking to the recieving countries tax office about conditions and formalities, so that part i've covered.