Do you import products and services from international suppliers? If the answer is yes, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will talk about things you need to take into account when dealing with international suppliers. Dealing with international suppliers has several advantages, as the products and services that they provide are relatively cheaper and you have a number of options to choose from. Here are a number of issues that you should be prepared for when doing business with international suppliers:
Trade regulations
Trade regulations depend on where you are importing from, what you are importing, and the amount that you are getting, as there are trade regulations imposed on certain products.
Communication
If you are doing business with a supplier in a non-English speaking country, you will face a lot of language barriers, which is why it is recommended that you have a good communication channel in place that can be used to get in touch with the suppliers in case of an emergency.
Currency exchange
Getting goods from abroad means you will have to pay the exchange rate, insurance, and the import fee. In order to learn about the complexities and transfer complications, it is recommended that you pay attention to FC exchange online review and information.
Location
It is important to keep the location of the supplier in your mind because having the supplier close to your country means that you will be able to save up on the importing and shipment costs. In addition to this, you will have a close time difference and there may also be cultural similarities, which will make the process convenient, since usually there are always some trade agreements made between countries in the same region. However, you can seek suppliers located further across if they are offering you more choices as well as a lower price.
Questions You Should Ask Your Suppliers
Here are some questions that you should always ask your suppliers:
- What are your payment terms and are they negotiable?
- Can you tell me about the total costs that I am expected to pay?
- Will you be giving me a liability insurance certificate?
- Do you have a distributer in the middle or will you sell directly?
- Will you be offering me a guaranteed sell through?
- What actions will be taken if I don’t get my goods on time?
- What will be the expected gross margin?
- Are your prices subjected to change? If yes, then under what circumstances? Also, will you notify of these changes?
- Do you have a volume rebate?
- When and how will I take ownership of the product?
So, there you have it. These were some of the things that you need to know about before doing any kind of trade with international suppliers. We hope you find them useful. Let us know.