Shipping/importing sub forum?

[asder]

Is there a shipping/importing sub forum? Where I can ask questions specific to freight forwarding for LifePo4 cells? They are categorized as dangerous and explosive goods in my country. Apparently I need to be a business to even begin to import these. Can not be imported for personal use (see how the questions are piling up). I require permission from government ministries before I can even begin the process. If there is a sub forum like that, I could ask if anyone went through a similar ordeal.

People could also keep a country specific time of delivery, days taken, duties and taxes paid, headaches acquired or averted or different shipping methods used to save time/cost.

Does anyone know who has successfully bought LifePo4 cells from China and imported them to Pakistan? I have asked about twenty four different vendors. Two orders have been placed on alibaba in the past year. One is still stuck at customs, that Ms. Amy told me about. Ms. Wendy got hers to go but hers was much earlier, the political situation was different at that time.

I contacted a freight forwarder, they want me to become a multinational company before they can help me import, because that is what the government policies are like. For most part I believe them.

On the other hand, there are lots of "dry batteries" being sold here. When I ask the vendors for a bit of help, they all clam up in fear that I will steal away their business secrets.

It is just a matter of finding the right heading to import something often times. Finding that heading (HS code) and getting someone to execute that heading (HS code) with the custom officials is the hard part. This seems to be a new field. Before anyone asks the dry batteries are 20ah to barely 100ah, 12V. There is no bms involved. These are often the rejected batteries from China. People here ask you to pay 30% of the battery cost, and they check the voltage of the battery. If it works out, you got yourself a battery from the wholesaler. If it doesn't work out, you can keep on trying. Until you quit or find a battery.

 

[tictag]

Pakistan is a very big place. Do they not have similar forums where people with knowledge of local regulations/suppliers etc?

Google does have a Pakistan-oriented site: https://www.google.com.pk/

Maybe search there for solar based forums?

If it still comes back with US oriented results, try a VPN to 'pretend' to be from Pakistan.

 

[asder]

Pakistan is a very big place. Do they not have similar forums where people with knowledge of local regulations/suppliers etc?

Google does have a Pakistan-oriented site: https://www.google.com.pk/

Maybe search there for solar based forums?

If it still comes back with US oriented results, try a VPN to 'pretend' to be from Pakistan.

Tried the above already. Pak wheels was the only good one I found, but no one talks about shipping there, nor is there a concept of DIY information sharing about solar there. Cars on the other hand .

Sites are not updated usually, forums quickly devolve into scams and original keepers of the forums disappear. Finding local information especially about shipping is near impossible online as most of the companies would not provide the information. They are more inline to start a transaction with them, and than they'll help you out after getting some money.

Take KPMG, an internaional big shot in accounting. I visited them and asked them the cost for a sole proprietor startup cost. I was quoted a price of $3,000 which was verified by their manager. The start up cost is between $20~$50 depending on the trademarks, copyright checks and other such stuff. Consider that I already knew the information and costs, I just wanted them to handle it in a professional manner so that I don't miss any paperwork or help me in getting the documents required. If I did not know the information, I would either lose that amount of money and get a business set up or I would back out and never think of starting a business because of the costs, or try to factor in that cost in my future plans.

UPS dishonoured their DDP shipment from Denmark to Pakistan and they refused the claim damaged good. This was by air shipment. I had to get the item cleared myself and paid 300% the invoice amount in duties and taxes.

So you can imagine, as a small guy if the big companies treat me like that, how would other local companies treat me? That is why I am more interested in finding out direct shippers, see who they are, and be able to get in touch with them. The same problem will crop up for people in Africa and most of Asia. Custom clearance is a personal domain not a regulated domain.

If someone has imported them before successfully, that would help us all. Currently there are 4 shipments that I found that are stuck at customs for the past 2~5 months at the sea port in Pakistan. I contacted the sellers and they refuse to provide DDP terms. Max they go is CIF, most are for FOB or EXW. The shipping companies that the cell sellers contracted with in China dishonoured their contracts, it creates a bad environment all around for business. Hence my shipping woes.

That being said, I am in touch with one reputable freight forwarder, but they seem to have zero clue on LifePo4 cell import documentation, it is proving to be a learning curve for both parties. We still haven't reached a conclusion on the matter, much less the costs and requirements.

Edit--------
I am also noticing quite a few people here are using Alibaba and aliexpress here to buy cells and other equipment. Could just have a sub forum with that name, and we can rate different vendors with respect to price, quality, shipping, communication ease etc. This would cut down the search time for some of us.