# Shipping small items to USA for resale



## WBZ (Oct 15, 2016)

I am new here and hope this isn't to far off topic. My wife and I have a friend in the Philippines that we are trying to help. She lives with her young daughter in Rizal Province. Some day we hope to visit them there. Her friend is married to an American friend of mine who is planning to relocate there soon. We have sent them things through one of the shipping companies and we try to make sure the little girl has what she needs for school etc. They have a small modest house and utilities and enough to eat but not much more. 

She is industrious and has the spirit of an entrepreneur She seems talented and likes to make things to sell. Specifically she likes to make jewelry but has a hard time making much money because no one else there has any money either.

We are trying to figure out how she can send some things here that we can resell for her. I have a friend who's wife makes jewelry and does the craft show circuit and there is a church based store here which sells things like that to help people just like her and they are interested in her items. Also my wife thinks she can sell the items through Facebook and our circle of family and friends. 

So far the best idea i have found if for her ship by Fedex. A 2 Kilo box is about $35 to $40.
I think she can get enough items in a box that size to make a profit. Our mutual friend who is married to my American friend is concerned that she might not be able to send a box that way. She believes that if it is obviously for resale we might run into trouble.

We want to help but also want to follow the law of both countries. I was hoping someone her might have some ideas. at most we are talking about a few hundred dollars with of goods changing hands but that is a fortune to them.

Any thoughts?

Salamat


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I only sent one box out of the PIs. It was so expensive I just cannot justify it often. I sent t-shirts and junk to my kids and spent more on postage than the items!

I have found nothing that compares to the balikbayan box - to bad that only comes into the PIs, not out. That FedEx box is probably about the best option. Hard to make a profit with that kind of shipping cost, though.


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## WBZ (Oct 15, 2016)

Tukaram said:


> I only sent one box out of the PIs. It was so expensive I just cannot justify it often. I sent t-shirts and junk to my kids and spent more on postage than the items!
> 
> I have found nothing that compares to the balikbayan box - to bad that only comes into the PIs, not out. That FedEx box is probably about the best option. Hard to make a profit with that kind of shipping cost, though.


I can't find it now but i think there is something similar to the balikbayan box from PI to US. I will dig through my links and post here if I can find it.


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

Since I plan on sending some things back to the USA, this is a copy of the email I just got back from Manila Forwarders

Good Day,
Please see below MANILA to LAS VEGAS door to door rates:
Commodity: Personal Effects
Jumbo Box/ 24x18x24inch/ 300USD per box
Regular Box/18x18x24inch/275USD per box
Transit Days/ 40-45 Days
Weight limit 70lbs,additional 5usd per exceeding lbs,
Minimum of 5 boxes per shipment.
Please see attached forms, please fill up and send back to us. .also a scan copy of your passport.


*****notice the 5 box minimum


When I called them to confirm, he politely told me that if I did not have 5 boxes worth of stuff to send, then they would send whatever number of boxes I had, but still had to pay the minimum.

Shipping TO the Philippines sure was a LOT cheaper.

JM101


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## esv1226 (Mar 13, 2014)

Sending to PI from USA is a lot cheaper than sending stuff out of PI to USA. You may be able to get away sending 1st and 2nd time, but if you declare the value of goods - you may be taxed, then it becomes really expensive. I would explore another way of getting additional income.


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## WBZ (Oct 15, 2016)

Thanks for everyone's input on this. I am still researching but getting discouraged. It should not be so hard to do something so simple to help someone.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

esv1226 said:


> Sending to PI from USA is a lot cheaper than sending stuff out of PI to USA. You may be able to get away sending 1st and 2nd time, but if you declare the value of goods - you may be taxed, then it becomes really expensive. I would explore another way of getting additional income.


Welcome to the Philippines. Anything you choose to do or to try here is at least 1000 times more difficult and or complex than there at home. Remember, you are dealing with a foreign country and a 3rd world country at that.
You not only have customs and immigration agencies to deal with but also a broken political system that defies discription. In some cases, the best help that can be given is to not try. These people have lived and survived centuries before you came along and will continue to do so long after you are gone. Lessons learned by many expats and "helpful" people over the years...


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## WBZ (Oct 15, 2016)

Jet Lag said:


> Welcome to the Philippines. Anything you choose to do or to try here is at least 1000 times more difficult and or complex than there at home. Remember, you are dealing with a foreign country and a 3rd world country at that.
> You not only have customs and immigration agencies to deal with but also a broken political system that defies discription. In some cases, the best help that can be given is to not try. These people have lived and survived centuries before you came along and will continue to do so long after you are gone. Lessons learned by many expats and "helpful" people over the years...


I am to stubborn to give up. I understand there is something called parcel post available from post office there for international shipping but i can't find rates on line. is said to be cheaper but that is ok


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

WBZ said:


> I am to stubborn to give up. I understand there is something called parcel post available from post office there for international shipping but i can't find rates on line. is said to be cheaper but that is ok


Yes, there is the Philippine Postal System. They have small offices in some of the malls besides the main post office and I know they accept letters, I do not know if the accept packages at the small post offices. I mailed a letter to the US by FedEx and it cost me 1500 pesos, I also mailed a letter to the US by the Philippine Postal Service at one of the small Mall Kiosks and it cost me 45 Pesos. Both were received in the US, FedEx took 3 days - PhilPost took 2 weeks. I have no thoughts on the rates for packages. There may have to be some dealings with Customs also to think about.

Fred


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I sent a small box with the postal service a couple years ago. Never again ha ha... It was a small, light, box with just a couple t-shirts for my kids ... over p2,500 for shipping?! The items in the box cost less than the shipping.


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## Hey_Joe (Sep 13, 2016)

I know a Chinese-Filipina who would buy silver jewelry, take it to New Zealand and resell. Another Filipino who I didn't know hand made superbowl championship rings and resold them in the states. Both went out of business when Aliexpress.com started. Americans can and do buy items real cheap direct from China and have them shipped direct to their house. I used Aliepress several times with no complaints.


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## WBZ (Oct 15, 2016)

Thanks for everyones thoughts on this. I have been doing more research on shipping methods. DHL looks like a possibility to get started. right now i need to understand better how customs US customs works. if they want to charge for a small box of handmade jewelry i older how they put a value on that


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## SierraMadreMe (Mar 26, 2015)

My wife asked at the Post Office about shipping a few of my important things home in advance of our leaving the PI.She needs to get more information before I go that route.It would be especially helpful if I had heard of anyone else doing it successfully.(and by successfully,I mean the box arriving un-tampered with and intact).

The idea of US Customs wanting a cut of the value of my items that were originally bought in the US concerns me as well.

Interesting thing that I did not know.The Post Office here will not accept anything that they have not inspected,or that they had not watched being packed.The wife had the same experience with shipping an item to Manila with LBC.They would not accept it because it had already been wrapped up and they could not tell what the item was...That is something that really stuck in my craw.The idea that a shipper would have the authority to demand to see what was being packed.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

SierraMadreMe said:


> My wife asked at the Post Office about shipping a few of my important things home in advance of our leaving the PI.She needs to get more information before I go that route.It would be especially helpful if I had heard of anyone else doing it successfully.(and by successfully,I mean the box arriving un-tampered with and intact).
> 
> The idea of US Customs wanting a cut of the value of my items that were originally bought in the US concerns me as well.
> 
> Interesting thing that I did not know.The Post Office here will not accept anything that they have not inspected,or that they had not watched being packed.The wife had the same experience with shipping an item to Manila with LBC.They would not accept it because it had already been wrapped up and they could not tell what the item was...That is something that really stuck in my craw.The idea that a shipper would have the authority to demand to see what was being packed.


They are not so much interested in what is being sent as they are concerned as to HOW it is packed. Their worry is an insurance pay-out if there is dammage. Different way of doing things but I have found it is nothing to worry about.


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## SierraMadreMe (Mar 26, 2015)

I don't know why I expect the worst here..it is just all the questions..what it it?What does it do?How much did it cost? We also need your ID,and 2 passport pictures...and...and...and..etc...etc


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