How this trade actually works.
Six things that decide whether an imported line earns or sits. Nothing is behind an email form and nothing is held back for a sales call — this is the same material that goes into a partner's dossier.
Articles in the playbook
The price you were quoted is not the price you pay
Why a good FOB number and a dead margin are the same number, and how to cost a case before you order it.
Read → § MinimumsMost minimum orders are a print run in disguise
The factory's stated minimum is often not the factory's. Knowing which part is real is usually what makes a first order possible.
Read → § PaperworkWhat actually clears a container
A compliant consignment and a rejected one look identical on the pallet. The difference is a set of documents, and most of them cannot be produced after loading.
Read → § TimeHow much shelf life actually arrives
Shelf life is set by the production date, not the expiry date. Contracting the wrong one is why perfectly in-date goods are refused at the border.
Read → § TermsWhat exclusive distribution actually means
Exclusivity is three nouns, not one: a brand, a category and a market. Most disputes come from one of the three never having been written down.
Read → § FailureWhy first shipments fail
Across every category we trade, first shipments fail for a short and repetitive list of reasons. Four of the five are visible before the goods are made.
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