We offer two kinds of importation. One is importation from our specialty countries, and the other is from non-specialty countries. We’ll split the FAQs into these two groups, and then another group for questions that apply to both kinds of importation.
Here’s the difference:
Specialty countries include China, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, etc. When shipping from these two countries, you just need to send the a shipping link to your supplier which contains all the instructions they need, and then you just wait for your shipment to arrive. No need to deal with customs or any regulatory paperwork.
Countries that are not in this list are considered “non-specialty”. When importing from these countries, we’re just going to need a few documents pre-shipment so we can present it and iron things out with the BOC (Bureau of Customs), and make sure it gets released quickly upon arrival.
If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for here, you can chat with us, email us at info@importanything.ph, or you can text/call us at 09176384274. We’re more than happy to assist!
Importing from Specialty Countries
To import from specialty countries, you only need to do two things:
First, you have to get a Client ID at https://importanything.ph/register/. It only takes two minutes!
Then you have to forward your Client ID and the appropriate Shipping Link to your supplier. You can get the shipping links at https://importanything.ph/import/
Once you’ve done that, you only have to wait for your shipment to arrive. It’s that simple!
We’ll send you the billing request you once your shipment has cleared customs and has been transferred to our releasing warehouse. Once you’ve settled the payment, you can pickup or have it shipped anywhere in the Philippines.
For the complete list of specialty countries, see https://importanything.ph/import/
A Shipping Link is a link to a webpage that contains all the instructions your supplier needs to process and ship your cargo properly.
Any specialty country will either have one or two shipping links, one for air shipping and/or one for sea shipping. Just choose the one you want, send it to your supplier along with your Client ID, and you’re good to go.
To get your Client ID, go to https://importanything.ph/register/
To see the complete list of our specialty countries and their shipping links, go to: https://importanything.ph/import/
The list of our specialty countries along with the warehouse locations within those countries can be found on https://importanything.ph/import/
To find out exactly how much you’ll have to pay, please accomplish the form at https://importanything.ph/get-a-quote/.
You will be asked to provide your cargo measurements (dimensions and weight). Please avoid using ballpark figures as this will only lead in inaccurate quotations. You can easily obtain these by asking your supplier.
If the measurements you provided to get a quotation are the same as the actual measurements when your cargo arrives, you’ll pay the exact amount we quoted you.
We understand that even for seasoned importers, having a lot of different fees to account for is tedious.
The great thing about using us as your shipper is that we quote and charge you all-inclusive fees. The fees we charge are for when you pickup at our releasing office in Cubao, Quezon City.
If you want to have it shipped to your door, we can also facilitate that for an extra charge.
Importing from Non-Specialty Countries
Importing from Non-Specialty countries is just a slightly longer process, but it’s still easy when you use our service.
You just have to obtain the packing list and the invoice from your supplier and relay that over to us. We’ll present it to the proper channels to find out how much it would cost to bring in your cargo and get it cleared out of the customs as soon as it arrives.
You can can upload the documents at https://importanything.ph/import/
Other FAQs
You can import almost anything except highly perishable goods, and obvious hazardous materials (explosive, corrosive, etc.).
No. You don’t have to have an import license. We wouldn’t ask for it or need it either if you have one.
Since importing through us is very efficient and cost-effective, you can be a license-holder and keep it just for formality and but still be using our service.
DHL, FedEx and UPS only offer air shipping, which is more convenient but more expensive that sea shipping. Post office offers both sea and air shipping.
While these choices may provide convenience for shipping small packages every now and then, they are not suitable for importing products above certain cost thresholds or for importing commercial quantities of anything.
Apart from being heavily taxed, they may demand product-specific regulatory requirements (certificates, permits, etc.). If you are unable to furnish these requirements, it can lead to your shipment being stuck in customs.
When that happens, you can clear it using our customs clearance service at https://importanything.ph/customs/
Shipping usually take about 3 weeks by sea, and 3-5 days by air. That’s including the time it takes to travel the distance from country of origin to the Philippines, as well as customs clearance.
For shipping from specialty countries, we only charge you once your shipment has cleared customs and is already at our releasing office. Once you’ve paid, you can collect your shipment or have it delivered anywhere in the Philippines.
For shipping from non-specialty countries, we charge you once the shipment has arrived at Philippine customs.
You have to use our customs clearing service at https://importanything.ph/customs/
Not at all! Our service can be used by both companies and individuals. The process is the same, and so is the cost.
While this may be tempting because a lot of suppliers offer to shoulder the shipping, don’t fall for it because it’s (of course) built into your product cost. Furthermore, their “shipping” only involves sending the product not to your door, but rather landing it at the Bureau of Customs.
The sales agent you’re speaking to may not be aware of this and may honestly believe that they’re shipping directly to your address.
A sizable fraction of our customers found out about us after experiencing the said costly issue and they looked for a way to get their cargo out of customs.
To pay your supplier, ask for their corporate bank transfer details and accomplish the wire transfer form on https://importanything.ph/payment-service/
