India is the second highest manufacturer and exporter of tiles in the world after China. India produces all types of tiles which are readily used in India and across borders . Being in tiles business for quite some time , earlier i used to import tiles only from china but now it has been replaced with Made in India tiles. In this article i am going to explain the most practical and updated version of How to import Tiles from India ?
India mainly manufactures 7 different types of tiles , which i have already discussed in detail in my previous article . United States , Europe , Africa , U.A.E and other gulf countries are the major importers of ” Made in India ” tiles.
MORBI – The Tiles Hub of India .
Morbi is a city situated in the Gujarat state of India . It is the tiles manufacturing hub of India with more than 800 tiles factories and manufactures 4 million square meters tiles per day. Morbi is the 2nd largest tile manufacturing zone in the world and gives direct and indirect employment to over 600,000 people across India. Mundra is the nearest port situated next to Morbi city with access to 90% of all tiles and other products exportation.
How to Import Tiles from India . ? A step by step guide.
1. Cargo Details –
First of all , make up your mind with the type of tiles you want to import . Here by type i mean the quality and size of that particular type. Tiles are manufactured in different sizes, but the most commonly imported ones are – 20x30cm , 30x30cm, 40x40cm, 60x60cm 80×80 and 60x120cm .
Usually containers are of two sizes , 20 feet and 40 feet but tiles are mostly loaded in a 20 feet container. The maximum payload capacity of a 20 feet container is 25000 kg. A container can never be filled up till the brim due to the heaviness of the tile boxes , so an importer can opt for the top up also .
A top up in a container means filling the gap which is left in the container after loading a desired cargo just less than the maximum payload capacity . In case of tiles imported from Morbi an importer can load sanitary ware , plastic chairs , PVC pipes , flush doors in the left over space in the container .
2. Find a Supplier :-
Usually suppliers in Morbi are honest enough unlike few other countries which i don’t want to mention . Google can help you a lot in getting the right supplier for your tiles , else you have platforms like India mart or you can contact Indian Chamber of Commerce.
3. Freight and type of container booking :-
Check the freight at the time of booking . It keeps fluctuating so you can book your container as per your need .
There are 3 ways in which you can book your container :-
FOB ( Freight On Board) – This means as the buyer , you are responsible for the shipping from the manufacturer’s port and all other fees associated with getting the goods to your country/address.
CIF (Cost , Insurance and Freight ) – In this ,the Shipper with the price of goods includes sea freight , insurance to deliver the goods to your nearest port. But from port onwards , you take the shipment into your hands i.e shipping charges , container deposits , custom clearance , taxes etc.
CNF (Cost , No insurance , Freight ) – Similar to CIF only this time insurance is not included .
4. Bill of lading (BL) and shipment release :-
- If your shipper provides you the Bl , that means your shipment is ready . You can track your vessel with the shipping website by providing your container number in the search box.
- An original Bill of Lading is highly important to release your containers from the port .
- After getting original BL from the shipper , you just have to go to your nearest port , pay the customs and other country taxes and voila.. you are good to go .
5. Laws of the Land :-
When the container reaches your nearest port , you have to release them by paying custom duty and other expenses depending on the country you are doing business in . Make sure you follow all the laws of the land for a smooth and long lasting business .
6. Enjoy the Fruits :-
Congratulations ! You have got your container at your warehouse . Now count the boxes , check the quality and look for breakage if there is any . Work out your costing and voila! you are ready to sell and make profits.
Click here To learn in detail ” How Container shipping works ”