Hey sis. Let me start with the truth.
Nobody wants to give you a straight answer on this. The TikTok gurus say "you can start with £50" because it sounds nice. The Facebook ads say "import from China and make 10x." The reality is somewhere in the middle, and you need to know the real numbers before you spend a penny.
I have helped women start importing from China with as little as £200 and as much as £3,000. The right amount depends on what you sell, where you sell it, and how much risk you want to take on your first order.
This article breaks down every single cost so you can plan your first order with eyes wide open. No hype. No "you can start for free" lies. Just the real numbers.
Let us go through it piece by piece.
The product cost itself
This is what the supplier charges you per unit. The price per piece changes depending on how many you order. The more you order, the cheaper each piece becomes. This is called wholesale pricing.
For a typical small product like a phone holder, a candle, or a kitchen tool, you might pay £1 to £3 per piece if you order 100 to 500 units. For bigger items like a foldable chair or a clothing piece, you might pay £4 to £15 per piece.
Most suppliers have a minimum order quantity, usually called MOQ. This is the smallest order they will accept. A common MOQ is 100 to 500 pieces. Some suppliers will let you buy fewer if you ask nicely or pay slightly more per piece.
If you order 200 candle holders at £1.50 each, the product cost is £300. That is just the candle holders sitting in the factory in China. They have not even started moving yet.
Shipping from China to the UK
This is the cost to move your goods from the factory in China to a UK warehouse or to your home. There are three main shipping methods, and they cost very different amounts.
Air express is the fastest. Door to door in 5 to 7 days. The most expensive. About £6 to £12 per kg. Use this only for small light orders under 20 kg, or when you need stock fast.
Air freight is mid speed and mid cost. About 10 to 15 days. Around £4 to £8 per kg. Good for orders between 50 kg and 200 kg.
Sea freight is the slowest but cheapest. About 30 to 50 days. Around £1 to £3 per kg when calculated against weight, or £200 to £500 for a small share of a container. Best for big orders over 200 kg.
200 candle holders weighing about 30 kg total, shipped by air express, costs you around £200 to £300 to get to the UK.
UK import duty
When goods arrive in the UK, HMRC charges duty on most items. The duty rate depends on the product category. For most common items, duty is between 0% and 12% of the product value plus shipping.
You can check the duty rate for your product on the UK government's trade tariff website. Search the product, find the HS code, see the duty rate.
For our candle holder example, the duty rate is around 2.7%. So 2.7% of £500 (product plus shipping) is about £14 in duty.
Before you place your first order, search the duty rate for your product on gov.uk. Knowing this in advance stops surprises when the goods land in the UK.
VAT on import
This is the big one most beginners forget. The UK charges VAT at 20% on most imported goods. The VAT is calculated on the total of product cost, shipping cost, AND duty combined.
So if your product cost is £300, shipping is £200, duty is £14, your total before VAT is £514. VAT at 20% on £514 is £103.
You pay this VAT when your goods clear UK customs. If you are VAT registered (most beginners are not, you only register when you make over £85,000 a year), you can claim some of it back. If you are not VAT registered, the VAT is just part of your cost.
Always budget 20% extra on top of product plus shipping for VAT. This is the cost most beginners miss. Then your numbers are honest before you place the order.
Customs clearance and handling fees
When your goods arrive at UK customs, the shipping company or freight forwarder charges a clearance fee to handle the paperwork. This is usually between £25 and £80 for a small order.
If you ship through DHL, FedEx, or UPS, they often handle this and add it to your bill. If you use a freight forwarder for larger orders, they charge separately.
Some suppliers offer DDP shipping (Delivered Duty Paid). This means the supplier handles ALL the import costs (shipping, duty, VAT, clearance) and just delivers the goods to your door at one price. DDP is more expensive overall but simpler for beginners.
For your first order, ask the supplier if they offer DDP shipping. You pay a slightly higher all-in price but you skip all the customs paperwork. This is what I recommend for every beginner first order.
Selling platform fees
Once your goods are in the UK, you need to sell them. Each platform takes a cut.
Amazon FBA charges about 15% of the sale price plus a fulfilment fee per unit (around £2 to £4 depending on product size). So if you sell at £15, Amazon takes about £4 to £6 in total.
TikTok Shop UK charges around 5% commission plus a payment processing fee. Lower than Amazon but you handle your own shipping and customer service.
eBay UK charges around 12% to 14% final value fee plus payment processing.
Your own website or Etsy has lower fees but you have to drive your own traffic.
Pick ONE platform for your first 6 months. Get good at it. Then add a second platform once you have steady sales.
The honest total for your first order
Let me put real numbers on this. Here is what a typical beginner order actually costs.
Order: 200 candle holders
Product cost: £300
Air express shipping: £250
UK import duty: £14
VAT at 20%: £113
Customs clearance: £40
Total to land 200 candle holders in the UK: £717
So if you sell each candle holder for £12 on Amazon, your revenue from 200 units is £2,400. Amazon takes about £1,000 in fees. Your gross profit is around £683. That is real money in your pocket after your first order.
But here is the catch. The numbers only work if you sell the stock. If your candle holders sit in the warehouse for 6 months, your money is locked up and you can't reorder. That is why product research matters more than anything else.
This is why I tell every beginner to start small on the first order. Test with 50 to 100 units. Prove the product sells. Then reorder bigger with confidence.
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What I want you to do today
Get a piece of paper. Pick ONE product you want to import. Write down a rough estimate using the 6 cost blocks above. Use small numbers. 50 to 100 units to start.
Add product cost. Add shipping. Add 20% VAT. Add duty. Add a small clearance buffer of around £40. That total is your real first order budget.
Now decide: can you afford to put this money in and wait 30 to 60 days to see it back? If yes, you are ready. If no, save up first or start smaller.
Importing from China can build you real income. But only when you go in with eyes open. Every cost in this article is a cost most beginners miss. Now you know them.
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See China Import NavigatorSave this article. Share it with a sister who is thinking about importing. The more women who plan with real numbers, the fewer who lose money.
Stay smart, sis.
Jorrellys