Need some advice on shipping from US to UK

[JNMann]

Not sure if I'm in the right place for this query, just searching the net and came across many interesteing threads in this discussion forum so thought I'd give it a go!
I'm looking at importing T-Shirts from the USA to the UK. I'll be importing by the 1000's so need to look at all options, presumably by sea not air. I've only ever imported smaller items, nothing this large.
Can anyone point me in the right direction for advice and approx. prices?
Any help greatly appreciated.

[Rugles]

Look locally for importers. Remember, shipping by surface freight can take a long time, so be prepared.
If you look in your phone directory, you should find lots of companies. Shop around because the prices will be all over the board.

[andy_boyd]

What you need is a freight consolidator. You'll find there are loads of them that will offer the complete package ... customers brokerage / door-to-door delivery (if needed) / insurance / tracking / forwarding into international UPS & FedEx networks.

There are plenty of such companies in New York, many operate out of JFK.

[jsinger]

You don't have a customer from Nigeria ordering those, I hope!

We get t-shirt orders from nigeria all the time and we don't even sell t-shirts.

[topr8]

welcome to WebmasterWorld.

you need to talk to someone who knows about the excise duty. on fashion items this can be very high and will be payable on import before the goods are released.

shipping by surface is considerablyl cheaper than air, but especially if you use a whole container! (which is a lot of t-shirts) otherwise you will still need to ship at least 10 cubic meters for even a small shipping agent to consider taking your stuff at a reasonable cost (imo), beware extra fees the shipper may charge you if your goods are delayed by customs.

shipping times are quite quick actually, i've only imported from china/hong kong and you can usually get stuff door to door in less than a month, i imagine usa would be quicker.

get the yellow pages out and phone up the shipping companies and ask for quotes, they will vary considerably so shop around.