Q.) I am thinking of importing my own fish and plants from other countries. People in the business warn me against this, why?
A.) Unless you are moving a large amount of fish and plants the expense can be quite high. Transporting live animals or plants is a task that demands special skills and experience in handling unforeseen problems. Your company will be listed in public records as an importer of live animals. Be careful as many anti-trade groups or animal rights groups may focus on your business and negative impacts are likely. You will need to have facilities to meet the demands of the fish after a long journey by air transportation. The cost of the fish or plants on the exporters list may look cheap, but when you add in the boxing charge, freight costs, duties and import taxes, export taxes from the country of origin, etc. the cost can be quite different. You often need special permits, fish health certificates, and knowledge of the ins and outs of the bureaucratic hurdles. Therefore, unless you are prepared to deal with the structure and scales of the export/import business sourcing from other countries may not be for you.
One alternative is to work with Importers or Transhippers. These are companies that specialize in handling the paperwork and taking care of the stringent legal demands for importation. They charge a service fee or handling fee on top of all charges but you can stay with your core strengths and let them let do what they do best. They will also split shipments so you can buy just the number of boxes you need which avoids overstocking and limits your overall risk.
