Importing products is one of the oldest business models.
Analyzing business opportunities, identifying risks and looking for the best supplier for each import phase are part of the keys to success.

Currently, despite the fact that many companies prefer to choose local suppliers for sustainability reasons, others choose to import products to have the raw materials necessary for their production or for commercial reasons, to expand their catalogs with products whose offer in Spain does not cover the consumer needs appropriately.
We tell you here some of the keys to the import process.

How to choose products to import , search for opportunities

Internet has become the main source of information to know the international markets. Companies around the world, specialized in market research, have information on consumer trends in different countries and sectors. Getting this information is important if you are importing new products.
Commercial offices in other countries in Spain and international fairs are also an important source of information when looking for opportunities.

Nor all products can be imported

Before choosing products to import into Spain, it is necessary to check that there is no limitation to be able to do so, either because they are prohibited goods or because the European Union has some commercial restriction with the country of origin.

Some imported products nedd approval in Spain

You will need to know if EU legislation requires homologation in the products you import, in that case, you must have the services of a certification company that operates in Spain.

You must always import certified products

To market a product in the European Union, it must meet the regulated quality requirements. It is the responsibility of the importer to ensure that this is the case. The Soivre, supervises compliance in Spain.

The selection of suppliers,
the most important step in the import process

You have several ways to select suppliers: The most frequent is to travel to the countries from which you want to import to visit your potential suppliers, either in their companies or in the international fairs they attend. It goes without saying that before these visits, all the necessary information must be gathered so that the interviews are fruitful and you can close advantageous commercial agreements.
In some cases, it will be interesting to hire a specialized agency that can carry out an audit of the product, quality control and transportation management in a reasonable time. This formula can facilitate the first imports as long as the cost of this service does not make the import process too expensive.

Get a good deal
buyer seller.
The Incoterms

In an import process, the buyer-seller agreement can be carried out under different conditions that will depend on many variables. The International Chamber of Commerce sets rules known as Incoterms to facilitate this process.

Do you want to know more about Incoterms?
On this page we tell it.

Logistics in shipping
from other countries to Spain

StarCargo’s experience and knowledge of the different countries with which we carry out merchandise exchanges, allows us to know the most appropriate logistics in each import process. We will study with you the rates, routes and transit times for each of your import processes, offering you the best prices according to your needs.

Count on us in your import processes. Contact us.

You must know the customs tariff for your imported products

Customs tariffs are rates applied to imported products, imposed by customs authorities, to protect the domestic market, increase state revenues, penalize certain countries, retaliate against countries that apply higher tariffs, etc … Any product imported in An international trade operation must be declared upon arrival at customs, so it is necessary to know the corresponding tariff item code.
At StarCargo we are always by your side in customs management of which we have extensive experience. We have customs agents in most of the countries. Contact us.

Do you want to know more about customs duties?
We tell you about it on this page.

Customs clearance requires professionalism  and experience. We can help you.

The customs clearance includes the formalities and the d documentation to present to customs authorities, to import a product. It is carried out, on behalf of the importer, by a Customs Agent, a professional certified by the Tax Agency specialized in this process.

At StarCargo we have extensive experience in customs management. We have customs agents in most of the countries.

When a merchandise is requested for customs clearance, the customs authority assigns it an entry circuit (green, yellow, orange or red channel)
In the green channel, or immediate release, it will be sufficient to have correctly presented the requested documentation.
The assignment of the yellow channel indicates that some type of certificate of non-customs services is missing, which will have to be presented.
In the orange channel the administration will need to verify or collate that the data declared in the customs clearance are correct.
The allocation of the red channel implies a physical examination of the merchandise by the customs authority, this will cause delays since the merchandise must be transferred to the corresponding inspection place.

It is very important to have expert professionals in customs clearance such as StarCargo in the import process to avoid problems, delays and extra costs. Our team of experts will always be at your disposal to accompany you in the import processes so that you can carry them out successfully. Contact us.