Hey everyone, has anyone used Vappak before? I need to order some packaging, but I don’t understand how the tariffs work. The company told me they are a small trade company, so tariffs are very cheap, and I should go ahead and place my order.
I was also on AliExpress and saw that I could order samples without needing a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of 500. The total for the test order was $275, but at the bottom, it said “extra charges: $378.” I assume that’s the tariffs.
So, are the tariffs higher on AliExpress, or do all vendors from China have a 145% tarrig?
4 Likes
Some do. Some don’t. I use AliExpress to by bike tools and other small things that get good rating on Amazon.
Some have that import fees added on. Some haven’t add that on. Same thing like ordering from china in bulk. Some vendors will prepay the tariffs for you. Some will pass it on. It’s gonna be a rough 9-18 months till business navigate around this.
3 Likes
Shop around, ask about writing down on invoices. Shipping methods can affect the tariff costs as well, so ask about that as well if you’re trying to get the prices down, but like @Killa12345 said, it’ll be a while before they have solid workarounds.
1 Like
To avoid them there is some real good affordable companies here in the US that I use . Can list them if you want em .
2 Likes
I love labelmybud.com . Give Ryan and call and see what he can do for you.
4 Likes
There is plenty of workarounds for “business” shipments. But the end user/consumer is unfortunately left in the dark until these workarounds become more common and more economical.
I really feel these tariffs will give a logistics specialist like myself a real competitive advantage in this business environment. I really look forward to taking back a lot of my market share this year.
We plan to keep our prices exactly where they’ve been while our competitors have to raise their prices for these tariffs and put some more companies outta business. 
10 Likes
It’s going to be an interesting year for any company that was relying on Alibaba for sourcing.
It’ll be interesting to see which ends up being more expensive out of just paying the tariffs or actually manufacturing stateside.
3 Likes
I realized that B2B was a way different business monster than what I was used to. I’m so grateful that we own our US mineral deposit that we manufacture our fulvic minerals from. It was very reassuring to business partners when tariff talk started happening.
3 Likes
I don’t think this is any different than 2016. Same hurdles. Same solutions. Nothing different.
2 Likes
I’m doubting the enforcement and collection abilities of the government. Cheaters will start lying and getting away with it until that becomes the norm. Anyone trying to be honest about self reporting tariff liabilities will be at a disadvantage, because cheaters always win.
3 Likes
How is this different than backdooring METRC?
3 Likes
In one of those you are fucking with local authorities and the other you’re fucking with the feds. Which one do you think is going to fuck your world worse when you get caught?!?!
3 Likes
But did the Fed workers get doge’d? Kristi Noem sent an email asking for resignations. We’re not used to having to collect tariffs, and we are probably firing more than hiring for that job. I just can’t see the government not fvcking this up.
3 Likes
Hmmmm… Good point, but at the same time hinging your future and your freedom on hoping that the feds simply don’t have the manpower to enforce a policy they are keenly trying to enforce right now might seem a bit reckless to me… But hey maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m just too old and not in a big hurry to lock horns with the feds again, especially over something like this 
we’ve been collecting tariffs as long as I’ve personally been importing and that’s over 22 years. During that time, the United States has been collecting tariffs on everything over $800 which was like $200 when I started importing stuff.
They have always collected tariffs. It’s just the threshold for free trade has been eliminated.
And. It’s not the US government that collects tariffs. It’s the shipping company collects the tariffs and submits them to typically your state government
5 Likes
Tarrif is not for big company, it’s for all the suppliers from China. What the small trade company is doing is that invoiced lower value than actual amount, for example, original cost is $275, they may invoice to $30, that’s why their tarrif is less…
1 Like
So if the remaining $245 is paid under the table…how is that not fraud?
1 Like
No the remainder isn’t paid under the table. 
It’s not paid at all. You pay tariffs on the invoiced price of the product.
If you pay 125% on a $30 item. The item cost with tariff is $275(real cost of the item) + 37.50($30x125%). So it’s $312.75 with an invoice item at $30 which really cost $275
Now if the item is $275 and pay 125% is $618.75
So if you really pay the tariffs on the real cost. It’s gonna cost you $306 more.
So most people Chinese vendors will state the price of the item is $30 rather $275 and the only people that lose out is the government.
And yes. This is a form of import fraud but happens on 90% of shipments. No one pays the real value of import tariffs
I always send international packages with an invoiced price of what the item cost me. So when it gets to my customers in other countries. They pay a 1/4 of the customs charges they should be paying.(same as the example above but we’re paying the import fee) It’s a problem when the product is lost and the stated value is my cost. Which means I will only get back my cost on a lost package rather than the actual sale cost
2 Likes
It’s packaging. Price is the only metric that matters.
This guy can’t beat shenzen direct pricing they are just middle men
1 Like