exporting ebikes to the US

Hi all. Hopefully this is the right subforum for my question. Ive cone across a particular ebike, that I think might sell well in my hometown area (California). Im toying with the idea of buying 20 or so and sending them back home (I live in Guangdong).

Has anyone here exported bikes back to the States?. Ive never exported anything in my life, so i know absolutely nothing about shipping procedures (how to use a forwarding company), customs, regulations etc.

This bike I think I can buy for roughly 300US per unit. And sell for around 1000US in the states.

For 20 ebikes, what do you think my shipping costs would be?

What else shoild I be thinking about now, so I dont get hurt later?

Thanks for any input :)

Might be better posted under MCM's Bicycling China as well as find some relevant info.

IMO I think you need to do a fair amount of due diligence before parting with any money - period! First, appreciate that anything the manufacturer says or promises is likely to be fluff. Secondly, any stats or similar from the manufacturer is likely to be artificially inflated or bogus. Thirdly, any promises concerning warranty, parts availability and the like is also likely to be bound in fantasy.

Now, with those bases covered, you need to have an in-depth appreciation and understanding concerning the regulations, requirements and ramifications over importation, distribution, warranty, serviceability, consumer protection, culpability, safety and a whole host of requirements, not least the consumer and your obligations to them.

Do the ebikes fit into a particular category/class of vehicle for road use, and if so what are the compliance issues? What about about registration/plating requirements and safety specs of those? What are your liabilities both pre and post sale. USA seems to be a litigious system...

Research the market and understand ALL requirements from ALL sides. SWOT analysis, feasibility study... If it is worth doing, likely someone might already be doing it... loads of Chinese all over the world setup SME's based on any opportunity and localised leverage.

US Customs & Border Protection
US Office of Vehicle Safety & Compliance
Wikipedia ebike laws by country

Too get ya started...

In addition to the import laws, regulations and restrictions in the USA, you are confronted with a unique characteristic of China ... export laws, regulations and restrictions. Unlike most Western countries, where it is remarkably easy to export anything, such is not the situation in China.

To be legal, on your own from this side, you would first need a registered company that also possesses an Export Permit to legally export vehicles. If you are doing it on your own, you would need a WFOE, which requires a notable capital investment and a lot of time, effort and paperwork. A Chinese business registration is much easier. Consult a good lawyer.

Alternately, you can work with the existing Chinese manufacturer, assuming that the manufacturer is already licensed for export. You could then strike an agreement with the manufacturer (or Chinese distributor) to arrange delivery to California. At the USA end, you would likely need to establish an American company (very easy to do). As bikerdoc notes, you would then need to jump through all of the regulatory hoops in the USA concerning the importation of vehicles. There are plenty of regulations concerning road-worthiness for ANY vehicle (including bicycles) that are being imported into the USA for commercial purposes.

Finally, as bikerdoc also noted, if it is worthwhile doing, it is likely that an enterprising Chinese individual is already doing it. Your competitive advantage might be, however, a much better understanding of the US market, given your US hometown knowledge, as well as a much better idea of how and where to market the product. It works both ways - just like a Chinese person has a much better understanding of market nuances in China, Americans have a much better understanding of the US market. I've seen several examples of Chinese persons trying to bring products to Western markets and failing miserably because the Western customer is MUCH different than a Chinese customer.

Due diligence is always a good thing, not least of which is the education you get from learning how to jump through hoops. If the e-bike idea doesn't pan out, perhaps you can see other opportunities with your new-found knowledge.

Good luck!

Some states in the USA do not consider ebikes as anything other than a bicycle and in that do not regulate them. You just ride them and there are no laws to be concerned with, in some states if it has under a certain Kw and has pedals, does not have a top speed over 20mph....you have little or no regulations, you can simply sell them but you would have liability and you could in that buy liability insurance.

http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/ford/

In my opinion the best approach is to get a Chinese partner in the USA, that being have them listed as a legal partner. In that you can then offer more to them and also they can live here. In that they then have a legitimate investment requirement.

http://www.uscis.gov/working-united-...grant-investor