Shipping a 20-foot Container to Duma-Siquijor from US

[seabee]

I know this topic has been discussed quite a few times in the past, but I wanted to get some updated opinions. I am planning on moving back to PI by the end of 2009 and intend to ship some of my personal household effects/furnitures/appliances to Dumaguete/Siquijor. I will be coming from Los Angeles. Personal stuff include generator, kayak, bedroom furnitures, living room furnitures, personal office furnitures, 4 units 42" LCD TVs, 2 units mountain bikes, medium-large paintings, antiques. I was told that door-to-door 20-foot container shipping would cost $7-8K and will take 45-60 days, inclusive of customs clearing.

Has anybody had any recent experience on how to go about this? Is the quote reasonable? If I decide to not ship a container, will a US$7-8K budget allow me to buy above items (except paintings and antiques) with reasonable quality furnitures/appliances? These are items I already have and feel bad to have to sell them here (at a bargain in a garage sale) and buy new stuff there (possibly in Cebu and have to ship all the way to Duma/Siquijor).

Has anybody had any experience with Manila Forwarders in Los Angeles? Can anybody give me a referral to other shipping companies in LA? Do I need to worry about customs taxes considering I am a returning resident?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[davfitz]

You have asked a very difficult question. If you start working on it now, you might be ready to move by the end of the year.

Some very basic considerations will be in play and should NOT be glossed over. Chief amongst these is container routing and customs clearance.

Where your shipment enters the Philippines is most important as that is where customs clearance will be effected. You should route your shipment so that it may be customs cleared as close to its ultimate destination as possible. Do not be deceived by all those who will contract to act on your behalf. Some level of disappointment will inevitably result and you will be powerless to effect remedy. Cebu is the closest full port of entry. Dumaguete is a sub-port of Cebu. I have been assured by a source in whom I have confidence that full clearance service can be provided at Dumaguete but I have no personal experience of it.

I'm sorry but I must leave you now. I will post this and return with a part two.

TO BE CONTINUED

[davfitz]

Part Two:

Sorry for the unavoidable interruption.

You should be able to investigate locally in Los Angelos those ocean carriers providing trans-pacific service. Believe it or not, Manila is not the center of the universe. Singapore comes closer to that. Try and find routing such that the first Philippine Port of Entry encountered is Cebu rather than Manila. That way customs clearance will be closer at hand. It's probably beyond the realm of possibility to find international service direct to Dumaguete - but who knows?

You must also consider the cost of the container itself. It might be worth your while to purchase it outright and dispose of it after the move. You might be hard pressed to fill a twenty footer unless you propose to bring all the junk you have accumulated in life rather than viciously purging your possessions. I won't suggest what to bring and what to ditch except to recommend saying goodbye to anything which runs on 110VAC. I think I only batted about .500 on bring / chuck choices.

The transit time which has been suggested to you of 45 - 60 days is about right. Cost is subjective and the figure you mention might be low. Does that include container stuffing, blocking and bracing and documentation at origin? It likely does not include port charges in the Philippines, local cartage / drayage or container stripping. I'm surprised that you mention "inclusive of customs clearing". Do you mean the fees for an agent to effect clearance? Probably so.

The fees levied by the Bureau of Customs as customs duty (plus 12 % VAT) are difficult to guess. To put it gently, you will negotiate a figure, which will include a financial incentive to those involved. Understand? This understanding is also important and may very well be in your interest as the associated inspection of your goods might only take the form of checking the documentation pertaining to them. Again, understand?

Should you end up routing through Manila, be prepared for additional cost and delay. Be prepared to deal with agents you will probably never meet and whose honesty will be questionable. I'd add another USD 1.5K to your existing cost estimate.

My own experience was different from what you are proposing. I wish in 20:20 hindsight that I had shipped a full 20 foot container. From Ottawa, Ontario to Dumaguete one year ago I shipped a LCL crate of household goods. It was approximately one metric tonne and came here at a bottom line of about USD 6.5K inclusive of everything. I'm certain that you can do better and wish you good fortune in your attempt.

Please post again to tell us how you fared.

[Maximus]

Please read this link, it gives you many tips based on personal experiences from people shipping household goods, personal effects to the Philippines.

AllExperts Search Results: household goods personal effects

[Teacher]

The weather here is very warm and humid. How will the furniture hold up to that..most things in America were not built for it...Anything Electrical even with a converter they don't seem to hold up. oh yeah! forget getting them repaired. with a budget $8,000 or 378,000 pesos you can get a good start on re outfitting your home if not getting every thing you need. But good luck with whatever you do.

[derivative_guru]

Personally, I wouldn't bother shipping all of your stuff to the Philippines. Customs is known as the second most corrupt bureaucracy in the Philippines behind only the Bureau of Internal Revenue. You are virtually guaranteed to be hassled and requested of large bribes to get your stuff through no matter how legal it may be. Unless you don't have an insider connection with someone you really trust, then just pass!

Furniture isn't so expensive here...local furniture makers can make pretty good stuff at reasonable prices...I think this is a better way to go.

Key smaller items can be shipped via balikbayan box.

[seabee]

Thank you all for your responses.

I have been debating this over and over... I guess I have my answer... Might as well just buy local.

Thanks again!

[davfitz]

I believe that you have made a good decision. Myself, I struggled mightily before I shipped my household goods. I disposed of many things that I now wish I had brought. I'm also stuck with many items I do not need. My batting score: about .500.

That said, there are just some things with which one does not wish to part. Regardless of the expense involved, you just need to have them around you. My family eats together daily at a large table hand-made by a great uncle of mine a century ago. We share together in a communion which includes his spirit. It makes us all feel wonderful! Antique prints which I collected myself in Jerusalem adorn our walls. A Braun kitchen center is used regularly by my skilled daughter (and less skillfully by me). I'm so happy that I brought each of these. After reflection, you will find your own list.

You have many more options open to you from LA than I had from Ottawa. Shipping a mini-shipment will not be cheap but it should prove worthwhile. It will depend on the choices that you make as to its (or their) contents. I would recommend that you search out firms which specialize in shipping balikbayan boxes for Filipino OFWs.

Good luck and please post again,

[loftyone]

A friend of mine sent a container of household goods from australia to cebu. He was worried about getting slugged big time by customs but it was no problem. An agent contacted him to tell him the container had arrived and had it cleared through customs for 15000 PHP. That included a stripped down motorbike which would normally attract high duty. It costs under US$4000 to get a 20 foot container from Sydney to Cebu.

[Knowdafish]

Pinoy Express Cargo based out of L.A. is a good company to do business with. They include door to door service too anywhere in the P's.