How to Buy Wholesale from the USA with a Freight Forwarder

Found a U.S. wholesale supplier with the right products, but checkout only accepts U.S. addresses? You can usually still buy. International retailers do it every day by shipping their orders to a U.S. freight forwarder, a company that receives goods at a warehouse in the United States and ships them on to your country.

What is a freight forwarder?

A freight forwarder is a logistics company that moves goods from one country to another for you. Many forwarders that serve international buyers operate a receiving warehouse in the United States and give each customer an account at that warehouse. To a U.S. supplier, the forwarder's warehouse is an ordinary domestic delivery address.

That's the key point. The supplier only has to ship within the United States, which it already does every day. The forwarder takes care of the international part.

1. You place the orderwith a U.S. wholesaler, using your forwarder's U.S. address
2. The supplier shipsto the forwarder's warehouse, like any domestic order
3. The forwarder receivesand logs your cartons under your account number
4. Consolidationcombines orders from several suppliers into one shipment, if your forwarder offers it
5. International freightby air or ocean, with export and import paperwork
6. You receive your inventoryafter customs clearance, by delivery or pickup

YouU.S. supplierFreight forwarder

You may also see the terms package forwarder, mail forwarder, reshipper or shipping company. Services vary widely. Some focus on small parcels, while others handle pallets and full containers of commercial cargo. For wholesale inventory, you want one that accepts commercial shipments.

How to buy from a U.S. wholesaler using a freight forwarder

Step 1: Choose a freight forwarder that serves your country

Look for a forwarder that ships regularly between the United States and your destination, and that handles commercial or resale merchandise, not only personal packages. Recommendations from other retailers in your market, your customs broker or your local business association are good places to start. Get quotes from more than one.

Step 2: Register and get your U.S. receiving address

When you open an account, the forwarder gives you a U.S. street address for its warehouse along with an identifier that tells the warehouse the goods are yours. Depending on the company, that identifier might be called a:

• customer or account number
• suite or unit number
• mailbox number
• warehouse code or consignee reference

This detail matters. A forwarding warehouse may receive cartons for hundreds of customers each day. If your identifier is missing or in the wrong place on the label, your shipment can sit unclaimed. Follow the forwarder's addressing instructions exactly.

Step 3: Find U.S. wholesale suppliers

Next, choose the U.S. wholesalers you want to buy from. Before ordering, confirm that each one accepts orders shipped to a freight-forwarding address and to the kind of address your forwarder uses. For example, some suppliers won't ship to P.O. boxes.

Step 4: Place your wholesale order

At checkout, enter the forwarder's U.S. warehouse address as the shipping address. Put your account or suite number exactly where the forwarder tells you to, which is usually in the second address line or directly after your name.

Your billing address is a separate question. Many suppliers require it to match the billing address on file with your card or payment method, so enter your real billing address there and not the forwarder's.

Step 5: The supplier ships to your forwarder

The wholesaler fulfills your order like any domestic order, by parcel carrier for smaller orders or by truck freight for larger ones. You pay the supplier's U.S. shipping charge to get the goods to the forwarder's door. Keep the tracking number and invoice. Your forwarder may ask for both.

Step 6: The forwarder receives your merchandise

Once your cartons arrive, the forwarder usually records them under your account and lets you know. Depending on the service, the forwarder may also:

• store the cartons for a set period
• hold them until orders from other suppliers arrive
• consolidate everything onto one pallet or into one shipment
• repack, label or photograph the goods
• prepare the freight for air or ocean transport

Not every forwarder offers every service, and free storage periods differ. Ask up front.

Step 7: International transport and customs

From here, you work directly with your forwarder, and often with a customs broker, on:

• international air or ocean freight
• export and import documentation, such as the commercial invoice
• customs clearance in your country
• import duties, taxes and customs fees
• cargo insurance
• destination handling charges
• final delivery or warehouse pickup

Import rules, duty rates and documentation requirements differ significantly from country to country and by product type. Check the current requirements for your destination with your forwarder, customs broker or national customs authority before you place a large order.

Where U.S. freight forwarders are located

Freight forwarders operate all over the United States. Most that serve international buyers cluster around the major air and sea gateways, and the right one for you usually depends on where your goods are going.

South Florida: Miami, Doral and Fort Lauderdale

South Florida is the best-known gateway for shipping to the Caribbean and Latin America. Many forwarders run receiving warehouses near Miami International Airport, in areas such as Doral and west Miami, and around Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. If you buy for a store in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados or elsewhere in the Caribbean, a South Florida forwarder is often the first option to look at.

New York and New Jersey

The New York–New Jersey port region, including the areas around Newark and Elizabeth and near JFK and Newark airports, is another large hub with freight and forwarding companies that serve international destinations.

Houston and the Gulf Coast

Houston and the Gulf Coast ports are common gateways for shipments to Mexico, Central America and South America.

Los Angeles and Long Beach

The Los Angeles–Long Beach port complex and LAX are the main West Coast gateways, especially for destinations in Asia and the Pacific.

One more thing to weigh: your supplier's U.S. shipping charge depends on distance. A forwarder closer to your supplier can lower the domestic leg, while a forwarder with frequent sailings or flights to your country can lower the international leg. Compare total cost, not just one piece.

How to choose a reputable freight forwarder

There's no single best forwarder. The right one is the company with reliable, affordable service between the U.S. and your destination. A few ways to narrow the field:

• Ask retailers in your market which forwarders they use and how they handle problems. Local word of mouth is often the best signal.
• Check the license for ocean shipments. U.S. ocean freight forwarders and NVOCCs must be licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission. You can look up a company on the FMC's list of licensed ocean transportation intermediaries.
• Get written quotes from two or three forwarders for the same shipment, with every fee listed.
• Ask how claims work if cartons are lost or damaged, and whether cargo insurance is available.
• Start with a smaller shipment to test the service before you send a large order.

What to ask a freight forwarder before you order

Ask these questions before you buy, not after your cartons arrive at the warehouse.

• Do you ship to my country, and how often?
• Do you accept commercial or wholesale merchandise?
• Do you accept full cartons of footwear or my product type?
• How are charges calculated: actual weight, dimensional (volumetric) weight, cubic feet or per pallet?
• Do you offer air freight, ocean freight or both?
• Can you consolidate purchases from several U.S. suppliers?
• Are there receiving, handling or storage fees? How long is storage free?
• Is there a minimum shipment size or minimum charge?
• Who handles customs clearance at my end?
• What paperwork do you need from me or my suppliers?
• What duties and taxes should I expect for this product?
• Is cargo insurance available, and what does it cover?
• Exactly how should my account number appear on the shipping label?
• What happens if a carton arrives damaged or without my account number?

Air freight vs. ocean freight

Most forwarders offer one or both. As a general rule:

Transit times and rates change often and depend on your route, so get a current quote from your forwarder for your actual shipment size. For seasonal products, plan ahead. Ocean freight can require ordering weeks earlier to have stock on the shelf in time.

Understand your landed cost

A low wholesale price doesn't guarantee a profitable import. What matters is your landed cost, meaning the total cost to get the goods into your store, divided by the number of items you can sell.

Divide the total by the number of units to get your landed cost per item. Compare that with the price you expect to sell at in your market. If the margin is too thin, try a larger shipment, which often lowers freight cost per unit, different products or a different freight method.

Why wholesale footwear fits this model

Footwear is a staple category for many independent retailers, from general stores and beach shops to pharmacies and uniform suppliers. Buying it wholesale from the U.S. usually means buying by the case, a sealed carton with a set number of pairs in a mix of sizes. When you compare suppliers, look at:

• Case cost and pairs per case, which give you your cost per pair before freight
• Size and color assortment in each case, so it matches your customers
• Carton size and weight, which your forwarder needs to quote freight
• Landed cost per pair after all charges
• Expected retail price and local demand for each style

Demand, duties and margins depend on your market. Run the numbers on a first order before scaling up.

Buying wholesale footwear from Easy USA

Easy USA is a U.S. wholesale footwear distributor that has operated from New Jersey since the 1980s. We sell by the case to independent retailers and resellers, and international buyers regularly order from us through their own U.S. freight forwarders.

• Wholesale by the case with no minimum order. Buy one case or a full pallet.
• A broad footwear assortment for women, men and children, including house slippers, clogs, rain boots, sandals and flip-flops, water shoes, canvas shoes and seasonal styles.
• Online ordering on easyusa.com, with a Quick Order page for building larger orders across styles, colors and sizes.
• Use your own freight forwarder. We ship to the U.S. street address you give us.

• House slippers
• Clogs
• Rain boots
• Sandals & flip-flops
• Water shoes
• Canvas shoes

How international customers order from Easy USA

1. Set up your freight forwarder. Get your U.S. street address and your account or suite number. We can't ship to P.O. boxes.
2. Sign in and shop. Sign in with your email to see wholesale pricing, then browse the catalog and add cases to your cart.
3. Enter your forwarder's U.S. address at checkout as the shipping address, following the forwarder's instructions exactly. Checkout only accepts U.S. shipping addresses. Your billing address can be outside the U.S., but it should match the address on file with your card.
4. We ship your order within the U.S. to that address. The shipping method depends on order size: UPS Ground for smaller orders, and LTL or pallet freight for larger ones. See our shipping policy for details.
5. Your forwarder handles the international leg. You arrange international freight, customs, duties and delivery directly with them.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not customs, tax or legal advice. Import requirements change and vary by country. Confirm the details for your shipment with your freight forwarder, customs broker or local customs authority. Questions about ordering from Easy USA? Contact our team or call 1-800-886-3288.