My AliExpress shipments are coming through Eastern Europe. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 05:52:53 pm
content: My last twoAliExpressorders have come though Eastern Europe. Both orders were placed with stores in China.Last last order was were someSMA to MCX adapters. They came from company in Bellarus.Today I received a package offuse holders. They came fromBee First International SROin the Czech Republic. See the attached photos.IsAliExpressshipping through companies in Eastern Europe to control import quota statistics or avoid tariffs on items from China?

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 06:02:43 pm
content: They just dynamically pick whichever route and source is cheapest at the time. A lot of popular items are already shipped in bulk and stored in local warehouses. In this case they figured out that Czech warehouse was closest.Although I've received a package shipped from China, but with return address in Kyrgyzstan. Not sure what that was.

author: Jackster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 07:55:38 pm
content: A lot of China sellers stock goods destined for Europe in Czech as it is "central" Europe and has rail links to China.Rail is slightly more costly than sea cargo but has is benefits such as being slightly faster and easier to get goods into that part of Europe (which can be cheaper than sea due to being landlocked).There are rumours that many Chinese companies set up in Czech and don't pay import duty/tax on most of what comes in also.A lot of big goods on eBay are sold like this such as laser engravers, desktop CNC routers etc. In the UK, many sellers list that they are in "Portsmouth" but they in fact distribute from Czech and send to a clearing house in Portsmouth. The clue is that it says it will take 10 days for that item to arrive even though it is listed as being in Portsmouth. That and the seller is located in China.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 08:02:58 pm
content: Quote from: Jackster on September 10, 2022, 07:55:38 pmAFAIK Aliexpress also has a big warehouse in Poland. But where it comes to shipping, they seem to use various routes. Likely by whatever postal service offered them the cheapest contract.

author: Jackster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 08:15:02 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on September 10, 2022, 08:02:58 pmThat would not surprise me.Alibaba has been wanting to make a move against Amazon and eBay for years so setting up fulfillment warehouses in Europe is going to be the way to do that.It would nuke my sales if they make it into the UK for my e-commerce businessRight now they do really well with "15 day delivery" using 4PX to the UK. But if then can get it down to 5 working days and 2-3 for express, that would be dangerous for many e-commerce sellers here.

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 08:57:04 pm
content: I am in Los Angeles, five miles from LAX. Routing through Europe does not seem like a good plan.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 09:38:58 pm
content: Quote from: Jackster on September 10, 2022, 07:55:38 pmThe Czech republic is in the Central Europe, as well as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, etc.There is not such thing like railroad from China to Central Europe yet. The rails from China to Europe end up on the Slovakian-Ukrainian border (a different rail pitch), for example.The custom tax is not the most important part of the custom fee, afaik, as it is couple of % or none with electronics parts, but the VAT which is around 20% in EU. Afaik you now pay at ali incl. VAT and therefore you do not need the custom clearance basically.PS: there is a plan to prolong the rails with Ukrainian pitch via Slovakia to Vienna, Austria, with a large cargo port near Vienna, but it is on hold.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2022, 10:04:05 pm
content: Quote from: graybeard on September 10, 2022, 08:57:04 pmBut shipping from Europe may be a good idea, especially given that paths from China are pretty congested now.They optimized and automated the shipping to such a degree that it may make no sense visually, but save 1 cent in the end. And on a few million packages those cents add up.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2022, 12:27:02 am
content: QuoteApart from the freight link from yiwu to london, or the new silk road.Also calling at a few other points in europe.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2022, 01:09:14 am
content: They have changed a lot of stuff and improved distribution through a thick network indeed. Which is why shipments can be significantly faster than they used to.The downside is that it's becoming a mess, and although that's faster than before, I've had more problems with Aliexpress orders in the last few months than I have ever had in years.

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2022, 04:19:21 am
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on September 11, 2022, 01:09:14 amI have had the opposite experience. If anything vendors in china to west coast Canada via ali standard shipping have been getting faster and more consistent, around 3 weeks.Back in 2018 or so when USA implemented stiff tariffs on machine tools I noticed some vendors shifting to Vietnam as the titular source of origin, but I suspect the parts were still manufactured in China.This for items like spindles and collets.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2022, 11:16:28 am
content: Quote from: Jackster on September 10, 2022, 08:15:02 pmWhatever you can buy from Aliexpress, you can also buy from Amazon. I guess the Chinese have applied the wise saying 'If you can't beat them, join them'. Two points of sale is better than one. The only reason to choose Aliexpress is because their search engine works and Amazon's does not. Only if I need something quick, I roll the dice on Amazon's random results.

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2022, 05:17:44 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on September 11, 2022, 11:16:28 amThis is only somewhat true. Some items are on Amazon, usually at higher prices. If I need somethingnow, I check Amazon. Since I live in Los Angeles County many of the items are same or next day for Amazon Prime. This convenience is sometimes worth the higher price. Also, I can return items that are subpar quality without issue.However, for components the selection is far more extensive on AliExpress than Amazon, and usually better than eBay.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2022, 11:15:15 pm
content: Yeah, not true unfortunately. A lot of items are only to be found on Aliexpress. Otherwise I probably wouldn't even use it anymore.

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2022, 11:02:06 am
content: I just received a shipment ofsafety banana plugsfrom AliExpress. It first was shipped to a company in Kentucky calledCVG Returnswho forwarded the package to me. It arrived here in Los Angeles 8 days after I ordered it. The label from CVG Returns is pasted over the original label from China.return address is:CVG Returns2090 Global WayHebron, KY 41048https://www.checkbca.org/report/cvg-returns--156586846https://www.bizapedia.com/ky/cvg-partner-llc.htmlhttps://www.importgenius.com/ecuador/suppliers/cvg-returns-hou-wenzheng-aliexpressI ordered the parts on 9/11 and received them on 9/19, 8 days after ordering. That is the fastest I have received an order I placed on AliExpress. My previous fastest was 15 days. Typical seems to be more 6-8 weeks.