Aluminium profiles, electronics and mixed goods
From one-off purchases to permanent supply lines — one mixed list, one container.
Client location: West Africa
Logistics mode: FCL, 40 ft HQ
Service format: Basic + End-to-end
Service focus: Multi-supplier sourcing and purchasing management in China. Seller of record. A single point of contact on the ground in China. Export customs clearance in China under the client’s instructions. One container — one consignee.
Intro
The client needed a mixed list of goods purchased in China and consolidated into one container. The work behind the list varied line by line. Some suppliers they had already found themselves — those I took over and managed through to export. Some items had to be sourced for a one-off purchase. And for some, suppliers had to be selected for regular, ongoing purchasing — product lines feeding their established, working business. My job was the China side, end to end.
Service scope
- Manage pre-purchased items
- Source and vet suitable suppliers
- Place confirmed orders and handle payments
- Consolidate goods and manage warehousing
- Book freight and supervise container loading in China
- Handle China export customs clearance
Product range
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Aluminium profiles & panels
Aluminium square tubes (4×4 cm, 6 m), aluminium composite panels (1.22×2.44 m). -
Electronics & accessories
Car and travel chargers, cables, Bluetooth audio, phone mounts, car accessories. -
Indoor furniture & supplies
Leather bed, chairs, office furniture and workstations, mirrors. -
Logistics equipment
Portable forklift, metal logistics trolleys.
Outcome
Thirteen suppliers managed: some taken over from the client, some sourced for one-off purchases — and two that have since become regular supply lines for their business.
The total volume was not large, but the six-metre aluminium profiles and the 1.22 × 2.44 m aluminium composite panels do not fit a 20 ft box — the geometry decided the container. So the goods shipped from China as one 40 ft HQ FCL. Issues that came up along the way were settled on the ground in China. The client received the full document pack for import clearance at the destination port, including the bill of lading issued exactly to their instruction.
Original BL issued to the client’s instruction — shipper named as requested.
Field notes
Being right was available
100% prepaid, contract signed, supplier already buying materials — then the client changed his mind. The full refund, documented: eleven days, to the cent.