Sample content — an illustrative example shipped with this site to show the format. Not a real engagement.
The situation
The client imported around 40 SKUs of hand tools and fixings through a Guangzhou-based agent. Unit prices had barely moved in six years, which the client read as the sign of a good relationship. Nobody had reviewed the tariff classifications or the origin documentation, and the agent invoiced freight as a single bundled line.
What we did
We re-classified all 40 SKUs against Schedule 3, checked each line for ChAFTA eligibility, and requested Certificates of Origin from the factories directly. In parallel we tendered the freight independently and re-sourced the eight highest-volume SKUs to test whether the agent's pricing was competitive at all.
What happened
Twenty-nine of the forty lines qualified for duty-free entry under ChAFTA and had been paying the general rate for years. Independently tendered freight came in materially below the bundled figure. Re-sourcing showed the agent's unit prices were fair — so the client kept the supplier relationship and simply fixed the paperwork and the freight.
The numbers
AUD per container
- Before
- After
View as table
| Before | After | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods (FOB) | 38k | 38k | 0% |
| Freight & insurance | 6,100 | 4,750 | -22% |
| Duty | 4,820 | 0 | -100% |
| Clearance & delivery | 2,400 | 2,400 | 0% |
Measured change
AUD
- Before
- After
View as table
| Before | After | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duty per container | 4,820 | 0 | -100% |
| Freight per container | 6,100 | 4,750 | -22% |
Delivered under: Beat-Your-Current-Deal Audit