Shipping to/from Taiwan

[Taiwan Luthiers]

What about items too large for the post office to accept it? I mean like furnitures, equipments (like machine tools). I did some research and it seems you are charged by volume and not weight, so if that's true I can simply make a crate around the large item and simply pack everything else in with it. My stuff won't take up more than a few cubic meter (definitely enough to move in one trip with a van) but there are things that I need and want to take with me in case I move to another country and I want to figure out what are the costs for them. I can't find any rate information online, they only included a form where they will get back to you later on.

It would also come in handy later too if I bought some lumber overseas and I am not in a big hurry to get them...

[ice raven]

From what I've read, hiring partial amounts of a container is horribly expensive, especially compared to hiring an entire container.

When we moved from England to NZ we were rather partial to a campervan we owned. We loaded it up to the gunwales, drove it to the shipping company and they just drove it inside a container. We picked it up from the docks on the other end and drove it home.

[Stray Dog]

Estimate the total volume, or make a list of the items, and call around the international moving companies, who will fall over themselves to give you a quote. They all do practically the same thing but with huge differences in price. Ask about low-season prices, including what day of the week for pick-up and delivery. Mention you will pack yourself, and that this is a private, not a company, move. Then get back in touch asking for a far cheaper price; they will negotiate.

And think hard about whether you want the insurance or not. If you really feel there is a chance of the boat sinking, go directly to an insurance company yourself rather than going for the rate quoted by the movers.

One last thing: work out the cost per cubic foot and then decide if some items would just be cheaper to sell here and buy there as opposed to paying for shipping.

[greenmark]

To give you a ballpark...

My move here from Shanghai of one person's belongings (clothing, books, cookware), no furniture, two bicycles, ended up being about US$1400.

[Taiwan Luthiers]

To give you a ballpark...

My move here from Shanghai of one person's belongings (clothing, books, cookware), no furniture, two bicycles, ended up being about US$1400.

Sounds like it would have been cheaper to pack the stuff and send it FedEx by air!

is there a reason for such a high price for sea shipment?

I mean most stuff I own can be easily disassembled and packed into separate boxes for postal shipment if needs be.

[Opihiman]

A couple years back we hired a shipper to move our household from Singapore to Taipei. We are a family w/ 2 kids, and had a modest household of furniture filling a full container. We paid about US$4k, perhaps a bit less. We didn't buy insurance, and the service included packing and unpacking at origin and destination. Insurance is a big scam, just say no. Shipping always involves risk - embrace it.

[Chewycorns]

Taiwan's shipping prices are highly reasonable. When I was attending a one week executive course in California last year, I spent a week at a former Taiwan collegue's place. He mentioned that it was cheaper to ship his high end speakers from Taiwan to California pricewise than it was to ship on land from Oakland to Berkeley.

[TainanCowboy]

Yeah...a good freight forwarder should be able to move the household pretty quick and cheap. There is a lot of empty container space right now - has been that way for the last year or so - and they, forwarders, are willing to negotiate.

OP, call around and make your best deal. Packing, pick-up and maybe even delivery to the final address as a package deal.

[Taiwan Luthiers]

Yeah...a good freight forwarder should be able to move the household pretty quick and cheap. There is a lot of empty container space right now - has been that way for the last year or so - and they, forwarders, are willing to negotiate.

OP, call around and make your best deal. Packing, pick-up and maybe even delivery to the final address as a package deal.

Thanks for the advise anyways... I am just looking for a ballpark estimate because I am not moving anytime soon, but when I do move I need to figure out what it will cost to move it, because I have to figure this into any equipment or tool or furniture purchase.

[xtrain]

I honestly can't remember how many boxes we had sent from Taiwan to Vancouver, but I filled a Ford Explorer with them when I went to pick the stuff up (no one else in car). They took care of all paperwork, picked up at our place in Zhongli, and I had to go to their office here to pick. It took about 3 weeks. We paid $35000 in total (give or take $1K). No insurance, as there was nothing vital in there. Aim for low season shipping and shop around.