Shipping Household Items to Vietnam from Hawaii

tunnelrat69 wrote:

Anyone know a reputable freight forwarding/receiving company that can ship approx 2,000lbs from Oahu, Hawaii to Phu Ninh Vietnam (Dong Thap area).  I have a 10'x10' store locker in Hawaii about half full and would like to ship the contents to my home in Phu Ninh.  I have donated the bulk of things I know I can replace cheaper than ship, what's left is everything I want to keep.  No Vehicle or Motorcycle, just used items.

I hope you find something that works for you.

I think someone may have mentioned before that even though your items are used, the customs department will insist on some sort of valuation for them, depending on the item(s).

Especially if anything is valuable enough to insure, they will use the insured value as a part of their process of determining what duty to charge.

Please follow up on this once you've accomplished your shipping. I know there are a lot of people who are interested in this subject.

Cheers!

You will need to pay tax on the items brought in. The VN government allows you to transfer personal belongings within 12 months of arriving here to work and have a work contract in place. Things like power tools are taxed at a ridiculous rate. I looked into this about 4 years ago and the tax alone was going to be around 2000 usd according to an agent I spoke to. At the end of the day, he said you are at the mercy of custom officials.

I may be wrong, but this is what I vaguely remember from conversations with the agent.

This may help.....http://www.moverworldwide.com/customsregulation/vietnamcustoms

He didn't list power tools per se but I am pretty sure that tunnelrat69 knows that he doesn't want to be bringing 110V items to really anywhere outside of the US.

THIGV wrote:

He didn't list power tools per se but I am pretty sure that tunnelrat69 knows that he doesn't want to be bringing 110V items to really anywhere outside of the US.

Just giving an example of what it can cost.

The OP didnt list any items, I just assumed there may be some electrical items in that locker.

Please save yourself a lot of heartache and do without.
OR do was the Vietnamese do, they fly with a half dozen boxes in two.

You've been warned,

colinoscapee wrote:

THIGV wrote:

He didn't list power tools per se but I am pretty sure that tunnelrat69 knows that he doesn't want to be bringing 110V items to really anywhere outside of the US.

Just giving an example of what it can cost.

The OP didnt list any items, I just assumed there may be some electrical items in that locker.

Related question. Does anyone know if the customs officials at the airport levy tax on the contents of extra bags brought into Vietnam via a commercial airline  (one-year tourist visa)? Just asking...for a friend

workplacestars wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

THIGV wrote:

He didn't list power tools per se but I am pretty sure that tunnelrat69 knows that he doesn't want to be bringing 110V items to really anywhere outside of the US.

Just giving an example of what it can cost.

The OP didnt list any items, I just assumed there may be some electrical items in that locker.

Related question. Does anyone know if the customs officials at the airport levy tax on the contents of extra bags brought into Vietnam via a commercial airline  (one-year tourist visa)? Just asking...for a friend

I don't 'know', however...

It seems extra bag is an airline term related to weight and space.

IOW, if I fly First Class and only bring 1 bag (2 allowed) the contents of that 1 bag are still subject to possible import fees, depending on what I'm transporting (and maybe the mood of the inspector).

The last few times coming in I had either two large suitcases or the last time it was one large suitcase and one “Viet-spec” cardboard box.  I never ever stop at the scanner at the exit.  I just wheel the trolley right past them doing my best “gawking around” look.  Have never even been stopped to scan or search.

.
   I agree.   My "gawking" gets me gone quickly too...

        ..works for me...     

Watch which airline you use.  As OceanBeach92107 alludes to, the term extra baggage can vary from airline to airline.  Even if you intend to buy your ticket elsewhere, it is best to check baggage rules on the company sites first.  Even allowable weight may differ.  I don't know if it is still true, but previously Philippine Airlines allowed 70lb per bag only on the HNL to MNL leg but if you were going on to SGN they let it go.  (Hawaii Filipinos haul excess clothing to relatives even more so than Viet Kieu do the same to Vietnam.  They even have a specific name for the box size called Balikbayan.)

Coincidentally just yesterday, my wife's friend had to make a switch from China Airlines to Asiana due to a pilot's strike in Taipei.  Her excess baggage fee jumped from $148 to $300 per bag so she was leaving two intended boxes of gifts behind for another trip.

THIGV wrote:

Watch which airline you use.  As OceanBeach92107 alludes to, the term extra baggage can vary from airline to airline.  Even if you intend to buy your ticket elsewhere, it is best to check baggage rules on the company sites first.  Even allowable weight may differ.  I don't know if it is still true, but previously Philippine Airlines allowed 70lb per bag only on the HNL to MNL leg but if you were going on to SGN they let it go.  (Hawaii Filipinos haul excess clothing to relatives even more so than Viet Kieu do the same to Vietnam.  They even have a specific name for the box size called Balikbayan.)

Coincidentally just yesterday, my wife's friend had to make a switch from China Airlines to Asiana due to a pilot's strike in Taipei.  Her excess baggage fee jumped from $148 to $300 per bag so she was leaving two intended boxes of gifts behind for another trip.

Sound advice (from all). Trying to understand various airline baggage allowances forces one to enter a bazaar and byzantine world. After reading, reading again and then yet again plus two voice calls to Eva Airline representatives ultimately provided some clarity.

Eva allows the customary two-checked luggage allowance (23 kg or 50lbs each) plus they allow up to five additional bags at $139.50 USD/23 kg each if pre-purchased via their website one-day prior to check-in. Rather than use vietaircargo.com to ship directly to Quy Nhon ($3.70/pound over 40 lbs) I'm going to practice airport and transit weightlifting with six 50lb bags. BTW, anyone who has looked at the customs list and limits at VietAirCargo will understand how incredibly micro the Vietnamese government are in terms of what quantity of each item can be brought in duty-free. OMG, and then the required pictures...

Six bags (personal and business) is a big target, which without a doubt, will require me to engage in LARP gawking around any and all customs officials. Any suggestions other than "don't do it!" are welcome...