How to Import Pots From Vietnam to the U.S.: A Guide for Garden Centers and Pottery Retailers
Share
Table of Contents
Why Imported Pottery From Vietnam?
Overview: How To Import Planters For Retail
Step-by-Step: Importing Vietnamese Pottery
1. Placing Your Order & Choosing FOB Terms
2. Working With a Freight Forwarder or Shipping Agent
3. Ocean Transit and U.S. Port Arrival
4. Duties And Customs Process For Importing Ceramics
5. Receiving and Unloading the Container
What You’ll Need for Unloading:
Important Safety and Inspection Procedures
Is Importing Pottery From Vietnam Right for You?
If you run a garden center, pottery store, or home décor shop and you want to import pottery from Vietnam, you're in the right place. With colorful glazes and a firing process that creates strong, durable pottery lasting decades, Vietnam is a time-honored source for high-quality, handcrafted ceramic pots known worldwide.
But before the container shows up at your destination, there’s a simple process to understand. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how B2B shipping works from Vietnam to the U.S., what costs and documents to expect, and how to make sure your pottery arrives safely and on time.
Why Imported Pottery From Vietnam?
With a long-standing tradition of ceramic artistry in Vietnam, regions like Binh Duong produce earthenware and stoneware that’s beautiful, durable, and competitively priced for buyers of wholesale ceramic pots. As a store owner, you get access to:
- Handmade designs not found in other mass-produced markets
- Durable, weather-resistant pots ideal for outdoor displays
- Competitive pricing through direct shipping
Overview: How To Import Planters For Retail
Importing pottery may sound complicated, but it follows a consistent structure. Here’s a simplified overview tailored for business owners:
-
The supplier loads your order onto a shipping container at their factory in Vietnam, which is then trucked to the port.
-
A shipping agent books space on a cargo ship for your container.
-
Your pottery is loaded at a Vietnamese port—usually Ho Chi Minh City.
- The vessel sails to a U.S. port of destination (often Los Angeles, Long Beach, Miami, Tampa, or Houston).
-
- Similarly to airplanes having hub airports, shipping containers from Vietnam typically stop by hub ports such as Shanghai in order to consolidate with others before their final journey to the U.S.
- Customs paperwork is filed and duties are paid through the shipping agent
- Once cleared, your container is hauled by truck to your location for unloading.
Step-by-Step: Importing Vietnamese Pottery
1. Placing Your Order & Choosing FOB Terms
Most suppliers will quote you a FOB (Free on Board) price. This means:
-
The factory handles trucking and export logistics up to the Vietnamese port.
-
You (the buyer) take over once the goods are loaded onto the ship.
This is a standard international arrangement and gives you more control over costs and timing once the cargo leaves Vietnam.
2. Working With a Freight Forwarder or Shipping Agent
Your freight forwarder is your main point of contact for the international journey, and is primarily responsible to:
-
Book cargo space on the vessel for your container
-
Arrange trucking or rail once the goods arrive in the U.S.
-
Coordinate with your customs broker to handle all legal paperwork
You’ll want to find a forwarder experienced with ceramic and fragile goods, since pottery needs careful handling throughout the trip. By ordering with TT Pottery, our 15+ years of experience in ceramics makes it easy to find experienced, trustworthy agents.
Before the cargo leaves Vietnam, U.S. Customs requires an ISF 10+2 form to be submitted [1]. This form tells them what’s being shipped, who’s involved, and where it’s going.
-
Your freight forwarder/customs broker is responsible for filing the ISF form at least 24 hours before the container is loaded
-
Missing this step can result in fines or delays
3. Ocean Transit and U.S. Port Arrival
Once the ISF is filed, your container boards a ship and sails to the U.S. It typically takes:
-
3–5 weeks by sea, depending on the route
-
Additional 1–2 weeks for customs and inland delivery
Major ports of discharge (POD) include Los Angeles, Long Beach, Miami, Tampa, and Houston. From there, your goods travel by truck or rail to your business.
4. Duties And Customs Process For Importing Ceramics
At this stage, your customs broker files an entry with U.S. Customs using the appropriate HS Code for your pottery. These codes determine how much you’ll pay in duties, and they vary by each product. They’ll also need a Power of Attorney (POA) to act on your behalf during clearance, which authorizes the broker to work on behalf of an importer.
5. Receiving and Unloading the Container
Once cleared and transported from the port, the container will arrive at your store for unloading:
What You’ll Need for Unloading:
-
Forklift
-
Pallet jack or pallet puller + rope
-
Hammer and crowbar (for crate disassembly)
-
Trained forklift driver + 1–2 helpers
Most trucking companies allow 2 free hours for unloading. After that, you’ll be charged around $95/hour for any additional time.
Some breakage can be expected, usually around 3% is the industry standard. However, TT Pottery has had only under 1% for orders in the past. Be sure to inspect each pallet for damage and keep photos for claims, if needed.
Important Safety and Inspection Procedures
Fumigation Requirements
Since shipments use wooden pallets, they must be fumigated to meet U.S. import rules to prevent pests from entering the U.S. ecosystem [2].
If bugs are discovered at the port, your container could be:
-
Held for inspection
- Sent to a USDA lab for testing (which adds inspection and storage costs)
Customs Exams
Sometimes, your shipment will be selected for a random customs exam. This might include:
-
X-ray scan
-
Tailgate exam (container partially opened)
-
Intensive exam (full unloading and repacking)
These exams come with extra costs and can cause delays—so it’s best to factor them into your timeline just in case. Another important fact to keep in mind is that Customs tend to select containers from new or unrecognized importers. Since TT Pottery has a long-standing history with shipping, our containers are much less likely to be searched, giving peace of mind to both new and returning wholesale customers.
Is Importing Pottery From Vietnam Right for You?
For many garden center owners and independent retailers, importing directly from Vietnam is a game-changer. You get access to:
-
High-quality, low MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) pottery at factory-direct prices
-
Unique designs and colors that set your store apart
- Complete control over your inbound product selection
If you're ready to take the leap, start by connecting with TT Pottery to easily get started with importing wholesale ceramic planters for your business. From there, the process becomes much more manageable with each shipment.
📩 To start your journey towards importing pottery from Vietnam, or any other inquiries, reach out to john@ttpottery.com today!
Sources
[1] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (n.d.). Importer security filing and additional carrier requirements. Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements. https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/import_sf_carry_3.pdf
[2] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (n.d.). Import and Export Requirements for Wood Packaging Material into the United States. CBP Customer Service. https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1200?language=en_US
