Shipping anything more than an envelope from China through FedEX (the outfit I use) and the others is $100, minimum. So, you can imagine how much audio components like CD players, integrated amplifiers, and large tube monoblocks cost. Don't forget about the customs, duties, and other ancillaries that go on top of this.
I don't hold any particular wrath towards FedEX and these other companies, the price of oil has a lot to do with it. In fact, these companies are increasingly feeling the pinch, and I get a lot of attention from my sales rep who does all he can to work with me to find any and all creative ways possible to reduce my costs, as the more I ship, the more FedEX makes. These guys have been given a lot of leeway this year, which makes me think the company is feeling the pain in some major way.
The feature article of the June 13th edition of the Wall Street Journal dealt with the cost explosion in shipping goods from China. In 2000, it cost less than $3000 to ship a container from China to Long Beach, CA, today that cost has risen over $16K. We must accept this as the new reality, and adjust accordingly.
In my opinion, shipping is one of the biggest reasons that Chinese audio components no longer hold a price advantage whatsoever in comparison to their North American counterparts. Time on a CNC mill, as opposed to human assembly, is another reason. On top of that, the prices of commodities (steel, copper, plastic) and labor are all skyrocketing there.
I don't hold any particular wrath towards FedEX and these other companies, the price of oil has a lot to do with it. In fact, these companies are increasingly feeling the pinch, and I get a lot of attention from my sales rep who does all he can to work with me to find any and all creative ways possible to reduce my costs, as the more I ship, the more FedEX makes. These guys have been given a lot of leeway this year, which makes me think the company is feeling the pain in some major way.
The feature article of the June 13th edition of the Wall Street Journal dealt with the cost explosion in shipping goods from China. In 2000, it cost less than $3000 to ship a container from China to Long Beach, CA, today that cost has risen over $16K. We must accept this as the new reality, and adjust accordingly.
In my opinion, shipping is one of the biggest reasons that Chinese audio components no longer hold a price advantage whatsoever in comparison to their North American counterparts. Time on a CNC mill, as opposed to human assembly, is another reason. On top of that, the prices of commodities (steel, copper, plastic) and labor are all skyrocketing there.