Margin is not sale price minus purchase price
A reselled import carries the landed cost, platform commissions and fees, shipping to the customer, taxes, returns and the capital tied up in transit. A calculation that compares the Chinese price with the Brazilian listing usually skips half of that list.
Whether the item requires certification
Categories subject to approval — compulsorily certified goods, telecommunications and agency-regulated items — must be proven before they can circulate, and the main platforms ask for the certificate before approving a listing. Checking this before ordering avoids detained cargo and blocked ads.
Replenishment lead time sets the stock
A listing-based seller stops selling when stock runs out, and replenishment time is the freight leg plus customs clearance. Volume, lead time and seasonality have to be planned together; buying ahead is what holds the marketplace position.
Company, authorisation and inbound paperwork
Professional reselling rests on an authorised company, inbound invoices and regular bookkeeping — that is what allows tax credits and supports pricing across the year. Importing as an individual cannot sustain a continuous resale operation.
When consolidating pays off
For some products a dedicated container improves unit cost; for others, groupage — or even buying from a domestic importer — ends up cheaper once timing, risk and working capital are included. The comparison must be made on landed cost, not on catalogue price.
Introductory guides to international trade processes, risks and decisions. Content is not a substitute for operation-specific technical, legal, tax or customs advice.