- Published on
Top 5 Products to Avoid Dropshipping From China and Some to be Careful of From a Supply Chain Angle
Introduction
In the e-commerce landscape, it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to carefully evaluate the products they plan to dropship. Based on supply chain considerations, there are specific types of products that you should avoid sourcing from China due to shipping difficulties, restrictions, and other logistical challenges. Here, we outline the five main categories of products to steer clear of, along with a few product types that require extra caution.
1. Oversized Products
Oversized items can be problematic for a variety of reasons. First, shipping methods like ePacket and unit express have strict size limitations; for instance, packages cannot exceed certain dimensions (height, length, or width greater than 90cm). This means products like sofas are impractical for dropshipping. Additionally, large but lightweight items, such as feather pillows, can incur high shipping costs due to volumetric weight calculations, leading to inflated shipping fees that can cut into your profits.
2. Super Heavy Products
Similar to oversized products, super heavy items pose significant challenges. Most fulfillment lines—like ePacket—have a weight limit of about 2 kilograms. Given that shipping costs are calculated by weight, particularly heavy items will drastically increase your shipping expenses. This generally diminishes margins and can cause logistical issues when shipping internationally.
3. Fragile Items
Shipping fragile items like wine glasses presents a high risk of breakage. International shipping can be rough, and packages don’t always receive the gentleness they require during transit. With breakage rates that can reach anywhere from 10% to 50%, selling fragile products is likely to result in customer dissatisfaction, returns, and lost revenue.
4. Liquid Products
Liquid products, such as beverages or cosmetics in liquid form, encounter strict shipping regulations. While small liquid items like mascara might be manageable, larger quantities of liquids are marked as dangerous and face shipping restrictions on most lines. Such regulations can lead to inconsistent fulfillment and customs challenges.
5. Single Batteries
Products containing single batteries or power banks cannot be shipped by air due to safety regulations, as they pose fire hazards. This means that if you want to sell such items, you’ll likely need to use sea freight to transport them to a warehouse before dispatching them through ground shipping methods.
Keywords
- Dropshipping
- Oversized Products
- Super Heavy Products
- Fragile Items
- Liquid Products
- Batteries
- Supply Chain Challenges
- Shipping Restrictions
FAQ
Q1: What are oversized products, and why should I avoid them?
A1: Oversized products exceed specific shipping size limits enforced by popular shipping methods. They are difficult and costly to ship, making them unsuitable for dropshipping.
Q2: Are heavy products recommended for dropshipping?
A2: No, heavy products are costly to ship and often exceed weight limits set by many shipping lines, increasing overall shipping expenses and complicating the fulfillment process.
Q3: What type of fragile products should I avoid?
A3: Products that are easily breakable, like wine glasses and ceramics, should be avoided due to high breakage rates during international shipping.
Q4: Can I drop ship liquid products?
A4: Liquid products are subject to strict shipping regulations, making them risky. Small cosmetic liquids may be manageable, but most larger liquid items face numerous shipping restrictions.
Q5: Why can’t I ship single batteries?
A5: Single batteries pose fire hazards and cannot be shipped by air. To sell such products, consider using sea freight and ground methods for transportation.