Import guides
How Long Does Import Take? Manufacturing, Sea and Air Freight, and Customs Clearance
A realistic timeline for an order from abroad: how long manufacturing takes, how long shipping takes, and what delays clearance. And how to plan an order ahead of a season.
An import timeline has four parts: sourcing and sample approval, manufacturing, shipping and clearance. Each can run long, and most can be planned for in advance.
A business ordering ahead of a season needs to count backward from the target date, and leave a buffer for holidays in the country of origin and port congestion.
What the full guide will cover
- The stages of the process and the typical duration of each
- Sea versus air freight: time versus cost
- What delays customs clearance and how to prevent it
- Holidays and factory closures worth marking in your calendar
- Planning backward from the target date
The full guide is being written. Have a question on this topic right now? Send us your product details and we'll get back to you with an answer.
On this topic on our site:How It WorksProcurement and import management
More guides
Commercial Import for Businesses: The Complete Step-by-Step GuideHow to import goods into Israel without the headaches: finding a supplier, samples, payment, shipping, standards, customs and taxes. A practical step-by-step guide.
Commercial Import in Small Quantities: What You Need to Get Started (Even as an Exempt Dealer)The difference between personal and commercial import, what a small business needs to place a first shipment, and what being an exempt dealer (osek patur) means for importing.
Import Company, Purchasing Agent or Customs Broker: Who Does What and How to ChooseThree different professionals involved in the same shipment. What each one does, where they overlap and who you need at each stage.