What to look for with an import agent?

[HookMeUpII]

Any tips? Obviously cost is a factor but if it means paying a tad more for better service I'm fine with that. I've seen a few names like Coppersmith, SSI and so on.

Ideally I would like someone local to JFK or at least very familiar with dealing with that as a port of entry for the crate.

The list being mounted/prepped is:

Blesbok - Euro and tanned flatskin
Impala - Shoulder
Warthog - Euro
Kudu - Shoulder and tanned backskin
Wildebeest - Shoulder and tanned backskin

All taken and being mounted in RSA.

 

[JimP]

I think that any of the importers mentioned on the the forum here will do a good job.

Trophy Shippers who are a members on the site here are good. They went through a tough time last year but it appears that they are on the mend.

I am using Safari Specialty Importers, they cost more that the others but I personally like their service. They are handling everything from my South African Taxidermist to my door. Wyatt answers questions and returns phone calls quite rapidly.

Coppersmith sounds like they are on par with Trophy Shippers

There are a few others but I would imagine that they all have a presence in NY and JFK. I know that SSI has their own warehouses at that airport that they bring their clients trophies into, I have also heard that Coppersmith also has their own warehouses. I'm not sure on the others.

 

[HookMeUpII]

I think that any of the importers mentioned on the the forum here will do a good job.

Trophy Shippers who are a members on the site here are good. They went through a tough time last year but it appears that they are on the mend.

I am using Safari Specialty Importers, they cost more that the others but I personally like their service. They are handling everything from my South African Taxidermist to my door. Wyatt answers questions and returns phone calls quite rapidly.

Coppersmith sounds like they are on par with Trophy Shippers

There are a few others but I would imagine that they all have a presence in NY and JFK. I know that SSI has their own warehouses at that airport that they bring their clients trophies into, I have also heard that Coppersmith also has their own warehouses. I'm not sure on the others.

Really appreciate the input. Do you happen to know where I can find a list of importers on the site? Wouldn't mind dealing with someone on the forum.

 

[JimP]

There is no list but Trophy Shippers are a sponsor and member on the site here

Trophy Shippers – Walking You Through the Hunting Journey

 

[mdwest]

I'd ask who has a local warehouse that trophies can be transferred to while waiting to clear all the various govt agencies as well.. depending on what port of entry you are looking at this could make a huge cost difference..

For example.. Coppersmith has a warehouse in DFW.. the airlines have been sticking people for on average $150 per day for every day a crate sits in their warehouse.. and youre typically looking at a week to 10 days for most crates to clear in most ports recently.. Thats an extra $1500...

With Coppersmith in DFW, the airline MIGHT stick you for a single day (day of arrival) but once they are notified your crate has arrived, they immediately go and pick it up and transfer your crate to their warehouse, where it is held until all the various agencies come and do their thing with it..

 

[HookMeUpII]

I'd ask who has a local warehouse that trophies can be transferred to while waiting to clear all the various govt agencies as well.. depending on what port of entry you are looking at this could make a huge cost difference..

For example.. Coppersmith has a warehouse in DFW.. the airlines have been sticking people for on average $150 per day for every day a crate sits in their warehouse.. and youre typically looking at a week to 10 days for most crates to clear in most ports recently.. Thats an extra $1500...

With Coppersmith in DFW, the airline MIGHT stick you for a single day (day of arrival) but once they are notified your crate has arrived, they immediately go and pick it up and transfer your crate to their warehouse, where it is held until all the various agencies come and do their thing with it..

If I am reading this right, using someone who has a warehouse in JFK area like SSI, might save back end costs? Saving $200-$300 on someone who doesn't have a local warehouse may just get eaten back up and then some, it seems.

This is really helpful info.

 

[fourfive8]

Being local or having an on-the-ground rep at or in the city of your chosen port of entry would, IMO, be very important. And don't forget to ask if they have experience with Africa trophy import- sounds like a silly question but I imagine some customs brokers may not have a lot of that experience or have chosen to avoid that part of the business. Before my first trip, I contacted possibly the most well known, most recommended broker for Africa trophy import. They were perfectly willing to take my money for the job but happened to be based 900 miles from my closest and preferred port of entry. And the office staffer who answered the phone about my inquiry was about clueless of the details of what needed to be done to receive the trophies at their port of entry, IIRC San Francisco, then get them transported the 900 miles to me or my taxidermist. It quickly became apparent that was a dead end so I asked a taxidermist in the city of the port of entry about local customs brokers for trophies. He immediately knew of the most experienced one based in the city of my preferred port of entry. That judgment call and a very small amount of leg work saved me a ton of headaches and $ over several trips.

 

[jey3122]

I have had clients use coppersmith at jfk. Think they are the best for the buck from feed back I have gotten back from clients

 

[375Fox]

Look for a broker that has a warehouse and staff at JFK. I’ll be using coppersmiths now, communication is excellent. I’ve used fauna and flora in past with good results, but communication was difficult. Genus logistics has been recommended to me by shipper before but I haven’t used. You can ask your shipper from South Africa their recommendation. They will have several they’ve worked with in past.
I wouldn’t use a broker who lost their reputation, whether explained as temporary or not. Trophy shippers shouldn’t have been taking trophy shipment for airports other than Chicago from reading the issues posted here.

 

[375Fox]

If I am reading this right, using someone who has a warehouse in JFK area like SSI, might save back end costs? Saving $200-$300 on someone who doesn't have a local warehouse may just get eaten back up and then some, it seems.

This is really helpful info.

$200-$300 would be on the low end if shipment is held up, could be thousands in savings by choosing a broker with own warehouse, but typically they also charge slightly more for their services as well.

 

[mdwest]

+1 to @375Fox 's comments.

Assume a minimum of a week to get your crate cleared... youre talking $1050 that the Delta/Turkish/Whoever Airline is going to charge you for storage... On average I think its taking about 10 days for most crates to clear at DFW right now.. so we're talking $1500...

If your broker has an approved warehouse, you can reduce that cost to somewhere between $0 and $150 (it is possible that the crate will get hit with 1 day of storage from the airline.. but they shouldnt get 2 days out of you)..

 

[mikecatt13]

If I am reading this right, using someone who has a warehouse in JFK area like SSI, might save back end costs? Saving $200-$300 on someone who doesn't have a local warehouse may just get eaten back up and then some, it seems.

This is really helpful info.

Correct.

I used SSI for my 2021 safari and will continue to use them. Wyatt is great and got everything here safely (including CITES).

Be careful who you use. I talked to a couple "importers" at DSC to gather info about a CITES species that's next on my list, and the misinformation and/or lack of knowledge I encountered was approaching astounding.

I would speak with references of people who have personally had recent dealings that include successful importation of CITES 1 species. Even if you arent hunting those, the ability to get them approved and here safely is a pretty solid evaluation of their abilities. And shipping is WAY different than pre covid, so that's where the "recent" part comes in

 

[HookMeUpII]

Correct.

I used SSI for my 2021 safari and will continue to use them. Wyatt is great and got everything here safely (including CITES).

Be careful who you use. I talked to a couple "importers" at DSC to gather info about a CITES species that's next on my list, and the misinformation and/or lack of knowledge I encountered was approaching astounding.

I would speak with references of people who have personally had recent dealings that include successful importation of CITES 1 species. Even if you arent hunting those, the ability to get them approved and here safely is a pretty solid evaluation of their abilities. And shipping is WAY different than pre covid, so that's where the "recent" part comes in

I just got off the phone with Wyatt after making a few calls on my party's behalf. He/they definitely know what they are doing. I have one or two more on my list to call but I have to say they struck me as being a very squared away and knowledgeable outfit.

 

[fourfive8]

There is a long daisy chain of separate entities in the process between dead animal in Africa and a mount on a wall in the US. One weak or malfunctioning link in that long chain can disrupt the process. A customs broker in the US has nothing to do with nor control over their counterpart in Africa nor with the actual shipping company be it an independent shipping freight service or a passenger airline doing multiple “side gigs” shipping both freight and passengers. Add multiple foreign and domestic government bureaucrats along the way and in some ways it’s a wonder trophies make it here at all. Several years ago even the EU got involved in the prep and dip and pack regs at the local level in some Africa countries.

 

[HookMeUpII]

There is a long daisy chain of separate entities in the process between dead animal in Africa and a mount on a wall in the US. One weak or malfunctioning link in that long chain can disrupt the process. A customs broker in the US has nothing to do with nor control over their counterpart in Africa nor with the actual shipping company be it an independent shipping freight service or a passenger airline doing multiple “side gigs” shipping both freight and passengers. Add multiple foreign and domestic government bureaucrats along the way and in some ways it’s a wonder trophies make it here at all. Several years ago even the EU got involved in the prep and dip and pack regs at the local level in some Africa countries.

Pretty much how I imagine it in my head. My first thought was none of this seems like an easy accomplishment or process. I've dealt with some level of overseas logistics before. I'm sure people do this without a customs broker. Not something I would personally do. I think working with the right operation makes all the difference. One of them stands out at the moment.

 

[JimP]

Back when I first used SSI they were called the Pit Bulls of African trophy importers.

They took on problems that all the rest of the importers threw their hands in the air and told the customer that they were on their own. They also were at one time supporters on the forum here.

 

[375Fox]

Pretty much how I imagine it in my head. My first thought was none of this seems like an easy accomplishment or process. I've dealt with some level of overseas logistics before. I'm sure people do this without a customs broker. Not something I would personally do. I think working with the right operation makes all the difference. One of them stands out at the moment.

Not sure all that goes on behind scenes, but from my standpoint it’s very easy, especially for South Africa and your trophy list. Simply pay taxidermy in South Africa, pay shipper in South Africa, pay broker in USA and it’s done. There should be no other effort needed on your part.

 

[Safari Dave]

My trophies always ended up with Coppersmith, even though I've never specified a particular importer.

My my case, they have their own warehouse near the Atlanta airport and have always conducted everything seamlessly.

 

[Mike B.]

I've used SSI for 3 of my hunts and will be using them again for trip in two weeks. Will use them again for my trip next year as well. I don't really know all of the things that happen behind the scenes, and I don't really want to know. This is why I have used SSI over and over again. I get an email saying dip and pack is done, please pay them. I make the payment and then I get an email saying it's shipping, please make the payment. It's then delivered to my local approved taxidermist. Everything leading up to all of that is out of my hands and I like it that way, but with that said I am the kind of person that is not afraid to research and learn everything there is to know about things just so I can try and do things on my own. In this case though, it has not been worth the effort for me to do that so I just leave it in someone else's capable hands.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Back when I first used SSI they were called the Pit Bulls of African trophy importers.

They took on problems that all the rest of the importers threw their hands in the air and told the customer that they were on their own. They also were at one time supporters on the forum here.

This is the impression I am sort of getting. They seem like an outfit that just gets the job done.

Pay broker in USA and it’s done. There should be no other effort needed on your part.

There is one outfit, at least that I've found, where you do only this and they take care of the rest.

I've used SSI for 3 of my hunts and will be using them again for trip in two weeks. Will use them again for my trip next year as well. I don't really know all of the things that happen behind the scenes, and I don't really want to know. This is why I have used SSI over and over again. I get an email saying dip and pack is done, please pay them. I make the payment and then I get an email saying it's shipping, please make the payment. It's then delivered to my local approved taxidermist. Everything leading up to all of that is out of my hands and I like it that way, but with that said I am the kind of person that is not afraid to research and learn everything there is to know about things just so I can try and do things on my own. In this case though, it has not been worth the effort for me to do that so I just leave it in someone else's capable hands.

I probably could do it. The problem is I don't have time and I most certainly don't have time to do it for the other 3 individuals. I am a CCO for a living and deal with state and some federal regulators on at least a quarterly basis. I completely agree with you.