Useless way to carry goods I imported (2,4)
I believe the answer is:
in vain
'useless' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'way to carry goods i imported' is the wordplay.
'way to carry goods' becomes 'in van' (goods may be transported in a van).
'imported' indicates putting letters inside.
'invan' enclosing 'i' is 'IN VAIN'.
(Other definitions for in vain that I've seen before include "Without success or result" , "'To no avail (2,4)'" , "Uselessly, without any progress" , "Uselessly, without success" , "Uselessly, a waste of time" .)