How to Import from China: Step by Step
A practical walk through the whole import route, from the first request to the goods at your door. It covers samples, payment terms, inspection, shipping options, Incoterms and the documents customs asks for.
- Written for bulk buyers, from $2,000 per order
- General guidance only. Rules and duties differ by country, so check yours before you order
The import process in 8 steps
Write a clear request
State the product, material, size, quantity, colour, packaging, logo or branding, the deadline and the delivery country. Photos or a link to a similar item help a lot. The clearer the brief, the more accurate the price.
Find and compare suppliers
Search on 1688, Alibaba and through supplier networks. Check the business licence, whether it is a factory or a trading company, and ask several suppliers for quotations. Compare unit price, MOQ and lead time, not only the price.
Order and test a sample
Never order a batch without a sample. Check it against your specification. Factory search plus a sample costs $100–300 with us. Samples take time and should be planned into your launch date.
Agree production and payment terms
Confirm the specification, packaging, lead time and quality criteria in writing. Production to order is usually paid 30% upfront and 70% when ready. Ready-stock goods are paid in full upfront.
Control production and inspect
Ask for production photos and video. Arrange a pre-shipment inspection at the factory before you pay the balance. Check quantity, appearance, function, packaging and labels against the approved sample.
Choose the shipping method
Air, sea or rail, shared container or full container, door-to-door or port-to-port. See the shipping section below.
Prepare customs documents
The supplier and the forwarder prepare the documents, and you make sure they match the goods. See the documents section below.
Receive, check and plan the next order
Check the goods on arrival and report problems quickly, with photos. Once the first batch works, repeat orders are faster and cheaper.
Shipping from China: air, sea and rail
- Air: 7–15 days. Fast, expensive per kilogram, suited to light, valuable or urgent goods.
- Sea: up to 45 days. The cheapest per unit for heavy or bulky goods.
- Rail: up to 45 days. A middle option for some routes to Europe.
Price depends on weight, volume and destination.
LCL and FCL. LCL (less than container load) puts your goods in a shared container and you pay for the space you use. FCL (full container load) is a container for your goods alone, and it becomes cheaper per unit once you ship enough.
Incoterms in one line each. They say who pays and who carries risk at each point.
- EXW (Ex Works): you collect the goods at the factory door and take on everything from there.
- FOB (Free on Board): the seller delivers the goods onto the ship at the Chinese port. You handle everything after that.
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): the seller or forwarder delivers to your address and pays duties and taxes, so you receive a final price.
Ask for a quote under the same Incoterm from every forwarder, otherwise the prices cannot be compared.
Customs documents in general terms
The exact list depends on your country and the product. These are the documents most shipments need.
- Commercial invoice: seller, buyer, description, quantity, unit price and total value of the goods.
- Packing list: how many boxes, their weight and dimensions, and what is in each.
- Transport document: bill of lading for sea, air waybill for air, rail consignment note for rail.
- HS code: the customs classification of the product. It decides the duty rate and which rules apply, so agree on it with your forwarder or customs broker before shipping.
- Certificates when required: for example CE marking for products regulated in the EU, or product-specific safety and quality documents. Ask what your product category needs before you place the order, not after.
Duties and import VAT are set by the destination country. We do not quote them here because they change. Your customs broker or the customs authority of your country can give the current figures.
Doing it yourself or with an agent
You can run all of these steps yourself if you speak Chinese, have time for supplier checks and are ready to travel or hire an inspector. A China sourcing agent takes the supplier search, negotiation, inspection and paperwork off your hands for a commission that starts at 10%.
If you want to know what the work looks like in practice, read the services page or the FAQ.
Ready to start your first order?
Send us your product and quantity. We reply with options, prices and timing.