Importing from China in 11 steps
A business import from China has 11 steps, and most of them take place in China, before the goods set off. That is where we have our own agents, offices and warehouses, in Yiwu and Ningbo.
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| Step | What it covers | Risk if it is skipped |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Product | Written specification | A similar product in place of the one specified |
| 2. Supplier | Factory or the Yiwu market | An unknown intermediary |
| 3. Supplier check | Licence, address, visit | Payment to the wrong account |
| 4. Sample | Marked sample with photos | A production run of lower quality than the sample |
| 5. Price and terms | Offer, Incoterm, payment | Unforeseen costs |
| 6. Production | Tracking the production schedule | A delay without notice |
| 7. Check before loading | Count, comparison, report | An error found only on arrival |
| 8. Transport | Consolidated shipment or full container | Space paid for and left unused |
| 9. Documents | Invoice, packing list, bill of lading | Goods held at customs |
| 10. Customs and VAT | Handled by your forwarder | Goods stay in the customs warehouse |
| 11. Delivery | Truck to your warehouse | No ramp, or nobody to receive the goods |
1. Product and specification
Sourcing starts with a written specification: material, dimensions, colour, packaging, quantity and the language of the label. With it we compare offers against the same requirements.
Toys need CE marking, EN 71 test reports and a declaration of conformity; lighting and electrical goods need LVD, EMC and RoHS documents. Serbia applies its own conformity mark by default. Confirm the requirements for your product before you order. We ask the supplier for the documents before the deposit is paid.
2. Choosing the supplier
For goods with little variety and clear specifications, such as machinery or a few items per shipment, our agents collect and compare offers from factories. For a wide assortment of small items we recommend a buying trip to Yiwu, where our agent goes through the market with you and translates. The market has more than 75,000 shops and about 2 million products (Chinagoods) and is described in the Yiwu market guide.
3. Supplier check
Our agents review the business licence, visit the factory, anywhere in China, and establish whether the goods are really made there. A website or a platform profile is not proof for us. The warning signs of fraud are described in the guide how to verify a Chinese supplier.
4. Samples
Before a larger order we arrange a sample. When you work with several suppliers, we collect the samples in one place in China, photograph them and send them to you together. We later compare the ordered goods with the approved sample.
5. Price and terms
The agent agrees the price, the minimum order quantity (MOQ), the production time and the packing with the supplier. The most common basis for purchases from China is FOB: the supplier loads the goods on the ship, and you control the freight from there. The method of payment is agreed for each order.
6. Production
The supplier sets the production time, which is often the longest part of an import. The agent stays in contact with the supplier, asks for photos during production and tells you about any delay in good time.
7. Check before loading
We check the goods before loading: consolidated shipments and goods from Yiwu in our warehouse, full containers at the factory, anywhere in China. We count the goods, compare them with the order and the sample, and send you a photo and video report. The check is not a formal inspection to the AQL standard, and its scope is set out on the page quality control in China.
8. Transport
We collect the goods from several suppliers in our warehouse and send them as a consolidated shipment (LCL) or in a full container. Consolidated shipments leave from Ningbo and are charged per CBM, with a minimum of 1 CBM, while full containers leave from the Chinese port nearest the supplier. We issue our own bills of lading and have a direct presence in Thessaloniki, Durres and Bar, with annual shipping contracts. Work out the volume of your goods in the CBM calculator.
9. Documents
The core documents are the commercial invoice, the packing list and the bill of lading, with conformity documents for regulated goods. Before loading we check that they agree with each other and with the goods, and then hand them over to the forwarder. The full overview is in the guide import documents for goods from China.
10. Customs and VAT
We do not carry out customs clearance. We deliver the goods to the customs warehouse and hand over the documents; a forwarder handles clearance, duty and VAT, your own or one we recommend. Many clients already have their own forwarder. Serbia has a free trade agreement with China, which can lower the duty on some goods that travel with a valid certificate of origin; your forwarder confirms the rate.
11. Delivery
Once the forwarder has cleared the goods, we arrange delivery by truck to your warehouse, if agreed. We establish in advance whether you have a ramp and a forklift and who will receive the goods. The details are on the page documents and delivery.
Importing into an EU country
The steps are the same for a company in an EU country. Clearance, duty and VAT are handled by a forwarder there.
How long an import takes
From the day the goods are ready until delivery to your warehouse, plan about 60 to 75 days via Suez or about 70 to 90 days around Africa, depending on the port and the routing. Sourcing, samples and production come before that, so a first import takes several months from the first contact with a supplier. Repeat orders from known suppliers are much faster. Transit times are approximate. We confirm the exact time and route for each shipment, based on the current situation on the sea lanes. More in the guide how long shipping from China takes.
Our presence in China
We have been in the Chinese market since 2006. Our head office is in Skopje, and we have three offices in all. Four agents employed by Transcont work in China, in English and Chinese, and we have Macedonian-speaking colleagues there. Our strongest operational presence is in Yiwu. An agent can travel anywhere in China: to visit a factory, to check the goods, or to go with you to any market in the country.
A toys wholesaler with more than 10 imports a year works with us in this way, as does an office supplies chain with more than 30 shops and more than 10 containers a year. Both entrust us with sourcing and transport.
We also arrange transport on its own, to the customs warehouse. For sourcing, get in touch with our agent in China. The guide sourcing agent or freight forwarder compares the two roles, and the landed cost calculator estimates the total cost to your warehouse.
Send an inquiry
Send us a link or a photo of the product, the approximate quantity, whether you already have a supplier, and the destination of the goods. We will tell you what the next step is and what we need for a quote.
