Buying stationery in Yiwu, with our agent
Our strongest operational presence is in Yiwu. Pens, stationery, office supplies and art supplies are mainly in District 3, on the 1st and 2nd floors. Bags, backpacks and suitcases are in District 2, mainly on the 1st floor. This is a simplified split, and some product groups overlap.
A bookshop chain may order several hundred lines from dozens of suppliers in the Yiwu market, each with its own minimum quantity, carton size and delivery date. The range is wide: notebooks and exercise books, pencil cases, coloured pencils, markers and geometry sets, pens and highlighters, folders, binders and desk organisers, backpacks and school bags, paints, brushes and modelling clay, diaries and planners. You choose in person: we organise a Yiwu buying trip on which our agent goes through both districts with you, translates, conducts the negotiations and records the orders.
What we check on school supplies
Suppliers deliver the goods to our warehouse in Yiwu, where we check quantity and quality:
- Paper. The paper weight (gsm) and the page count of the finished notebook. Paper in mass production is often thinner than in the sample.
- Binding. Spirals that come loose and glued covers that peel.
- Pens. Drying out, leaking and ink colour. We test pens from each batch by writing with them.
- Backpacks. Zips, strap seams and the base. We check the backpack when filled.
- Print. Colour and logo against the approved printed sample.
- Smell. Erasers and plastics with a strong smell do not sell.
- Counts. Mixed cartons are counted against the packing list, item by item.
For a full container at a factory in another city, the agent carries out the check at the factory, anywhere in China. In both cases you receive a photo and video report before loading. If we find a problem, we tell you before loading and agree how to proceed with the supplier. Read more on the page quality control in China.
Documents and licences
Some products for children, such as modelling clay and finger paints, may be treated as toys. They then need EN 71 test reports, a declaration of conformity and the CE mark (more on toys from China). For supplies with cartoon characters we establish whether the supplier holds a licence for the character, because without one customs may detain the goods. Confirm the requirements for your product before importing.
Packing and cartons
- Weight. Even a small carton of notebooks is heavy, so the cartons in the lower rows must bear the load.
- Moisture. Paper absorbs moisture at sea. We ask for notebooks to be wrapped in film.
- Markings. The carton markings must match the packing list, and barcodes and labels are applied in China.
Example: a back-to-school order
The dimensions and weights in this example are assumptions.
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| Item | Carton (cm) | CBM per carton | Cartons | Total CBM | Gross weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notebooks | 40 × 30 × 25 | 0.03 | 800 | 24 | 11,200 kg |
| Backpacks | 60 × 45 × 50 | 0.135 | 250 | 33.75 | 2,000 kg |
| Pens and supplies | 50 × 40 × 30 | 0.06 | 100 | 6 | 1,200 kg |
| Total | 1,150 | 63.75 | 14,400 kg |
The order fits in a 40' HQ (about 70 CBM in practice, 76 m³ internal), with about 6.25 CBM to spare. The weight is below the container's payload (28,620 kg for a 40' HQ, according to Maersk). Notebooks account for 38% of the volume and 78% of the weight, so with paper we watch both the cubic metres and the kilograms. You can work out your own list in the CBM calculator.
Ordering calendar for back to school
For school supplies on the shelves by early August, the warehouse target is late July: 7 days remain for distribution and for stocking the shops.
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| Step | Via Suez | Around Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling starts | early March | late February |
| Order confirmed | late March | early March |
| Goods ready in China | early May | late April |
| Arrival at your warehouse | late July | late July |
Once the goods are ready in China, allow 60 to 75 days via Suez or 70 to 90 days around Africa for delivery to your warehouse. The plan is calculated backwards from the upper end of that range, with 45 days of production and 14 days for samples. Transit times are approximate. We confirm the exact time and route for each shipment, based on the current situation on the sea lanes.
Avoid buying trips around Chinese New Year, when the market closes for the holiday, and from 1 to 8 October, China's National Day holiday (Golden Week).
Tariff number, VAT and customs
Notebooks, exercise books and diaries are usually in chapter 48 (paper), pens, pencils and markers in chapter 96, backpacks and school bags in chapter 42, plastic and metal office articles in chapters 39 and 83, and paints in chapter 32. The forwarder confirms the exact code for each item. In Macedonia a reduced VAT rate may apply to some school supplies instead of the general 18% (more on shipping from China to Macedonia).
We do not carry out customs clearance. A forwarder handles clearance, duty and VAT, your own or one we recommend. We deliver the goods to the customs warehouse and hand over the documents. Read more in the guide customs duty and VAT on goods from China.
How we work with bookshops and stationers
One of our clients is an office supplies chain with more than 30 shops, which imports more than 10 containers a year. It chooses at the market with our agent. We collect the goods from all its suppliers in our warehouse, check them and load them in a full container.
Four agents employed by Transcont work for you in China. We have our own warehouses in Yiwu and Ningbo and a direct presence in Thessaloniki, Durres and Bar. Deliveries to the warehouse arrive over several weeks. If a supplier is late, we tell you, so that you can decide whether to wait. A smaller order leaves as a consolidated shipment (LCL), a larger one in a full container.
Send us a list or photos of the items, the quantities and the destination. If you plan a trip, give the approximate dates as well.
