China remains the world's largest manufacturing hub — and for good reason. Whether you're an Amazon FBA seller, a small business owner, or a first-time importer, sourcing from China offers unmatched product variety, competitive pricing, and established supply chain infrastructure. But the process is more complex than placing an online order. Get it wrong, and you're looking at delayed shipments, failed customs clearance, substandard goods, or worse — losing your entire inventory to a scam supplier.
This guide walks you through the complete process of importing from China, from finding your first supplier to receiving goods at your warehouse.
Step 1: Define your product and target cost. Step 2: Find and vet suppliers. Step 3: Request samples. Step 4: Negotiate and place your order. Step 5: Arrange shipping and freight. Step 6: Handle customs clearance. Step 7: Receive and inspect goods. Each step includes common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Step 1: Define Your Product and Target Cost
Before searching for suppliers, you need to know exactly what you're looking for — and at what price it becomes viable. Vague requirements lead to inconsistent quotes and quality problems down the line.
Start by documenting:
- Product specifications — materials, dimensions, weight, color, packaging requirements, certifications needed (CE, FCC, CPSIA, etc.)
- Target FOB price — work backwards from your retail price. Use our Landed Cost Calculator to estimate what your FOB price needs to be to hit your target margin after freight, duty, and fees.
- Minimum order quantity (MOQ) — how many units can you commit to for a first order? Most Chinese factories require 200–1,000+ units depending on product complexity.
- Timeline — when do you need goods at your warehouse? Add 30–60 days for production plus transit time.
Your product's HS code determines your import duty rate — and therefore your landed cost. Look up your HS code before calculating target FOB prices so your margin estimates are based on accurate duty costs. Use our HS Code Lookup as a starting point.
Step 2: Find and Vet Suppliers
Finding suppliers is easy. Finding good suppliers is the real challenge. Here are the main sourcing channels:
Alibaba
The world's largest B2B marketplace, connecting buyers with Chinese manufacturers and trading companies. Alibaba lists millions of suppliers across virtually every product category. Key filters to use: "Trade Assurance" (payment protection), "Verified Supplier" (third-party verification), and supplier response rate. Alibaba is a good starting point, but requires careful vetting — not every supplier on the platform is a genuine manufacturer.
1688.com
Alibaba's domestic Chinese equivalent — where Chinese businesses buy from each other. Prices are typically 20–40% lower than Alibaba because you're dealing with factory-direct pricing without the international markup. The catch: the site is entirely in Chinese, and minimum orders are often higher. Useful if you have a sourcing agent or speak Mandarin.
Global Sources
Similar to Alibaba but historically stronger in electronics, mobile accessories, and hardware. Hosts major trade shows in Hong Kong that are excellent for product sourcing trips.
Canton Fair
Held twice yearly in Guangzhou, the Canton Fair is the world's largest trade fair — 25,000+ exhibitors across every product category. Meeting suppliers face-to-face eliminates most of the trust risk that comes with online-only relationships. For serious importers planning multiple sourcing relationships, attending once is worth the investment.
How to Vet a Supplier
Once you've identified potential suppliers, verify them before sending any money:
- Request business license documents — legitimate Chinese manufacturers have a business license (营业执照) and can provide it
- Check registration on CNIPA or SAMR — China's official business registries
- Video call the factory — ask them to walk you through the production floor via video. Scam operations almost never agree to this.
- Use a third-party inspection service — companies like SGS, Bureau Veritas, or AsiaInspection can verify factory capabilities before you place an order
- Check Alibaba trade history — look for suppliers with consistent transaction volume and positive reviews over multiple years, not just high ratings from a small number of transactions
Be wary of: suppliers who pressure you to pay outside the platform (to avoid Trade Assurance), prices dramatically below market rate, inability to provide factory photos or video, refusal to provide samples before large orders, and newly registered Alibaba accounts with few or no reviews.
Step 3: Request and Evaluate Samples
Never skip the sample stage — regardless of how professional the supplier appears or how tight your timeline is. A sample is your only opportunity to verify product quality, materials, and specifications before committing to a full order.
Sample costs and lead times
Most Chinese suppliers charge for samples (typically $20–$200 depending on product complexity) plus express shipping (DHL/FedEx, $30–$80). Some suppliers waive sample costs for serious buyers — this is negotiable. Sample lead time is typically 7–15 business days. You pay international express shipping from the factory to your door, which takes 3–5 business days.
What to check in your sample
- Dimensions and weight match your specifications
- Materials and finish quality meet your standards
- Packaging is appropriate for your sales channel (retail-ready vs. bulk)
- Safety compliance markings are present if required
- Functional testing (if applicable)
- Smell, texture, and any materials concerns (especially for products with food contact or skin contact)
If the sample fails to meet your standards, request revisions (known as a "counter sample") before proceeding. Never accept "the bulk order will be better" as reassurance — bulk orders are almost never better than samples without explicit improvements documented in writing.
Step 4: Negotiate and Place Your Order
Once you're satisfied with a sample, it's time to negotiate your order terms.
What's negotiable
- Unit price — most suppliers price in tiers. Asking for pricing at 2–3× your initial MOQ will usually reveal the next price break.
- MOQ — especially for new supplier relationships, many factories will accept lower MOQs for a higher per-unit price to win your business
- Payment terms — the standard is 30% deposit upon order placement, 70% before shipment. Some factories offer 50/50; larger buyers may negotiate 30/70 with payment after delivery (rare for first orders)
- Production lead time — standard is 20–35 days. Can often be shortened for a premium or by avoiding peak production periods (avoid January/February around Chinese New Year)
- Packaging customization — custom printing, branded packaging inserts, FNSKU labels for Amazon
Purchase Order and payment
Issue a written Purchase Order (PO) documenting all agreed specifications, quantities, price, delivery date, and payment terms. Never rely on verbal agreements. Pay via:
- Alibaba Trade Assurance — the safest option for new supplier relationships; Alibaba holds payment and releases it only when confirmed delivery
- PayPal — offers buyer protection but many factories charge 4–5% fee and some refuse it
- T/T (Bank Transfer) — most common for established relationships; no protection if supplier disappears
- Letter of Credit (L/C) — complex but offers strong protection for large orders; typically used for orders above $50,000
Step 5: Arrange Shipping and Freight
Once your goods are produced, you need to decide how to get them to your destination country. The main considerations are cost, speed, and shipment size.
| Mode | Transit Time (China→US) | Cost Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean FCL (Full Container) | 16–22 days | $1,500–$4,000/container | Large orders (10+ CBM) |
| Ocean LCL (Groupage) | 20–30 days | $80–$200/CBM | Medium orders (1–10 CBM) |
| Air Freight | 3–6 days | $4–$8/kg | Urgent, high-value, small |
| Air Express (DHL/FedEx) | 2–4 days | $8–$20/kg | Samples, very small shipments |
| Rail (China–Europe) | 14–18 days | $3,000–$5,000/container | Europe-bound cargo |
Who arranges shipping? This depends on your Incoterms. Under FOB (the most common for China imports), the seller delivers goods to the origin port and you (or your freight forwarder) arrange and pay for the main ocean/air freight. Under DDP, the seller handles everything including delivery to your door. See our Incoterms Guide for a complete breakdown.
Using a Freight Forwarder
For most first-time importers, working with a freight forwarder is strongly recommended. They handle: booking ocean or air freight, export clearance in China, ISF filing (for US imports, required 24 hours before vessel departure), customs clearance at destination, and delivery to your warehouse. Freight forwarder fees typically range from $150–$400 for the customs entry plus their markup on freight.
Step 6: Handle Customs Clearance
When your shipment arrives at the destination port, it goes through customs before you can receive it. For US imports, this process is managed by CBP (Customs and Border Protection).
Required documentation
- Commercial Invoice — shows the value, description, HS code, and parties involved
- Packing List — carton-level breakdown of contents
- Bill of Lading (B/L) — transport document from the carrier
- ISF Filing — for US ocean imports, must be filed 24 hours before vessel departure
- Customs Bond — required for formal entries (shipments over $2,500 into the US)
- Product-specific documents — FDA registration for food/cosmetics, FCC certification for electronics, CPSIA testing for children's products
Import duty payment
Import duty is assessed based on the customs value of your goods (CIF value for most countries, FOB value for the US) multiplied by your product's applicable duty rate. For Chinese-origin goods entering the US, remember to include Section 301 tariffs on top of the MFN rate. Use our Tariff Impact Calculator to model your exact duty cost.
Source: CBP Importing into the US Guide · Rates indicative only, verify before use
Some suppliers offer to write a lower value on the commercial invoice to reduce your duty liability. This is customs fraud in both the US and most destination countries — penalties include seizure of goods, back-duty assessment, fines up to 4× the unpaid duty, and in severe cases, criminal prosecution. Always declare the true transaction value.
Step 7: Receive and Inspect Your Goods
Once customs releases your shipment, it's delivered to your nominated address — warehouse, 3PL, or Amazon FBA prep center. Don't sign off on delivery before inspecting carton counts and condition. Immediately document:
- Total number of cartons received vs. what was on the packing list
- Any visible damage to outer cartons
- Random inspection of units inside at least 10% of cartons
- Comparison against your approved sample
If you discover quality issues after delivery, your options are limited — which is why pre-shipment inspection (before goods leave the factory) is so valuable. A pre-shipment inspection from a service like QIMA or SGS costs $200–$350 and is worth every dollar for orders over $5,000.
Common Mistakes First-Time China Importers Make
- Skipping samples to save time — leads to quality disasters on full orders
- Underestimating landed cost — treating FOB price as total cost, then being shocked by freight, duty, and fees
- Ignoring HS code classification — using the wrong code means wrong duty rate and potential penalties
- Poor payment protection — sending full payment upfront via bank transfer to an unverified supplier
- No pre-shipment inspection — discovering quality problems after goods arrive, when it's too late to return them
- Underestimating lead time — planning based on transit time only, forgetting production time (20–35 days) and customs clearance (2–5 days)
- No written purchase order — verbal agreements about specifications are unenforceable
1. Define product specs + target FOB price. 2. Find and vet 3–5 suppliers. 3. Request and evaluate samples. 4. Issue written PO with full specifications. 5. Pay deposit via protected method. 6. Book pre-shipment inspection. 7. Arrange freight forwarder + shipping. 8. File ISF 24 hours before vessel departure. 9. Pay import duty + clearance fees. 10. Inspect goods on arrival.
Calculate your true cost before you order
Use our free calculators to model your landed cost, duty impact, and export profit before committing to your first order.
🚢 Landed Cost Calculator 🎯 Tariff Impact Calculator