Blog
Decide before you wire.
Working notes for import buyers: classification, landed cost, MOQ and deposits, QC and supplier vetting — the questions that protect your margin.
What your import needs to clear customs
The documents, markings and product certifications that decide whether a shipment clears or sits at the border — what to check by destination, and what to settle with the supplier before production starts.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Reading an inspection report: pass, fail and the column that matters
How to read a pre-shipment inspection report like a decision document: sampling and AQL in plain terms, defect classes, the difference between 'pass' and 'ship', and the findings that justify holding the balance.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Incoterms for first-time importers: what the three letters actually move
EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP — what the common trade terms shift between you and the supplier, how the term changes which costs are yours, and why the cheap-looking term is often the expensive one.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing toys from China: safety testing is the product
A category guide for toy buyers: how toys classify, why age grading drives both the tariff and the testing, the certification paper trail to collect before a deposit, and the QC points that keep a container sellable.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing plastic housewares from China: resin, mould and the recycled question
A category guide for plastic-goods buyers: how housewares split across the plastics headings, why the resin spec is the product spec, mould ownership economics, food-contact and recycled-content claims, and the mixed-container math.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing kitchenware from China: steel, ceramic and the food-contact question
A category guide for kitchenware buyers: how steel and ceramic articles classify, why food-contact compliance decides the deal, the grade and coating questions for factories, and the landed-cost traps in a heavy category.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing into the US: the bond, the agencies and the tariff stack
A destination guide for buyers selling into the United States: the importer-of-record and customs-bond setup, why the duty is a stack rather than one rate, the partner agencies that can hold a shipment, and state-level rules that surprise.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing into the UK: one island, two marking regimes and a VAT question
A destination guide for buyers selling into the United Kingdom: EORI and the post-Brexit setup, UKCA and CE recognition in transition, the Northern Ireland nuance, and import VAT accounting that changes the cash math.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing into the EU: the four files every shipment needs
A destination guide for buyers selling into the European Union: registration and who imports, the CE framework and the responsible-person chain, chemicals and product-safety obligations, and how import VAT changes the cash math.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing home textiles from China: thread counts, shrinkage and the claims you can defend
A category guide for bedding and linen buyers: how home textiles classify, the fibre and finish claims that must survive testing, shrinkage and colourfastness as contract terms, and the set-versus-pieces question.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing furniture from China: what to settle before you order
A category guide for furniture buyers: how seating and other furniture classify, why knocked-down shipping changes the math, the compliance points that hold shipments, and the questions to put to a factory.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing footwear from China: upper, sole and the pair-by-pair details
A category guide for shoe buyers: why upper and sole materials drive classification, sizing systems and fit consistency, labelling by destination, and the QC points that decide whether a pair survives its first month.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing electronics accessories from China: the certification is the product
A category guide for cable, charger and connector buyers: how accessories classify across the 85xx headings, why safety and EMC approvals decide market access, counterfeit-component risk, and the testing that belongs in your per-unit math.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing computer and phone accessories from China: where the data lines cross the radio lines
A category guide for tech-accessory buyers: how keyboards, hubs, webcams and phone gear split across the computing and communication headings, why a radio module rewrites the file, firmware and data questions, and lifecycle-speed sourcing.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing ceramic tableware from China: the glaze is the contract
A deep-dive for tableware buyers: porcelain versus other ceramics in the tariff, lead and cadmium on food surfaces, why decorated rims are the risk zone, set classification, and the packing standard that decides your breakage rate.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing bags and luggage from China: the outer material sets the deal
A category guide for bag buyers: why the outer surface material drives classification and duty, hardware and stitching as the QC battleground, branding and IP pitfalls, and the volume math that decides freight.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Importing apparel from China: knitted or woven decides more than you think
A category guide for clothing buyers: why knit vs woven drives classification, fibre content as the second axis, labelling rules, the sizing and QC traps, and how order timing shapes the whole deal.
Read the guide →2026-07-12How to find the HS code for your product
A practical method for classifying an import: describe the product the way customs reads it, narrow to a heading, check what the heading actually covers, and know when to hand the final call to your broker.
Read the guide →2026-07-12The China sourcing calendar: order around the year, not against it
How the factory year shapes your order — Chinese New Year and Golden Week shutdowns, pre-holiday quality drift, peak shipping season — and how to time orders, inspections and freight against a calendar you cannot change.
Read the guide →2026-07-12Why your China quote is not your real cost
A supplier's unit price is the smallest number in the deal. How freight, duty, import tax and fees stack into the landed cost — and how to compare quotes on the number you will actually pay.
Read the guide →2026-07-11How to vet a China supplier before you pay a deposit
A polished catalog is not a track record. The checks that separate a real manufacturer from a trading desk — and how to protect your deposit before you wire it.
Read the guide →2026-07-11Pre-shipment QC: what to inspect before the balance payment
The balance payment is your leverage — spend it wisely. How pre-shipment inspection works, what to set up front, and what a QC report should actually show.
Read the guide →2026-07-11MOQ, deposits and payment terms, explained
The terms a supplier quotes — MOQ, deposit, balance, TT — decide how much cash you tie up and how much risk you carry. What each one means and what to settle in writing.
Read the guide →2026-07-11Importing lighting from China: duties, MOQ and compliance
A category guide for buyers importing LED and decorative lighting: how it classifies, what moves the duty, the MOQ and tooling questions, and the safety compliance that can hold a shipment.
Read the guide →2026-07-11How to import from China: a buyer's checklist
The steps that decide whether an import from China makes money — classification, landed cost, MOQ, deposits, QC and lead time — and the questions to settle before you wire anything.
Read the guide →