The question "how do I import from China?" is usually asked in reverse order: the person starts by hunting for a supplier, then asks about shipping, then discovers the conformity requirements after the container has already reached the port. That order is the reason behind most losses on a first shipment. What follows is the correct order of work as it actually runs, from before you send your first message to a supplier until the goods reach your warehouse.
Step one: put your legal position in order before any negotiation
You cannot import a commercial shipment in your personal name. Before you speak to any factory, prepare:
- A valid commercial registration covering import or trade in your product category.
- VAT registration if your sales have reached the mandatory registration threshold, which is what lets you recover input tax later.
- An account on the Fasah platform, the platform through which the customs declaration is filed and the consignment is tracked.
- A contract with a customs broker. Do not put this off until the goods arrive; a good broker reviews the documents with you before shipment and saves you mistakes that cost weeks.
This step takes days or weeks depending on your situation, and it cannot be shortened once the goods are sitting at the port.
Step two: define the product and the HS code before you ask about price
Everything that follows depends on this step. The HS code is the customs classification of the product, and it settles three things at once: the rate of customs duty, the conformity requirements that apply, and whether any additional charges exist, such as the anti-dumping duties imposed on certain lines like steel and ceramic tiles.
Sit down with your customs broker and pin the code down precisely, then ask the important question: what does this line need in order to enter? Some products have a simple procedure, some need test reports, and some fall under a regulator other than the standards organisation — cosmetics and food, for instance, come under the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Knowing this before production is the difference between a successful project and a stranded container.
Step three: find your supplier and verify them
Platforms such as Alibaba, 1688 and the Canton Fair are a starting point, not a finishing point. What sets a professional importer apart is verification:
- Ask for the Chinese business licence and the company name in Chinese, and check that the bank account name matches the registered name. Transferring money to an account in an individual's name rather than the company's is a clear red flag.
- Tell the factory apart from the trading intermediary. Either can be the right choice, but price, flexibility and responsibility differ, and you have every right to know who you are dealing with.
- Ask for photographs and a live video of the production line, and ask about monthly capacity and current export markets.
- Where possible, make a site visit to the factory or send someone to visit on your behalf. An hour inside the factory reveals what a hundred messages do not.
Step four: always take a sample before the order
Never rely on a catalogue photograph. Ask for a sample, inspect it, then approve it formally with a signature or a stamp on it and a photograph held by both parties. This "approved sample" is your reference in any later dispute over quality. And keep a copy of it with you until the deal is closed.
Step five: delivery term and payment method
The delivery term settles where the supplier's responsibility ends and yours begins:
- EXW: you collect from the factory gate and carry everything after that. Cheapest on the face of it, and the most complicated for a beginner.
- FOB: the supplier delivers the goods to the port of loading and clears them for export, and you take on the sea freight and everything beyond it. The most suitable option for most importers because it balances control against simplicity.
- CIF: the supplier ships and insures as far as the port of discharge. Simpler, but you lose control over the choice of shipping line and may be surprised by charges at destination.
On payment: the common rule is a 30% advance with the balance against a copy of the bill of lading or after the inspection is passed. Do not pay the full value up front on a first dealing, however tempting. And for large deals, a letter of credit is safer for both parties.
Step six: open the conformity file during production
This is where the most expensive mistake happens. Most goods are registered on the Saber platform run by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization: a product certificate of conformity (PCoC) is issued first, after test reports are submitted to an approved conformity assessment body, and then a shipment certificate of conformity (SCoC) is issued for each shipment on the basis of it.
The rule is harsh and simple: with no valid product certificate no shipment certificate is issued, and with no shipment certificate the container is not released. So tie the start of your Saber file to the start of production, not to the shipping date. For the full detail on the two platforms and the ports, see the guide to Saber, Fasah and the ports of Jeddah and Dammam.
Step seven: pre-shipment inspection
Inspect the goods while they are still in the factory, not after they arrive. Random-sample inspection uncovers defects in sizes, colours, packaging and quantities while correction is still possible and cheap. The cost of an inspection is a very small fraction of the cost of rejecting a whole shipment or selling it at a discount. And insist that the inspection covers carton counts, label matching and packaging verification, not the product alone.
Step eight: shipping and documents
Choose between sea and air according to volume and urgency. And the documents are what decides how smoothly clearance goes:
- Commercial invoice · packing list · bill of lading · certificate of origin · shipment certificate of conformity.
The golden rule: every document must match every other exactly in the description of the goods, the number of packages, the weight and the importer's name. One different word in the description, or one different figure for the number of packages between the invoice and the bill of lading, is among the commonest causes of shipments being held up at Saudi ports. Review them all with your broker before the vessel sails.
Step nine: clearance and charges
The customs declaration is filed through the Fasah platform. The cost is worked out like this: customs duty at a rate that varies with the HS code, then VAT at 15% on a base that includes the value of the goods, the freight and the insurance, plus the customs duty — that is, it is calculated after the duty, not before it. Add to that the port charges, handling and inland transport.
Timeline and approximate cost
| Stage | Usual duration |
|---|---|
| Negotiation and sample approval | 1 – 3 weeks |
| Production | 2 – 5 weeks |
| Saber file and test reports | Starts in parallel with production |
| Inspection, loading and booking | 1 – 2 weeks |
| Sea freight to Jeddah or Dammam | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Clearance and inland transport | 3 – 7 days |
The usual total from sending the purchase order to the goods reaching your warehouse: 45 to 75 days by sea, and two to three weeks by air. Plan your seasons on that basis, because seasonal goods that arrive after the season is over are financed out of your own capital with no return.
The five commonest mistakes on a first shipment
- Discovering the conformity requirements after shipping — the number one mistake by a wide margin.
- Paying in full up front to a supplier who has not been tested.
- Relying on catalogue photographs with no approved sample.
- Skipping the pre-shipment inspection to save a small sum.
- Documents that differ from one another in the description or the number of packages.
And if your product falls into one of the categories with special requirements, each has its own detail: see the product guides on the blog, or the frequently asked questions for quick answers, or find out about our services if you want someone to handle the whole chain for you.
