Importing from China in 2026: The Buyer's Checklist from Sample to Container
Most import problems are not caused by one big mistake. They come from skipping a small check at the wrong stage. This is the order we work through with buyers, from the first sample to the sealed container door.
Stage 1: Before you ask for a sample
- Confirm the legal entity. Match the company name on the quote, the invoice and the bank account. If they differ, ask why before anything else.
- Check the business scope. A Chinese business licence lists what a company is allowed to make or trade. A "factory" whose scope only covers trading is a middleman.
- Check fit for your exact product. A real factory for plastic housings is not automatically a real factory for the electronics inside them. Ask what they make in-house and what they buy in.
- Look for disputes. Court records and administrative penalties are public in China, but only in Chinese.
This is what our $129 supplier verification report covers — not just translated records, but what they mean for the item you are buying.
Stage 2: Samples
- Pay for samples. Free samples are often hand-picked or made somewhere else.
- Ask whether the sample came off the production line that will make your order.
- Keep one signed, dated "golden sample" on each side. It is your reference if quality is disputed later.
- Test against your market's rules (CE, UKCA, FCC, REACH, CPSIA, food contact) before mass production, not after.
Stage 3: Contract and specification
- Write a specification with measurements, tolerances, materials, colours, packaging and labelling — with photos.
- Define what counts as a defect and the acceptable quality level (AQL) for inspection.
- State the delivery date, the Incoterm (FOB, EXW, CIF) and what happens if either is missed.
- Put it in a bilingual agreement both sides sign. Factories respect what is written in Chinese. Our quality agreement service drafts this per product.
Stage 4: Payment
- The usual structure is 30% deposit, 70% after inspection. Never pay 100% up front to a new supplier.
- Pay only to a company account in the same name as your contract. A personal account or a "sister company" in another city is the most common scam we see.
- Confirm any change of bank details by phone or video, never just by email.
More on this in 10 checks before wiring money to China.
Stage 5: Factory audit (before or alongside the deposit)
For first orders, larger orders or anything with your brand on it, someone should walk the floor. A factory audit confirms the machines, the staff, the capacity and the quality system actually exist at that address. If labour conditions matter to your customers, add an ethical audit.
See our factory audit — $398 per man-day inside Guangdong.
Stage 6: During production
- Ask for photos and videos of your goods on the line, with the date visible.
- For new suppliers, book a during-production inspection at around 20–30% complete. Fixing a problem here is cheap; fixing it at 100% is not.
- Watch for silent material swaps — cheaper plastic, thinner steel, a different battery cell.
Stage 7: Pre-shipment inspection
- Inspect when at least 80% of goods are finished and packed.
- The inspector picks the cartons at random, not the factory.
- Check quantity, appearance, function, measurements, labels, barcodes and carton markings against your spec.
- Release the balance payment only after you have read the report.
Details on our quality control page.
Stage 8: Container loading
- Check the container is clean, dry and undamaged before loading starts.
- Count cartons in and confirm they match the packing list.
- Make sure the inspected goods are the ones going in — swaps at loading do happen.
- Record the container and seal numbers with photos of the sealed door.
Stage 9: Paperwork and arrival
- Check the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading match each other and your contract.
- Confirm the HS code and duty rate with your customs broker before shipping — tariffs changed a lot in 2025 and 2026.
- Inspect on arrival and report any damage to the carrier and supplier within the agreed window.
The short version
Verify the company, pay for samples, write it down, pay to the right account, see the factory, check production, inspect before the balance, watch the loading. Each step costs far less than the problem it prevents.
We are buyer-side only and take no fees from factories. If you want a hand with any stage, start with a verification report or get in touch.