Importing from China is a well-worn path, which is good news: every step has a standard answer. The difficulty for a first-time importer is that the steps happen in a specific order, and doing them out of order is what produces delays and surprise costs.
The short answer
Get your importer registration and customs bond in place, agree an Incoterm (FOB is the usual sensible default), classify the product before ordering, appoint a customs broker, file ISF at least 24 hours before loading, and budget landed cost rather than freight. Most first-shipment problems trace back to one of those six being skipped.
1. Confirm you can import it
Check admissibility and any agency requirements before you order — FDA for food, cosmetics and devices; FCC for radio-emitting electronics; CPSC for children's products; USDA for wood packaging and agricultural goods. Also check whether your product carries anti-dumping or countervailing duties, which can dwarf ordinary duty.
2. Registrations and bond
- An importer number — for most businesses this is your EIN.
- A customs bond. Single-entry for a one-off; a continuous bond is usually more economical from a handful of shipments a year and is arranged through your broker or a surety.
Allow one to two weeks. This is the step that most often delays a first shipment.
3. Agree terms with the supplier
FOB [named Chinese port] is the common default: the supplier delivers on board and clears export, you control the main carriage and can shop the freight. Avoid EXW unless you know what you are taking on. Be wary of a supplier's CIF or DDP offer until you have compared it — the pattern is covered in supplier-arranged freight.
Agree payment terms and who issues which documents at the same time.
4. Classify and estimate duty
Get the HTS code before the order is placed, because duty can change whether the product is viable at all. Then stack the layers — base rate, Section 301, any Section 232, fees — using how to calculate import duty from China.
5. Appoint a customs broker and a forwarder
A broker files your entry; a forwarder moves the cargo. Many forwarders offer both, in-house or through a partner — ask which, because a subcontracted brokerage adds a handoff. Vetting questions are in how to choose a freight forwarder and licence checks in finding a US forwarder.
6. The documents
- Commercial invoice — specific descriptions, correct value, Incoterm stated.
- Packing list — quantities, weights, dimensions.
- Bill of lading — ocean, or air waybill for air.
- ISF ("10+2") — filed at least 24 hours before the cargo is laden in China. Late filings draw penalties, and it is your responsibility as importer even when the broker transmits it.
- Arrival notice, then entry filing and duty payment.
The full list is in import documentation.
7. Plan the destination
Know before arrival: how the container will be unloaded, how many free days you have, and where the cargo goes. Demurrage accrues fast — see the D&D calculator. For LCL, destination charges are where the cost surprises live.
A realistic timeline
| Stage | Typical |
|---|---|
| Registrations + bond | 1–2 weeks (one-time) |
| Classification + supplier terms | 1 week, in parallel |
| Production | Supplier-dependent |
| Booking + ISF | ISF ≥ 24h before loading |
| Ocean transit to US west coast | Check current transit times — routings have shifted |
| Customs clearance | 1–5 days with clean documents |
| Delivery | Days, subject to free time and drayage |
The five costly mistakes
- Guessing the HTS code, then discovering the real duty at entry.
- Missing the ISF deadline.
- Accepting a supplier's delivered price without benchmarking it.
- Vague invoice descriptions, which invite examination.
- Budgeting freight instead of landed cost.
For the freight leg, post a freight request or browse forwarders in China. The lane-level guide is shipping from China to the USA.
