Import from China for the First Time: A Practical Checklist

China Sourcing Published Oct 10, 2026 Updated Oct 11, 2026

Before your first purchase from China, define the product and destination requirements, then compare prices. Verify the supplier and specification, approve a sample where useful, calculate a complete budget, agree payment and inspection terms, then confirm shipping from the actual packed cargo. A cheap listing cannot answer all of those questions.

Written by JTLGO Editorial Team

Editorial policy

Published pending human review of service details and native-language copy. Confirm service terms with JTLGO before ordering.

On this page

1. Write a product brief you can verify
2. Choose a platform and check the seller
3. Use a sample to reduce a defined risk
4. Build a budget with separate cost lines
5. Confirm responsibilities and payment terms
6. Plan shipment and keep an evidence file
Ready to request a quote?
Use a release file, not a collection of promises

Illustration of a checklist, calculator, material samples and sealed carton, with a globe and cargo ship. — Original generated illustration; not a real order or warehouse photograph.

This checklist is for overseas first-time buyers and small purchasing businesses. It is a preparation guide, not a promise that every product can be imported or that JTLGO serves every destination or route. Sources were checked on 2026-10-09.

1. Write a product brief you can verify

Specify the product's use, material, dimensions, color, capacity, quantity and packaging. Mark requirements as mandatory or flexible. “Stainless steel bottle” is less usable than a defined grade, capacity, lid design and acceptable dimensions. Avoid adding a supplier's product claim to your specification without supporting evidence.

Record your delivery country, postal code and needed date. Check import requirements for the actual product and intended use with the destination authority or a qualified broker. Resale, food contact, electrical use or children's products may raise requirements that a listing does not resolve. Do this before paying for stock.

2. Choose a platform and check the seller

Use the China platform guide to decide where to search. JTLGO's direct search covers Taobao, 1688, JD and Xianyu; other product links can be sent for manual sourcing. A marketplace badge, sales count or attractive photo is evidence to examine, not a guarantee.

Compare suppliers using the same specification and quantity. Ask who manufactures the product, who receives payment, whether stock is available, what the minimum order covers and when goods can be dispatched. Seek relevant registration and product documents, checking that names and product scope correspond. Do not reject a trading company simply for being an intermediary; assess what it can prove and deliver.

Decision worksheet

Decision, evidence and next action

Decision	Evidence	Action
Specification	RFQ-01 / quote B / sample S1	Resolve revision differences
Destination	Product and use reviewed	Close import questions before payment
Budget	USD 588 known subtotal	Add unknown costs before landed total

View full diagram

Editorial worksheet; assumed example counts and costs are not a live order or quote.

3. Use a sample to reduce a defined risk

A sample is useful when material, fit, finish or packaging could change your buying decision. State what you will inspect and which version the supplier must produce. Keep photos and acceptance notes, then connect the approved specification to the bulk order.

A satisfactory sample is not proof that every later piece matches. Agree the production specification, tolerances, inspection scope and handling of nonconforming goods. Basic warehouse QC photos are visible checks; they do not certify function, authenticity or compliance and do not rule out hidden defects. If you need more, request it before purchase.

4. Build a budget with separate cost lines

Include products, China delivery, purchasing service, warehouse work, materials, international freight, destination clearance and taxes, local delivery and a reserve for uncertainty. Do not compare one supplier's product-only quote with another's delivered quote.

Hypothetical planning example: 200 units × USD 2 = USD 400 in products, plus USD 20 China delivery, USD 40 purchasing service, USD 8 materials and USD 120 freight. Known subtotal: USD 588. It excludes any unquoted warehouse work, clearance, duties, taxes and other destination charges; it is not a landed-cost total or a JTLGO quote. The USD 40 service line follows the public 10% rate for this assumed product value; verify current pricing and your written quote.

5. Confirm responsibilities and payment terms

Write down the payee, currency, amounts, due stages, included services, cancellation conditions and dispute process. Verify changed payment details through an established channel. Do not assume a payment made outside a marketplace has that marketplace's protection.

ICC's Incoterms® rules allocate delivery costs, risks and responsibilities. If your contract uses one, record the rule, named place and version. For a DDP offer, ask who handles import clearance and which charges or exceptions remain; the initials alone are not a complete quotation.

Control before approval

Items that must be resolved before release

Question	Required record
Who owns the decision?	Named buyer, supplier or broker
What proves it?	Versioned specification and evidence
What stops release?	Open requirement, amount or date

View full diagram

Record the answer in the same order file.

6. Plan shipment and keep an evidence file

Declare cargo accurately and screen batteries, liquids, magnets, brands or oversized items through shipping restrictions before purchase. Ask about export eligibility, route, packing, chargeable weight and required documents. Final carton measurements can change the freight estimate.

The WCO classification resources explain the Harmonized System used for customs classification. Have the appropriate destination classification and charges checked rather than copying a code or tax rate from a different product or country.

Keep the specification, supplier messages, quote, payment evidence, invoice, packing list, inspection records and tracking together. A realistic schedule includes supplier preparation, China delivery, warehouse checks, packing, international transport and destination procedures.

Ready to request a quote?

Decision	Evidence to have
What am I buying?	Written specification and count unit
Can it enter the destination?	Product-specific import and route review
Who supplies it?	Identity and capability checks
What am I approving?	Sample or agreed inspection criteria
What will I pay?	Separated confirmed and estimated lines
How will it move?	Packing, route and responsibility agreement

Send this information through JTLGO sourcing. If you already bought the goods, use freight handoff instead of starting a duplicate purchasing request.

Use a release file, not a collection of promises

Give each decision an owner, an evidence reference and an unresolved question. Connect RFQ-01 to quote revision B, sample S1 and the bulk specification revision B; if any material, size or packaging changes, decide whether the sample and shipping estimate still apply. A supplier’s proposed customs code is a starting point for destination review, not a binding classification. For a U.S. destination, CBP identifies product-specific requirements and importer responsibility; other destinations require their own authority review.

Copy this prepayment release: “Purchase is conditional on matching specification revision [ ], confirmed quantity/unit, approved sample or documented inspection alternative, named payee and payment stages, product-specific destination review and written cost exclusions. Unquoted duty, clearance and warehouse lines remain unknown, not zero.” Ask for production readiness and shipment milestones separately. A requested arrival date is not proof that customs, supplier preparation or transport can meet it.