MATERIALSDECODED

The supply chain · China → UK

From a factory in China to your door in the UK

Play the whole journey on a live map. Twelve levels, up to eight parties, about 45 to 50 days at sea. Each level shows who does what, how long it takes, what it costs, the trap to avoid and the free tool that helps.

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Choose your route

Play as

  1. Level 01PlanA few days

    Brief and UK rules

    • You
    • Ibtisam

    Mission

    • Write down the product, the quantity, your target landed cost and when you need it in the UK.
    • Find the commodity code and check the customs duty and any anti-dumping duty for goods from China.
    • Check which UK rules apply and which documents you will need from the supplier.

    TrapAnti-dumping duty adds 42.3% to steel ironing boards and 79.3% to e-bikes from most Chinese exporters. Check before you choose a product, not after you order.

    Paperwork collected

    • Product brief
    • Target landed cost
    • Rules checklist
    Power-upsPlan my importProduct rules checkerAnti-dumping watch

    I check the code, the duty and the rules for one product for free.

    Checkpoint: Rules checked

  2. Level 02In ChinaAllow 1 to 3 weeks

    Find suppliers

    • You
    • Supplier
    • Ibtisam

    Mission

    • Search Alibaba and 1688, or meet suppliers at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou.
    • Send the same written request for quotation to three to five suppliers, so the quotes compare like for like.
    • Ask each one whether it is the factory or a trading company.

    TrapA stand at a trade fair or a badge on a marketplace is not proof of a good supplier.

    Paperwork collected

    • Request for quotation
    • Quotes
    Power-upsRequest for quotation builderCanton Fair companion

    I search in English and Chinese, including 1688, and shortlist suppliers.

    Checkpoint: Suppliers shortlisted

  3. Level 03In ChinaA few days

    Check the supplier

    • You
    • Ibtisam

    Mission

    • Ask for the business licence and look up its 18-character credit code on GSXT, China’s official company register: name, status and business scope.
    • Make sure the company on the licence, the quote, the invoice and the bank account is the same one.
    • For bigger or repeat orders, consider a factory audit by an independent company.

    TrapFake suppliers, and invoices from a different company, are where many losses start.

    Paperwork collected

    • Business licence
    • Register check
    Power-upsSupplier check

    I check suppliers on the official register and flag the warning signs.

    Checkpoint: Supplier verified

  4. Level 04In ChinaAllow 2 to 4 weeks

    Quotes and samples

    • You
    • Supplier

    Mission

    • Compare quotes by landed cost, not by price: freight, duty and each supplier’s own anti-dumping rate change the order.
    • Order samples from the best two or three and approve one as the golden sample.
    • Check the material and the weight: a price far below the others often means a cheaper grade or less material.

    TrapThe cheapest quote can land the dearest. In our ironing board example, $5.60 lands at £7.31 a unit and $6.10 at £6.60, because of the anti-dumping rates.

    Paperwork collected

    • Golden sample
    • Sample approval
    Power-upsQuote comparerPrice checkMaterial swap checker

    My £195 quote pack does this for you, with a recommendation.

    Checkpoint: Golden sample approved

  5. Level 05In ChinaA few days

    Order and payment

    • You
    • Supplier

    Mission

    • Put the specification, tolerances, packaging, labels and the inspection terms in writing.
    • Pay a deposit, with the balance only after a passed inspection, or pay through Alibaba Trade Assurance.
    • Confirm the bank details by phone, on a number you already had, before paying anything.

    Trap“Our bank details have changed” emails are the most expensive scam in this trade.

    Paperwork collected

    • Specification sheet
    • Purchase order
    • Proforma invoice

    Spent at this level · example

    • 30% deposit to the supplier£1,350
    Power-upsSpec sheet and AQLPayment safety check

    I never handle your money: you always pay the supplier directly.

    Checkpoint: Order placed

  6. Level 06In ChinaThe supplier’s lead time, often several weeks

    Production

    • Supplier
    • Inspector
    • You

    Mission

    • The factory makes the order in its quoted lead time.
    • For first or large orders, an inspection during production, when about 20 to 40% is made, catches problems early.
    • Plan around China’s holidays: Golden Week (1 to 7 October) and Chinese New Year (6 February 2027), with factories slowing from mid-January.

    TrapQuality fade: later batches quietly get worse. The golden sample and the written specification are your reference.

    Paperwork collected

    • Production updates
    Power-upsWhen to order planner

    I keep in touch with the factory and flag delays early.

    Checkpoint: Production finished

  7. Level 07In China1 to 2 days on site

    Pre-shipment inspection

    • Inspector
    • You

    Mission

    • An independent inspector checks the finished order, when it is all made and at least 80% packed.
    • A random sample is checked under ISO 2859-1 (AQL), typically allowing 0 critical, 2.5 major and 4.0 minor defects.
    • Expect about US$200 to 280 a day with V-Trust, or from US$309 with QIMA.

    TrapPay the balance only after the inspection report passes.

    Paperwork collected

    • Inspection report
    • Photos

    Spent at this level · example

    • 70% balance, after the inspection passed£3,150
    Power-upsSpec sheet and AQL

    I book the inspection against your specification and read the report with you.

    Checkpoint: Inspection passed

  8. Level 08In ChinaA few days to a week

    Packing and export

    • Supplier
    • Forwarder

    Mission

    • Cartons are packed and marked as agreed; the supplier issues the commercial invoice and the packing list.
    • On FOB terms, the supplier clears the goods for export and loads them on the ship; your forwarder takes over from there.
    • Work out the volume: below about 13 to 15 m³ a shared container (LCL) is usually cheaper; above it, a full container.

    TrapOn EXW terms you would have to clear Chinese export customs yourself, which a foreign buyer can’t do.

    Paperwork collected

    • Commercial invoice
    • Packing list
    • Export declaration
    Power-upsContainer and CBM planner

    I compare forwarders’ quotes and check the documents match the order.

    Checkpoint: Loaded on boardHanded over at the airport

  9. Level 09On the wayAbout 45 to 50 daysAbout 5 to 8 days

    At seaIn the air

    • Forwarder
    • Shipping line

    Mission

    • Your forwarder books the space; the shipping line issues the bill of lading.
    • Most ships still go round the Cape of Good Hope, so the voyage to the UK takes about 45 to 50 days. Through Suez it was 30 to 35.
    • A 20ft container costs about US$1,700 to 2,200; a shared container about US$45 to 90 per m³.
    • Your forwarder books the flight; the airline issues the air waybill.
    • Air freight takes about 5 to 8 days.
    • It costs about US$4.50 to 9 per kilo, charged on the greater of the actual weight and the volume weight.

    TrapA forwarder’s liability for lost goods is limited to about 2 SDR a kilo, roughly £2, so insure the cargo.

    Paperwork collected

    • Bill of lading or air waybill
    • Cargo insurance

    Spent at this level · example

    • Sea freight, US$900 in the example£664
    Power-upsContainer number checkContainer and CBM planner

    I track the shipment and keep you updated.

    Checkpoint: Arrived in the UK

  10. Level 10In the UKUsually a few days

    UK customs

    • Customs broker
    • HMRC
    • You

    Mission

    • Your customs broker declares the goods under your EORI number, with the commodity code and the customs value.
    • You pay the customs duty, any anti-dumping duty and 20% import VAT. VAT-registered businesses can use postponed VAT accounting.
    • The broker charges a fee per declaration; the landed-cost calculator uses a typical £85.

    TrapAs importer of record, a wrong commodity code is your liability, even if someone else chose it.

    Paperwork collected

    • Customs declaration
    • Duty payment
    • Postponed VAT statement

    Spent at this level · example

    • Customs duty, 3.2%£165
    • Anti-dumping duty, 18.1% for this exporter£935
    • Broker fee£85
    Power-upsLanded-cost calculatorAnti-dumping watch

    I check the code and the paperwork with your broker before the goods arrive.

    Checkpoint: Customs cleared

  11. Level 11In the UKA few days, with the arrival check

    Delivery and arrival check

    • Forwarder
    • You
    • Ibtisam

    Mission

    • The goods are collected from the port or airport and delivered to you or your warehouse.
    • Count the cartons and check a sample against the golden sample before you sell anything.
    • If you paid through Trade Assurance, claims must be made within 30 days of delivery.

    TrapProblems found months later are hard to claim for. Check on arrival.

    Paperwork collected

    • Delivery note
    • Arrival report

    Spent at this level · example

    • UK delivery£250

    In Fife I do the arrival check in person: count, condition against the golden sample and photos, £75 a visit.

    Checkpoint: Delivered and checked

  12. Level 12In the UKOngoing

    Selling and records

    • You

    Mission

    • Make sure the product carries the right markings, your name and address as importer, and any warnings in English.
    • Register where the rules require it, for example as a producer of electrical goods, batteries or packaging.
    • Keep the import records, and for marked products the technical documents, typically for 10 years.

    TrapWork out your real margin after every cost before you reorder.

    Paperwork collected

    • Technical documentation
    • Registrations
    • Import records
    Power-upsMargin calculatorProduct rules checker

    I help plan the next order with what the first one taught us.

    Checkpoint: On sale

✓ Mission complete

Goods landed and on sale

Days, brief to door
154112
Landed cost a unit
£6.60
Paperwork collected
28
Parties involved
8

The cost is the worked example from the example quote pack: 1,000 steel ironing boards at US$6.10 FOB with US$900 sea freight, landed at £6,600. Import VAT is left out because VAT-registered businesses reclaim it. Inspection and service fees are extra.

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The whole journey on one timeline

An example for a new product made to order. Your supplier’s lead times will differ.

22 weeksfrom brief to your door, by sea

Show the numbers
LevelSea (days)Air (days)
Brief and UK rules55
Find suppliers1414
Check the supplier55
Quotes and samples2121
Order and payment33
Production4242
Pre-shipment inspection22
Packing and export55
At sea508
UK customs33
Delivery and arrival check44
Total154112

Three rules that hold the whole chain together

The days on the map are an example, spread evenly along the route. The route is drawn from real coordinates, but ships and aircraft choose their own tracks.

Sources for the figures on this page
  1. Cargopoint: why China to UK ships still take the long way
  2. Exfreight: shipping from China to the UK (freight prices and air times)
  3. QualityInspection.org: what is the AQL
  4. Insight Quality: pre-shipment inspections in China
  5. Woosourcing: quality control in Chinese manufacturing
  6. TradeAider: inspection options and prices
  7. Xilink: QIMA inspection pricing 2026
  8. BIFA Standard Trading Conditions 2025 (clause 26)
  9. Maple Sourcing: FOB or EXW for UK importers
  10. GOV.UK: get an EORI number
  11. GOV.UK: get your postponed import VAT statement
  12. GOV.UK: placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market
  13. China Briefing: China’s 2026 public holidays
  14. UK Trade Tariff (duty and anti-dumping rates)
  15. Map data: Natural Earth (public domain), via world-atlas

Questions about the supply chain

How long does it take to import from China to the UK?

For a new product made to order, allow about 22 weeks from the first brief to the goods arriving by sea, including finding suppliers, samples, about six weeks of production and about 45 to 50 days at sea. By air it is closer to 16 weeks. Repeat orders with a known supplier are much quicker.

What are the steps to import goods from China to the UK?

1. Brief and UK rules; 2. Find suppliers; 3. Check the supplier; 4. Quotes and samples; 5. Order and payment; 6. Production; 7. Pre-shipment inspection; 8. Packing and export; 9. At sea; 10. UK customs; 11. Delivery and arrival check; 12. Selling and records.

Who is responsible for UK customs when importing from China?

The importer of record, usually you: the goods are declared under your EORI number by your customs broker, and you are liable for the duty, the VAT and the commodity code, even if someone else chose it.

Want someone with you at every level?

I find and check suppliers, book the inspections, coordinate the freight and check the goods when they arrive. You stay the importer and pay suppliers directly; my fees are published.

Start with a free import check ->

China sourcing and UK import support · All free tools