How it works
How importing from China actually works
Seven stages from a product link to goods on your shelf. Only the first one needs anything from you — but knowing what happens in the other six is what stops you being surprised.
Stage by stage
The seven stages, with real timings
This is the exact sequence every consignment follows, whether it is one carton or one container.
Product check — before anything else
Send a link, a photograph or a description. We identify the HS code, the applicable basic customs duty and IGST, and whether the category needs BIS, WPC or another approval. This is the stage that decides whether the import makes commercial sense, and it is the stage most people skip.
2 hours · costs you nothingSourcing and quotes
Two or three verified suppliers with unit price, minimum order quantity, lead time and — critically — carton dimensions, because freight is charged on volume. We check business licence and trading history before quoting anyone.
Sample, and written approval
One sample by air, typically 6 to 9 days. Most suppliers credit the cost against the bulk order if you agree it before paying. Approve in writing — that approved sample becomes the reference we inspect the bulk order against.
Bulk order and payment
Production usually runs one to three weeks depending on category and quantity. Pay your supplier directly, pay through us, or settle after the goods land in India — payments to China are routed through proper banking channels with documentation.
Warehouse receipt and inspection
Goods arrive at our Guangzhou or Yiwu warehouse. We count quantity, check packing and visible condition against your approved sample, and send photographs and video on WhatsApp. Nothing loads until you have seen it.
Last point at which a problem is still the supplier’sFreight and clearance
Sea LCL from 1 CBM, full container, or air. The bill of entry is filed before arrival at ICD Sanathnagar or RGIA, duty is paid, and the consignment is released — normally 2 to 4 working days after it is available for examination.
Delivery and invoice
To your shop, godown or factory. Same or next day inside Hyderabad and Secunderabad, 1 to 3 days across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. You receive a GST invoice — a domestic purchase for your books, with creditable IGST.
Timeline
What a realistic first import looks like
First orders take longer than repeat orders, because sourcing and sampling only happen once. Budget for this, not for the freight transit alone.
| Stage | First order | Repeat |
|---|---|---|
| Product check and quotes | 1–3 days | Same day |
| Sample and approval | 7–12 days | — |
| Production | 7–21 days | 7–21 days |
| Warehouse and inspection | 1–3 days | 1–3 days |
| Sea transit and rail inland | 22–28 days | 22–28 days |
| Clearance | 2–4 days | 2–4 days |
| Delivery | 0–3 days | 0–3 days |
What you never touch
The six relationships you would otherwise manage
Importing on your own means a DGFT registration, an AD code at each port, a customs broker, a freight forwarder, a transporter and a bank that wants documentation for every remittance. Six relationships, six invoices, and the risk sits with you if customs holds the consignment.
Questions
About the process
What is the very first thing I should do?
Send us the product — a link, a photograph or a description. Before anything else we check the HS code, the duty rate and whether the category needs a certification. That takes a couple of hours and it decides whether the import is worth doing at all.
How long does the whole thing take, start to finish?
For a first order: roughly a week to source and sample, one to three weeks of production, then 22 to 28 days by sea or 6 to 9 by air. Repeat orders skip the first two stages.
When do I pay, and to whom?
You can pay your supplier directly, pay through us, or settle after the goods land in India. Payments to China are routed through proper banking channels with documentation on both sides.
What do I receive at the end?
The goods at your address, and a GST invoice from us. For your books it is a domestic purchase. The IGST on that invoice is input tax credit if you are GST registered.
What happens if something goes wrong in the middle?
The two points where problems are fixable are before payment and before loading. That is why we verify the supplier before you pay and inspect at the warehouse before it ships. Once a container has sailed, your options narrow to a claim.
Can I track the consignment?
Yes. You get the bill of lading or airway bill number, and we update you on WhatsApp at each stage — loaded, sailed, arrived, filed, cleared, dispatched.
Get started
Start at stage one
Send the product. We come back with the HS code, the duty rate, the landed cost and an honest answer on whether it is worth importing.