Sending Samples to China: Top 4 Things You Should Know

New product development is one of the most exciting yet challenging ventures for the promotional products industry. The process involves prototypes and product samples that test the appeal and feasibility of new ideas before they are made into finished products. Upholding our commitment to being a reliable buying office, sending samples to China has been a common practice of our team.

China has become a popular destination for international companies looking to outsource their manufacturing operations. The country offers a large pool of low-cost labour, as well as access to raw materials and other inputs.

Contract Manufacturing in China: Which Province for What Products?

However, sending samples in and out of the country has been challenging. New regulations can arise anytime, and delays can seriously affect workflow.

The ODM Group
Buying Office in China

4A Hong Zhu Bldg, Jida, NO. 1203 Jiuzhou Avenue, Zhuhai, China
珠海市九州大道1203号洪珠大厦4A

What Are Your Pointers When Sending Samples to China?

1. Dealing With Customs Clearance

Customs clearance refers to the process of clearing goods from customs offices after they have arrived at a port or airport. This process is also known as customs inspection.

The goal of customs clearance is to ensure that imported goods are not illegal or unsafe and are used for appropriate purposes.

This can be accomplished either by inspecting the goods themselves or by requiring documentation that proves the regulatory compliance of the product.

2. Don’t Forget About the Import Duties!

The Chinese government imposes import duties on a wide range of goods and services imported into China.

China has a value-added tax (VAT) of either 13% or 17% on all goods brought into the country.

Goods, primarily those in the agricultural and utility categories, have a tax of 13 per cent, while other goods subject to the VAT tax have a tax of 17 per cent.

3. Choosing the Right Shipping Company

When sending samples to China, choosing the right shipping company is crucial.

Many factors must be considered when choosing a courier service provider, including cost, transit time and customer service.

You have two options here:

International courier services – costly, yet safer, and already have experience in delivery in China and cover most of the country.
Shipping with the government’s post office is cheaper but often encounters issues once the package hits China.

4. Take Note of the Prohibited Items

Always double-check the official Chinese Customs page before scheduling delivery to be sure your package doesn’t end up on China’s list of restricted and prohibited items, as this list is subject to frequent revision.

If you try to ship something to China that is prohibited from entering the country, you will experience delays in delivery and possible additional fees. It might even be destroyed.

In addition, China limits or outright bans importing several items connected to the processing trade.

A Lookback:

In 2012, we sent fabric samples to our bag factory in China to make the Sarobag. SF Express is one of the major courier companies for sending samples around China (including to/from Hong Kong). This company and all other courier companies are subject to import/export controls by Chinese Customs authorities.

The Customs authorities have varying and often severe restrictions on what can be imported. These restrictions are subject to frequent change, especially around special occasions like the Olympics or World Expo. (So much so that SF express could not give us a formal and up-to-date list).

Below are some items which we had problems sending to our Buying Office in Shanghai:

All liquid products – even including Rumbly Tum’s pouches.*
Electronic Devices
Chemical Products
Watch devices and components
Luxury brand products and high-value minerals like Gold.
Contact lens/ All eyeglasses or spectacles
Household Appliances – e.g. washing machine.
VCD and DVDs (except CD that contains documents for work purposes) *
Most items on our Hazardous goods list.

*Please note that SF will open CD/DVD files to check! Most packages will be scanned/opened, so we recommend declaring the actual contents accurately.

Our team has resorted to sending staff over the border to carry samples or CD artwork to factories for urgent projects.

Alternatively, once over the border, you can deliver these same samples to the SF office in Shenzhen, and they will arrange to send them from there to factories or up North.

The picture below shows the SF Express staff busy sorting through packages at night in their sorting house near ODM’s buying office in Shanghai.

In addition, delivery times increased dramatically in July, with courier businesses citing delays caused by tougher customs regulations. We used to be able to receive deliveries to our Shanghai office the next day, but now we have to wait two days.

In general, samples submitted to China are delayed longer than samples leaving the country.

Know more about the shipping details of your promotional products here:

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To Sum It All Up,

Transparency and accuracy in the declaration of contents for every sample you send or receive from China would help save time for you and all the authorities involved. Due to varying restrictions, it’s also expected to have to wait longer than usual before the packages will reach their destinations.

ODM has been working for all possibilities to shorten this shipping time as mentioned above and dedicates our efforts to help make these transaction work as smoothly as possible.