Export
From the shop floor to your dock
Buying from China is mostly a logistics problem disguised as a manufacturing problem. This page covers what we actually handle—packing, documents, Incoterms, freight—and what stays on your side of the water so nobody assumes the other party did it.
EXW · FOB · CIF · DAP · DDP
01 Terms
Incoterms, in plain language
The term decides where our responsibility ends and yours begins. We quote whichever one you ask for; if you have no preference, FOB is the usual starting point for buyers with their own forwarder.
| Term | Our responsibility ends | You arrange | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Goods packed and ready at our facility. | Pickup, export clearance, freight, import. | You have a forwarder with a China pickup agent. |
| FOB | Loaded on board at the named Chinese port. | Ocean freight, insurance, import clearance. | The most common term for first orders. |
| CIF | Delivered to your destination port, freight and insurance paid. | Import clearance, onward delivery. | You want one number and no freight shopping. |
| DAP | Delivered to your address, duty unpaid. | Import duty and clearance. | You have a customs broker but no freight desk. |
| DDP | Delivered with duty paid. | Nothing operational—but confirm the duty basis. | Small shipments, samples, or a buyer without an importer of record. |
DDP is quoted with a stated duty basis. If the classification changes at customs, the difference is reconciled in writing—not absorbed silently.
02 Packing
Packaging decided before production
Packing is quoted with the part, not improvised at the dock. Tell us how the goods will be received—palletised into a rack, hand-carried to a line, or opened in front of a customer—and the packing follows.
Parts that arrive damaged are usually a packing decision made too late, not a freight problem.
| Option | What it is for | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Carton + divider | Individual parts separated so they cannot rub in transit. | Machined parts, small batches, air freight. |
| Foam / VCI | Vapour-phase protection against corrosion during long sea transit. | Steel and cast iron parts, humid destinations. |
| Heat-treated pallet | ISPM-15 compliant wood for international movement. | Any wooden packing crossing a border. |
| Plywood crate | Rigid protection for heavy or fragile assemblies. | Weldments, large enclosures, high-value batches. |
| Vacuum bag | Moisture barrier for polished or coated surfaces. | Cosmetic parts, long ocean routes. |
| Customer-specific | Your label format, barcode, kitting, or sequenced delivery. | Programs with line-side delivery requirements. |
03 Documents
What travels with the shipment
Standard documents are issued with every export order. Anything beyond this list is scoped and priced—so there is no surprise at the customs desk.
Commercial invoice
Value, currency, Incoterm, HS code, and origin as agreed on the PO.
Packing list
Carton and pallet breakdown with weights and dimensions, matching the labels on the boxes.
Bill of lading / AWB
Issued by the forwarder for ocean or air. Draft shared for your approval before the vessel closes.
Mill certificates
Material certificates as issued by the mill, when the PO calls for traceability.
Inspection report
Dimensional or FAI report at the level agreed in the quote—see the quality page.
Certificate of origin
Issued on request where a preferential tariff or your customs broker requires it.
04 Lead time
Where the weeks actually go
“Lead time” usually means door-to-door, but the quote is about production. Knowing the split lets you compress the part you control instead of pushing the part you do not.
Material
Stock sizes are usually available; special grades, thicknesses, or heat-treat conditions add calendar time. This is the stage most often underestimated.
Programming and setup
CAM, fixture design, and first-piece prove-out. On repeat orders this collapses to almost nothing—on a new part it is real work.
Machining or forming
Driven by cycle time and how many machines the batch occupies. This is where a realistic schedule is either held or quietly broken.
Finishing
Anodize, plating, powder coat, and heat treat run through partners. Their queues are the least flexible part of the route.
Inspection and packing
Measurement at the agreed level, then packing to the agreed method. Skipping this to save a day is how a shipment arrives wrong.
Freight
Ocean is cheap and slow, air is fast and expensive. Neither is under our control once the goods leave, so we quote it separately and honestly.
05 Freight
Choosing the mode
The right answer depends on value density and how late you are. A crate of brackets and a crate of precision housings rarely take the same route.
Ocean freight
Lowest cost per kilo, longest transit, port-to-port plus inland. Right for repeat production and heavy parts.
Air freight
Fastest, priced by chargeable weight. Right for samples, urgent spares, and high-value low-mass parts.
Rail to Europe
A middle option on transit and cost for EU destinations, subject to the forwarder's current schedule.
Consolidation
Small batches combined with other cargo. Cheaper than a dedicated container, with less control over the exact sailing.
Next step
Tell us the destination with the drawing
Country, Incoterms, and any customer routing rules change the packing and the freight line in your quote. Send them together and the number you get back is the number you can land.