Import agency for cargo into China: pickup abroad, export clearance, transit, Chinese import clearance and domestic delivery. Commodity and document checks come first.
An import agency is not just "paying the freight for you". It is a chain: pickup abroad, export clearance, international transit, Chinese import clearance, duty and tax payment, domestic delivery. Miss a document on any link and the cargo sits at the port. We price by stage, so a client can buy a single stage or the whole chain.
Two mandates are common: a supplier abroad ships to China and someone has to receive, clear and deliver into the warehouse; or a consignment moves from China to Iran and someone has to clear and deliver on the Iranian side, which is handled through Iran DDP door delivery.
| What to settle | What to ask | Cost of skipping it |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility and licences | Does the commodity need CCC certification, food or cosmetics registration, an import permit | The cargo cannot be declared and is returned or destroyed |
| Documentation | Contract, invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading, inspection certificates | Repeated document requests, demurrage accruing daily |
| Tariff code and dutiable value | HS classification and how the customs value is determined | A classification dispute changes duty and VAT significantly |
| Mode | Reference transit | Suited to | Usual gateway |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCL ocean | 25–35 days | Large volumes, not urgent | Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao |
| FCL rail | 18–35 days | Mid volumes, faster than sea | Alashankou, Khorgos, Manzhouli |
| Air freight | 3–7 days airport to airport | High value, urgent, samples | Pudong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing |
| Road FTL | 10–20 days | Door to door, full truck | Khorgos, Alashankou |
Mode decides time and cost; the gateway decides how hard clearance will be. The same commodity can face different declaration requirements at different ports, used machinery and regulated goods especially. We normally fix the gateway before quoting, so nothing changes once the cargo has arrived.
| Item | Charged by | Note |
|---|---|---|
| International freight | Per container / per kg / per truck | Follows the market, quoted from current space |
| Origin handling | Per shipment | Pickup, loading, export declaration |
| Import duty and VAT | Per tariff code and customs value | Charged against the actual customs receipt |
| Port charges | Per shipment / per day | Bill of lading exchange, tally, inspection, demurrage |
| Domestic delivery | Per kilometre / per shipment | Depends on destination and lifting equipment |
The key point: duty and tax are reimbursed against actual receipts, they are not a flat "all-in tax" price. If a supplier offers a fixed all-in figure, ask how the dutiable value is determined and who absorbs any excess.
Commodity and HS code (a product description is enough if the code is unknown), quantity and weight, pickup address abroad with supplier contact, delivery address in China, Incoterm (FOB / CIF / EXW), and whether licence handling or payment service is needed.
With the details in hand we return a stage-by-stage quote, splitting the figures we can fix from those settled against actuals. For the outbound direction see China to Iran rail, ocean and the air freight lane, or submit the quote form.
Pickup abroad, export clearance, international transit, Chinese import clearance, duty and tax payment and domestic delivery, quoted separately if needed.
Goods under CCC certification, food, cosmetics, used machinery and dangerous goods need an eligibility and licence check; general machinery, hardware and samples can usually be declared directly.
Commodity and HS code, quantity and weight, pickup address abroad, delivery address in China, and whether licence handling or payment service is required.