What should you check before you order from China?
Do these four checks before you pay a deposit. Each one is cheap to fix now and slow to fix once the goods are on the water.
- Your company has a valid Dubai Customs business code
- You know the UAE HS code for each product
- None of the products is prohibited, and you know which ones need a permit
- The supplier can provide a certificate of origin
Which trade term should you agree with a Chinese supplier?
The trade term decides where the job of the supplier ends and yours begins.
Buying on FOB terms lets you choose the forwarder and deal with one company from the Chinese port to your door.
Who does what in China and in Dubai?
With one forwarder at both ends, the work splits like this.
Should the goods come by sea or by air?
A load that fills a 20 or 40 foot container goes as a full container. A smaller load shares a container and is charged by the cubic metre.
Air freight suits urgent or high value goods and is charged on chargeable weight. One order can be split, with the first cartons by air and the rest by sea.
Which papers should the supplier send?
Ask the supplier for drafts of these papers before the cargo leaves. We check them against each other in China.
- Commercial invoice with the HS code on each line
- Packing list that matches the invoice
- Certificate of origin
- Bill of lading or airway bill, once the cargo is booked
How much duty and VAT do you pay on goods from China?
Most goods pay 5 percent of the CIF value in duty, then 5 percent VAT on the CIF value plus duty.
Goods that go into a free zone usually have the duty suspended until they move into the mainland.
Can you import a small order from China?
Yes. A few pallets or cartons travel in a shared container or by air. You pay for the space or the weight you use.
What do we need to quote?
Send these five details and we reply within one business day.
- Pickup city in China and delivery address in the UAE
- What the goods are, with the HS code if you have it
- Weight and dimensions, or the number of containers
- The trade term on your order
- The date the goods will be ready
Written by the Gxpress Dubai team on 10 October 2026.
