Export from China to the USA

Start at the supplier, not the departure port

Ask whether your commercial contact is the manufacturer, a trading company, or an export agent. Record the factory address and the party that will issue the commercial invoice. These roles can differ; the name on an email signature is not enough to prepare a consistent shipment file.

Write the handoff into the purchase order: pickup address, cargo-ready date, agreed Incoterm and named place, export-document responsibility, and who approves changes to the packing list. Confirm whether cartons are ready for collection or still awaiting inspection. This planning checklist is not a promise of a particular sailing or delivery time.

• Identify the U.S. importer and receiving facility before arranging collection.
• Request packed dimensions and gross weight, not only the product's net weight.
• Keep the purchase order, invoice, packing list, and product specification consistent.
• Resolve a change in exporter or factory identity before cargo leaves the supplier.

• CBP: Tips for new importers and exporters

Review China-origin duties before approving a quote

A supplier's HS code is a starting point for review, not an automatic U.S. entry classification. Give your customs broker the product's materials, function, model, and manufacturing details so the U.S. HTS classification can be checked against the current schedule.

For China-origin goods, ask the broker to review applicable Section 301 provisions, Chapter 99 reporting, exclusions, and other measures in force on the entry date. Do not use a blanket China tariff percentage: the classification, origin, product, and effective date matter. Antidumping and countervailing duties require a separate scope and producer/exporter review and are not fully captured by a basic HTS lookup.

• USITC: Current Harmonized Tariff Schedule
• CBP: Section 301 trade remedies FAQs
• USITC: AD/CVD duties and the HTS

Keep origin and upstream sourcing evidence together

China shipment planning should include an origin and supplier-traceability file, not just a country name on the invoice. Ask for production records and upstream supplier information appropriate to the goods. Where forced-labor restrictions may be relevant, review the current CBP guidance with your broker before shipment rather than trying to reconstruct the supply chain after a detention.

Routing Chinese-made goods through another country does not by itself change their origin. Record the actual manufacturing process and ask for a ruling or specialist review if the origin treatment is uncertain. Shipping route, seller location, and country of origin are different facts.

• CBP: Forced labor enforcement guidance for importers
• CBP: Section 301 trade remedies FAQs

Prepare the ocean filing before loading

For covered vessel imports, the ISF importer or authorized agent must submit the required advance information on the applicable timetable. CBP generally requires key ISF elements no later than 24 hours before cargo is loaded on the U.S.-bound vessel; confirm the specific shipment's requirements with the filer.

Arrange responsibility for the filing before accepting a sailing. Send seller, buyer, manufacturer, importer, consignee, ship-to, origin, and classification information to the filer and keep bill-of-lading references aligned. An ISF filing and a customs entry are different tasks; paying for one does not establish that the other is complete.

• CBP: When to submit an Importer Security Filing

Compare the full handoff for air, LCL, and FCL

Use the cargo's packed measurements and required receiving date to compare modes. For an LCL option, ask about consolidation, destination handling, and the delivery appointment. For FCL, ask who handles unloading, equipment return, and any time-sensitive local charges. For air, disclose batteries or other restricted contents before asking for acceptance.

Compare quotes to the same destination and responsibility boundary. A port-to-port offer is not comparable to a delivered-to-warehouse offer without adding the missing origin, entry, and destination work. Request a written list of included charges, exclusions, validity, and assumptions instead of relying on a single headline price.

What to send for a China-to-USA freight review

Send the factory pickup location, U.S. delivery ZIP code, cargo-ready date, product description, carton or pallet count, dimensions, gross weight, declared origin, agreed handoff, and any battery or regulated-product details. Include the broker's contact if already appointed. If classification or duty treatment is still under review, say so rather than presenting an estimate as a confirmed amount.