How to Import Auto Parts from China

Step 1 — Confirm the part, not the model name

The most expensive mistake in this trade is ordering by model name. A "Tiggo 7 front brake pad" is three different pads depending on the year, the engine and the market the car was sold in. The part number or the VIN resolves it; the model name does not.

Chinese manufacturers also revise parts mid-cycle without renaming the model. A 2021 and a 2023 car with the same badge can have different calipers, different connectors and different suspension arms. Ask your supplier to confirm against the VIN, and expect them to ask for it.

Step 2 — Understand what the quoted price includes

A price of USD 4.20 for a brake pad set means nothing until you know the grade, the packing, the Incoterm and the quantity band. Always compare quotes on the same four variables.

Step 3 — Samples before volume

A sample costs money and takes a week, and it is the cheapest insurance in the transaction. Test the sample against the old part you removed: measure it, fit it, and check the connector and the casting marks. Photograph the packaging, because what arrives in the sample is what will arrive in the container.

Expect to pay for the sample and the freight. A supplier who offers a free sample of a part worth USD 20 is usually building the freight into the unit price.

Step 4 — Payment terms

The normal terms are 30% deposit and 70% before shipment, against a copy of the bill of lading. That is standard for the industry and it is what a first order should expect.

For repeat orders, 30/70 against documents, or 20/80, becomes available once a relationship exists. Letters of credit are possible but add cost and time; they make sense above roughly USD 50,000. We do not ask for full payment in advance on a first order, and a buyer should be suspicious of a supplier who does.

Step 5 — HS codes and duty

Most vehicle parts fall in chapter 87 of the harmonised system. The importer is responsible for the classification, not the exporter, so it is worth checking against your own tariff schedule before the order rather than at the port.

Step 6 — Container or LCL

Below about eight cubic metres, LCL is the only option. Above that, compare properly: LCL is priced per cubic metre plus destination handling, and the handling charges are what surprise first-time importers. A 20GP is often cheaper than 12 cubic metres of LCL once destination costs are counted.

A 40HQ carries roughly twice a 20GP for about 25% more freight, so the per-unit freight halves. If the volume supports it, the 40HQ is the better container; if it does not, a 20GP plus LCL for the overflow is usually worse than waiting.

Step 7 — Documents on arrival

You need the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin. Some destinations add pre-shipment inspection, a fumigation certificate for wooden packing, or a conformity assessment for regulated parts. Ask before the container sails; these documents cannot be produced retroactively in most cases.