guides
Importing, explained without the jargon
Duty math, freight modes, factory red flags, inspection standards: the notes we write for our own clients, published. Updated Oct 11, 2026.
featuredjun 18, 2026 · 6 min read · customsThe $800 de minimis is gone. Here is the new import math for US sellers
What formal customs entry costs per shipment, when bulk beats parcels, and the break-even order size for importing from China to the US in 2026, with worked numbers.
Read the guideold world$799 parcel · $0 duty
new worldevery parcel · formal entry
parcel cost @1,000 pcs+$22–39 / unit
bulk ddp @1,000 pcs+$2–4 / unit
oct 2, 2026 · 7 min · sourcing
Sourcing agent vs buying direct on Alibaba: a real cost comparisonWhat a China sourcing agent costs (commission 5–10%), what it saves on price, freight, prep and defects, and a worked comparison on a $38,000 order where the saving covered the commission 2.3 times.Read the guide →
sep 28, 2026 · 6 min · pricing
Landed cost formula: the true cost of a product imported from ChinaThe eight lines of landed cost (goods, origin handling, freight, insurance, duties and tariffs, brokerage, delivery, prep), a worked example from $4.20 EXW to $6.08 landed, and the lines importers forget.Read the guide →
sep 10, 2026 · 7 min · sourcing
How to verify a Chinese supplier before you pay a depositBusiness licence and Unified Social Credit Code lookup, factory vs trading company, export licence, certifications, video calls, sample evaluation and on-site audits: a verification sequence from free checks to a paid audit.Read the guide →
aug 27, 2026 · 5 min · freight
Consolidation: how several Chinese suppliers become one shipmentHow a consolidation warehouse in Guangzhou or Yiwu merges cartons from several factories into one customs entry, what it costs, what it saves on freight and clearance, and when it is not worth it.Read the guide →
aug 14, 2026 · 6 min · freight
Sea LCL vs air freight from China: the cost-per-unit break-evenHow to decide between sea LCL and air freight for a shipment from China: volumetric weight, the density rule, a worked example on 3.2 m³ of cargo, and when the faster mode is actually the cheaper one.Read the guide →
jul 23, 2026 · 8 min · amazon fba
How to ship from China to Amazon FBA: the complete checklistStep by step from factory to fulfilment center: shipment plan, FNSKU and carton labels, carton limits, DDP customs, importer of record, delivery appointments and the mistakes that get shipments refused.Read the guide →
may 21, 2026 · 5 min · freight
DDP vs DAP vs EXW: what you actually pay for a shipment from ChinaThree quotes for the same pallet can differ by 40% because they stop at different points.Read the guide →
apr 16, 2026 · 7 min · sourcing
7 red flags in a Chinese factory quote, with real examplesToo-round numbers, missing tooling lines, "CE available", a trading company posing as a factory: what each warning sign in a China supplier quote means for your risk and how to check it.Read the guide →
mar 12, 2026 · 6 min · quality
AQL 2.5 explained: how much defect risk you are actually acceptingThe ISO 2859-1 sampling standard behind every pre-shipment inspection report: what AQL 2.5 means, how many units get checked, how many defects pass, and when to pay for a 100% inspection instead.Read the guide →
feb 19, 2026 · 8 min · amazon fba
FBA restock math: Amazon prep in China vs US prep centersFNSKU labeling at $0.35 per unit in Guangzhou vs $1.00–1.50 in a US prep center: where Amazon FBA prep belongs in your unit economics, with a worked example on a 2,000-unit restock.Read the guide →
jan 22, 2026 · 5 min · payments
30/70 payment terms with a Chinese factory: how to stop financing your supplierWhy 100% prepayment is a negotiation failure, what 30% deposit / 70% after inspection does to your cash flow, and the contract clauses that make the terms stick.Read the guide →
dec 11, 2025 · 6 min · eu imports
The EU €150 customs threshold is going away: a 2026–2028 timeline for sellersWhat changed for low-value parcels into the EU in July 2026, what changes by 2028 when the €150 duty exemption is removed, and how EU DTC brands are restructuring imports from China now.Read the guide →
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