Be sure to purchase cargo insurance (all-risk or water damage insurance). In case of damage, claim with the bill of lading, insurance policy, and proof of damage at the destination port.

A realistic timeline: sourcing and negotiation 3-7 days; deposit and booking 1-2 days; pre-shipment inspection 2-4 days; export clearance and vessel booking 7-14 days; sea freight 2-5 weeks depending on destination; import customs clearance and port release 5-10 days. Overall, plan for roughly 5-8 weeks from order to port of destination by sea. For Central Asia and Russia by rail, 2-3 weeks total is common. Tips: ask the exporter for a written schedule with milestones (inspection done, customs cleared, vessel loaded, ETA); track the vessel yourself once you have the container or booking number; and remember Chinese holidays — Chinese New Year and Golden Week can add 1-2 weeks of delay.

Comparing headline prices alone will mislead you—quotes often bundle or exclude different items. Build a like-for-like comparison before deciding. Request every exporter to break their quote into: vehicle price, domestic transport in China, export handling and documentation fees, inspection fee, ocean freight to your port, and insurance. Then add what they exclude: your country's customs duty, VAT/GST, port charges, and local delivery. Watch for common padding: "service fees" of 3-8% that appear only in the final invoice, inflated inland transport (a truck from Guangzhou to a port should rarely exceed a few hundred dollars), and freight quotes that assume a shared container while charging you for a full one. Ask each exporter to state validity (7-14 days is normal) and whether the price is FOB or CIF. Once normalized, the cheapest quote usually isn't the lowest number—it's the one with the shortest list of exclusions and the clearest terms.