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.

We mainly collaborate with professional organizations certified by China's national CMA (Certification of Inspection and Testing Institutions). If you need the highest level of international endorsement, we can arrange for independent inspection agencies like SGS or TÜV to conduct Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI) before loading at the port.

Be sure to verify the draft Bill of Lading as soon as possible after the ship departs. Once the original is issued, changes will incur high amendment fees and may prevent the customer from picking up the goods.