Customs clearance at destination is usually handled by a licensed customs broker, not the exporter. You can hire one yourself or use a broker recommended by your shipping agent. The typical flow: your broker files the import declaration using the documents the exporter must provide — the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and the certificate of origin. Depending on your country's rules, you will also need to pay import duty, VAT or sales tax, and any excise or environmental levies before the car is released. Things that commonly delay clearance: mismatched VIN numbers between documents, missing pre-shipment inspection certificates (required in some African and Middle Eastern countries), or non-compliance with your country's used-car import age limits. Budget 3–10 working days for clearance after the vessel arrives, plus storage fees if documents are incomplete. Tip: send all documents to your broker for review before the ship departs China — fixing errors at origin is much cheaper than demurrage at destination.

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.

Our standard holding period is 3 business days after the deposit is paid (based on the timestamp of the payment slip). The domestic used car market in China moves very quickly, and if we do not receive the bank message confirming the deposit within the specified time, the system will automatically release the hold, and the vehicle will be re-listed for public sale.