A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an official document stating where the vehicle was manufactured. For imports from China, it matters more than many buyers expect. First, customs value: many countries apply duty rates based on the country of manufacture, not where you bought the car. A CO proves the vehicle is Chinese-built, which determines the correct tariff line—skipping it can mean reassessment, fines, or seizure at destination. Second, trade agreements: some countries have preferential tariffs for Chinese goods that only apply with a valid CO. Request a CO issued by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) or China Customs, not a self-printed form. Check that the VIN, engine number, and buyer details match your purchase documents exactly. Make receiving the CO a condition before your final payment, and keep the original—customs at destination will ask for it.

EXW means you pay only for the car at the seller's yard—you handle everything else, including inland transport in China and export clearance, which is impractical from overseas. FOB includes delivery to the port and export customs clearance; you pay for ocean freight and insurance. CIF adds freight and basic insurance to a named destination port. For a first-time buyer, FOB is usually the best balance: the exporter, who knows Chinese logistics, handles the complicated part, while you control the freight booking and can shop rates among forwarders. Watch for exporters quoting unrealistically low FOB prices and making margin on inflated 'shipping services' later. Get a separate freight quote before signing, and compare the exporter's CIF offer against FOB plus your own freight estimate. Ask explicitly whether the price includes inspection, export license fees, and port charges—ambiguity here is the most common source of disputes.

We use a calibrated high-precision paint thickness gauge to take multiple measurements on at least 13 metal surfaces of the entire vehicle. The original paint thickness of mainstream Chinese models typically ranges from 90μm to 150μm. If any area exceeds 200μm or even reaches over 500μm, we will directly conclude that the area has undergone bodywork and filler repair.