A Practical Guide to Importing Hardware from China

Importing hardware at scale is mostly a logistics problem, not a product problem. The fastest way to lose margin is to be vague about Incoterms.

FOB (Free On Board) means the supplier handles goods to the port of loading; you own the ocean freight. EXW (Ex Works) is cheapest on paper but pushes all legwork onto you. For most first-time buyers, FOB with a freight forwarder you trust is the pragmatic middle ground.

Always validate with samples before committing to a full container. A pre-shipment inspection (PSI) at 80% production completion catches finish, labeling and function issues while there is still time to rework.

Timelines are predictable once you have a relationship: tooling and first article 2–3 weeks, bulk production 3–5 weeks, ocean transit 25–40 days depending on route. Air is 3–5 days but 5–8x the cost.

Build buffer. Chinese New Year shutdowns and peak-season port congestion can add three weeks with no warning — plan reorder points accordingly.