Visual checkpoints for Importing from China to the USA
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Buyer planning
A practical view of the sourcing work behind this page.
Supplier options
Details buyers can review before they compare supplier options.
Document review
China-side coordination evidence organized for clearer decisions.
Shipping route
Operational details that help reduce avoidable sourcing mistakes.
Import handoff
Preparation notes for production, packing, or shipment follow-up.
The process in one paragraph
Importing from China to the USA is a five-phase process: classify your product (its HTS code sets the duty), source and verify the supplier, order and produce under clear terms with inspection, ship (typically 25–40 days by ocean), and clear US customs — where your documents, duties, and product compliance are tested. No general import license is required; what is required is getting each phase right in order.
Educational guide, not legal or customs advice: US tariff policy on China-origin goods moves frequently. Verify current rates and rules for your exact product with a licensed customs broker or CBP before pricing an order.
The tariff stack: why "what's the duty?" has three answers
US duty on Chinese goods is a stack, not a single rate. Price your product on the whole stack:
| Layer | Typical scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base HTS duty | 0% to 30%+; most consumer goods ~2.5–6% | Set by your 10-digit HTS line — see the HS Codes Guide. |
| Section 301 tariffs | ~7.5–25% extra on thousands of codes | The China-specific trade-dispute layer; lists and rates shift with policy. |
| Other measures | Case by case | Anti-dumping/countervailing duties on specific products can be dramatic. |
| Processing fees | Small percentages/fixed | Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF); Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) on ocean cargo. |
Run the full math — product, freight, stack, fees — in the Landed Cost Calculator before you commit; a product priced on the base rate alone can be unprofitable on the stack.
The de minimis change that rewrote small-parcel importing
The old rule is gone: the $800 duty-free de minimis treatment for China-origin shipments ended in May 2025. Commercial parcels from China now require entry and duties regardless of value. Business models built on duty-free small parcels — classic dropshipping among them — now carry real customs cost and paperwork per shipment. Plan consolidated freight and proper entry instead of many small parcels.
Informal vs formal entry
| Factor | Informal entry | Formal entry |
|---|---|---|
| Shipment value | Under $2,500 | $2,500 and above |
| Customs bond | Not usually required | Required (single-entry or continuous) |
| Who files | Often handled at clearance | Licensed customs broker, on your behalf |
| Your obligations | Correct documents and duties | Full importer-of-record duties: records, declarations, compliance — see Import vs Export. |
The eight steps, supplier to delivery
1. Classify the product
Find your 10-digit HTS line and price the full tariff stack — the five-step method applies.
2. Verify the supplier
License scope, capability, and identity checks before deposits — how to verify Chinese suppliers.
3. Order on clear terms
Agree the Incoterm (FOB is the US-lane workhorse — compared here), payment structure, and spec sheet.
4. Line up compliance early
Electronics → FCC; children's products → CPSC; food-contact and cosmetics → FDA. Certificates are production decisions, not shipping paperwork.
5. Produce and inspect
Pre-shipment inspection while rework is possible — the US border is a bad place to discover defects.
6. File ISF, then ship
For ocean cargo, the Importer Security Filing ("10+2") must be lodged before loading in China; then 25–40 days on the water for most lanes.
7. Entry and clearance
Your broker files entry; duties and fees are paid; typical clearance runs days, longer if an exam or agency review triggers.
8. Delivery and records
Final-mile to your warehouse or 3PL — and entry records retained, because importer obligations outlive the shipment.
The documents CBP expects
| Document | Purpose | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Value and description for duty assessment | Consistency with reality — see how to read one. |
| Packing list | Physical contents, weights, marks | Must match cartons, or exams follow. |
| Bill of lading / AWB | Transport contract and cargo control | Who holds the original controls the goods. |
| ISF (10+2) | Pre-loading security data for ocean freight | File before the vessel loads in China — late filings draw penalties. |
| Product certificates | FCC/FDA/CPSC and category rules | Model numbers must match the goods — as with CE in the EU, verify, don't collect. |
The China side of a US import, handled
Everything US customs tests was decided weeks earlier in China: the supplier's real identity, the product facts behind the HTS line, the inspection that caught defects before loading, the documents that match the cargo. That is the ground LIFA covers from Hangzhou — verification, inspection, and shipping preparation — so what arrives at your broker is a clean file, not a puzzle. US-specific buyer support is outlined on the United States importers page, and the sister lane is covered in Importing from China to the UK.
Mistakes this guide prevents
- Pricing on the base duty alone. The 301 layer and fees are where China-lane margins go to die — price the stack.
- Building on the old de minimis. The $800 exemption for China goods is gone; small-parcel economics changed with it.
- Treating ISF as broker trivia. It's due before loading in China — a timing obligation on your side of the ocean.
- Discovering compliance at entry. FCC, FDA, and CPSC requirements are sourcing-stage decisions; certificates collected after production protect nobody.
Related guides for the US lane.
The deeper guides behind each step of a US import.
HS Codes Guide
The classification that sets your whole tariff stack.
Read the guide 🧭FOB vs CIF vs DDP
The terms that decide who handles the US-lane journey.
Read the guide 🛃Customs Clearance & Documentation
The clearance mechanics your shipment meets on arrival.
Read the guide 📚Knowledge Center Hub
All fourteen categories of the trade library in one map.
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Importing to the USA, answered simply.
The questions US buyers ask most about the China lane.
There is no general US import license. You need a tax identifier (an EIN for a business), and shipments over $2,500 generally require a customs bond and are filed by a licensed customs broker. Specific product categories — food, cosmetics, medical devices, electronics — may need FDA, FCC, or other agency clearance.
US duty on China-origin goods is layered: a base HTS rate (commonly around 2.5–6%, ranging from 0% to over 30% by product) plus Section 301 tariffs of roughly 7.5–25% on thousands of product codes, plus processing fees. The stack changes with trade policy — always check current rates for your exact HTS line before pricing an order.
The duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value China-origin shipments ended in May 2025. Commercial shipments from China now require entry, documentation, and payment of applicable duties regardless of value — a fundamental change for dropshipping and small-parcel models built on the old exemption.
Shipments under $2,500 can usually clear through simplified informal entry. At $2,500 and above, formal entry applies: a customs bond is required and a licensed customs broker typically files the entry. Formal entry also brings the full documentation and record-keeping obligations of a commercial importer.
Typical ocean freight runs about 25–40 days port-to-port depending on route and congestion, plus roughly 3–10 business days for customs clearance — longer if an exam or partner-agency review is triggered. Air freight cuts transit to days at a multiple of the cost.
The core set: commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill — plus the Importer Security Filing (ISF "10+2") submitted before ocean cargo loads in China, and any product-specific certificates (FCC, FDA, CPSC) your category requires. Errors and mismatches across these documents are the most common cause of clearance delays.
Sourcing for the US market? Get the China side airtight.
Send your product details and target timeline. LIFA verifies the supplier, coordinates inspection before loading, and prepares documents that match the cargo — so your broker files a clean entry, not an explanation.
