Importing from China: a practical checklist

01Check the supplier is real

Ask for the supplier’s business licence and check the company name and unified social credit code on China’s official National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. The name on the licence, the contract, the invoice and the bank account receiving your money must all match. A trading company is not a problem, but you should know whether you are dealing with a factory or a trader.

• Never pay to a personal account or to a company name different from the contract.
• Be wary of a sudden “change of bank account” email — confirm it by phone with someone you know.

02Samples and inspection

Order a sample first, and write the approved sample’s specifications into the purchase order. For the bulk order, book a pre-shipment inspection by an independent inspection company you choose and pay — not one chosen by the supplier. Pay the balance only after the inspection report is clean.

03Paying safely

Common terms are a 30% advance with 70% against a copy of the bill of lading, or a letter of credit for larger orders. Pay only through your AD bank. Under the RBI 2026 regulations your bank decides how much advance it allows and may ask for a standby LC or bank guarantee above its threshold. Keep the advance small until the supplier has a track record with you.

04Check anti-dumping duty and BIS before you order

Many products from China carry anti-dumping duty, often a fixed amount per tonne or a percentage that differs by producer. Search CBIC’s Customs (ADD) notifications for your HS code and the producer’s name, and see the investigations page of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) for cases under way. Also confirm whether a BIS Quality Control Order or CRS applies — Chinese factories often ship goods without the Indian licence, and the goods then get stuck at the port.

05Documents to ask for

Ask for a commercial invoice and packing list in your company’s exact name and IEC address, the bill of lading, and — if you will claim a lower rate under the ASEAN or another agreement — a valid certificate of origin. China and India have no bilateral free trade agreement, so goods of Chinese origin pay the normal rate.