Import from China to USA can still be the cheapest way to stock a product line — but the gap between the factory price and what actually lands in your warehouse is wider than most first-time importers expect. Miss a Section 301 tariff, forget your customs bond, or file your ISF late, and your container sits at Long Beach racking up demurrage while CBP waits on paperwork you didn’t know you needed.
This is the practical walkthrough — who has to be the Importer of Record, how to read your real duty rate, which freight route fits, and what the whole thing costs door to door — written for US buyers sourcing directly from Chinese factories.
Quick answer: To import from China to the USA you must be the Importer of Record with a customs bond, know your product’s HTS code (which sets your duty rate plus any Section 301 China tariff — often an extra 7.5%–25%+ on top of the base rate), buy FOB from a vetted supplier, ship by sea (≈14–20 days to the West Coast, 30–40 to the East) or air (3–8 days), file your ISF “10+2” before an ocean vessel loads, and clear CBP through a licensed customs broker who pays your duty + MPF + HMF. Budget landed cost as product + freight + duty/tariffs + fees + delivery before you order.
Before you order: who clears it, and the numbers you can’t skip
1. You are the Importer of Record (IOR)
In the US, the buyer is almost always the Importer of Record — legally responsible to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a correct declaration and the duty owed. You’ll need a US business entity and an IRS/EIN number (CBP uses it as your importer number). This is step zero: sort your entity and EIN before you talk volume with any factory.
2. Get a customs bond
Any commercial shipment over $2,500 — and anything needing another agency’s clearance — requires a customs bond, which guarantees CBP will be paid. If you’ll import more than a couple of times a year, a continuous bond (covers a year of entries) is cheaper than buying a single-entry bond each time. Your customs broker arranges it.
3. Find your HTS code — then check Section 301
Every product has a 10-digit HTS code in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS), and it decides two things: your base duty rate, and whether extra clearances apply. For Chinese-origin goods there’s a second layer — Section 301 tariffs add a further duty (commonly 7.5%–25%+, higher for some categories after the 2024–2025 reviews) on a large share of products. Get the code from your supplier’s classification and verify it yourself, because a wrong HTS means a wrong landed-cost estimate and a CBP query that holds your cargo. Rates change — always confirm your exact code against the current HTSUS and the USTR Section 301 list before you commit.
Sourcing and locking the deal
4. Find and vet a supplier
Source on Alibaba, Made-in-China.com or Global Sources for B2B, or 1688.com through an agent for the lowest factory price. Wherever you find them, vet hard: verify the business licence, ask for export references to the US, and prefer manufacturers over trading companies for better pricing and control. This is where a China-side sourcing partner earns their fee — filtering out the suppliers who look fine online and aren’t.
5. Order samples and inspect before the container seals
Never commit to a bulk order off photos. Get samples, and for any sizeable order pay for a pre-shipment inspection at the factory. Catching a defect in China is cheap; discovering it after it clears CBP is a near-total loss, because sending goods back across the Pacific rarely makes economic sense.
6. Negotiate price and agree the Incoterm
The Incoterm sets where the supplier’s job ends and yours begins:
- EXW (Ex Works): you handle everything from the factory door — most control, most work.
- FOB (Free On Board): supplier delivers to the China port and clears export; you control the ocean freight and US side. The usual sweet spot.
- CIF / DDP: supplier arranges shipping (CIF) or even delivers duty-paid (DDP). Convenient, but you lose control of freight cost and — with DDP — of how your goods are declared to CBP, which is a risk when your name is on the entry.
For most importers, FOB is the recommended default.
7. Agree safe payment terms
A 30% deposit / 70% before dispatch split is standard and protects both sides. Use Trade Assurance or escrow where you can, and a Letter of Credit for large orders. Never wire 100% upfront to a brand-new supplier — that’s the classic first-import mistake.
Shipping and clearing into the USA
8. Choose your freight — air vs sea, and which coast
| Mode | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Air freight | 3–8 days | Urgent, high-value or light cargo |
| Sea — West Coast (LA / Long Beach) | ≈14–20 days | Fastest ocean route; the main China gateway |
| Sea — East Coast (NY/NJ, Savannah) | ≈30–40 days | Closer to Eastern/Midwest warehouses |
| Sea — LCL vs FCL | same transit | LCL for part-loads (per CBM); FCL once you near a full container — cheapest per unit |
Sea is the default for bulk; air only when time or value justifies the premium. Route to the coast nearest your warehouse — West Coast is faster off the vessel, but East Coast can win on inland trucking if that’s where your customers are.
9. File your ISF “10+2” (ocean shipments)
For sea freight, your Importer Security Filing (ISF) must be filed with CBP at least 24 hours before the container is loaded in China. Miss it or file it wrong and you’re looking at a $5,000-a-shipment penalty and holds. Your customs broker or forwarder files it — but you have to get them the data in time, which means booking freight early, not the week before sailing.
10. Clear CBP — entry, exam, release
A licensed customs broker files your entry with CBP, which assesses it and either releases the cargo or flags it for exam (X-ray or a physical/CES inspection). With paperwork clean and duty paid, most entries release within a day or two of arrival. Certain products need a Partner Government Agency sign-off too — FDA (food, cosmetics, devices), FCC (electronics/wireless), CPSC (consumer-product safety), USDA (wood, plant material). Check these before you order, not at the port.
11. Pay your duties and fees
Your total to CBP stacks up as:
- Base duty — your HTS rate on the customs value
- Section 301 tariff — the extra China duty (often 7.5%–25%+), where it applies to your code
- Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) — ≈0.3464% of value, with a per-entry min/max (roughly $32–$635; adjusted yearly)
- Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) — 0.125% of value, ocean shipments only
Note on small parcels: the old $800 de minimis (Section 321) exemption has been tightened for China-origin goods, so plan on commercial shipments being fully dutiable rather than slipping in duty-free. Confirm current rules for your product before you rely on it.
What it really costs to import from China to the USA
Landed cost is a stack, not a sticker price:
- Product (FOB) — the factory quote
- Ocean/air freight + insurance — varies hugely with volume and season
- Duty + Section 301 — the line most first-timers under-budget on Chinese goods
- CBP fees — MPF, HMF, plus your broker’s and bond fees
- Delivery — drayage from port, deconsolidation, and inland trucking to your door
The tariff layer is what makes China sourcing a real calculation now rather than an automatic win — so price your landed cost per unit, not the factory price, before you decide a product is worth importing. If you’re still choosing what to bring in, our guide to profitable products to import from China is a useful starting point.
Documents you’ll need
| Document | Issued by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Supplier | Declared transaction value |
| Packing list | Supplier | Contents, weights, dimensions |
| Bill of Lading / Airway Bill | Carrier | Title & transport contract |
| ISF filing (10+2) | You / broker | Security data, 24h pre-load (ocean) |
| Customs bond | Surety / broker | Guarantees duty to CBP |
| CBP entry (7501) | Customs broker | Formal declaration & duty calc |
| Certificate of Origin | Supplier / China authority | Origin (duty & Section 301) |
| FDA / FCC / CPSC (if applicable) | US agency | Product-specific clearance |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to import from China to USA?
Your landed cost is product (FOB) + freight + insurance + duty + any Section 301 tariff + CBP fees (MPF ≈0.3464%, HMF 0.125% on ocean) + delivery. The duty layer is the variable that moves most: many Chinese-origin goods carry a base HTS rate plus an added Section 301 duty of roughly 7.5%–25%+, so always price the landed cost per unit — not the factory price — before ordering.
Do I need a license to import from China to the USA?
There’s no general “import license,” but you do need to be set up as the Importer of Record: a US business entity with an EIN, and a customs bond for commercial shipments over $2,500. Specific products need a Partner Government Agency clearance instead — FDA for food/cosmetics/devices, FCC for electronics, CPSC for consumer goods. Check your product’s requirements before you order.
What are Section 301 tariffs and do they apply to me?
Section 301 tariffs are additional duties the US applies to a large list of Chinese-origin products, on top of the normal HTS rate — commonly an extra 7.5%–25%+, with some categories higher after recent reviews. Whether they apply depends on your exact 10-digit HTS code, so check your code against the current USTR Section 301 list before you budget.
How long does shipping from China to the USA take?
By sea, roughly 14–20 days to West Coast ports like Los Angeles/Long Beach and 30–40 days to the East Coast, plus a day or two for CBP clearance when paperwork is clean. By air it’s about 3–8 days plus clearance. Delays usually come from a late or wrong ISF filing, an HTS/valuation query, or a CBP exam — all avoidable with documents ready before the vessel sails.
Can one partner handle the China side for me?
Yes. A China-based sourcing and freight partner can run everything up to your US port — supplier sourcing and vetting, quality inspection, consolidation, export clearance and ocean or air freight — and coordinate with your US customs broker on the clearance end. That’s the model most US importers move to once ordering becomes regular, because it removes the coordination risk between separate factories, forwarders and inspectors.
Import from China to USA — without the guesswork
Importing from China to the USA is very doable once you treat it as a system: be a bonded Importer of Record, nail your HTS code and check Section 301, buy FOB with inspection, file your ISF on time, and clear CBP with a good broker — pricing the full landed cost before you commit.
Want the China side handled end to end? OyeExpress sources direct from Chinese factories, inspects quality, consolidates, and ships air or sea to your US port — so you get an accurate landed cost up front and cargo that isn’t sitting at the terminal. Talk to us about your import from China, or see our air & sea freight support.
