The price a Chinese factory quotes is only the start. Importing from China to the US adds filings with set deadlines, duties that can sit on top of the normal tariff rate, and supply chain checks that can stop a container at the port. This page puts the China to US route on one screen, then walks through it step by step.
China to US Route at a Glance
| Item | What to plan for |
|---|---|
| Who answers to US Customs | The importer of record, directly or through a licensed customs broker |
| Ocean filing before departure | Importer Security Filing (ISF): core data due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the Chinese port (19 CFR 149.2) |
| Entry after arrival | Entry filed within 15 calendar days after arrival (19 CFR 142.2); if the entry summary is not filed at entry, it is due within 10 working days (19 CFR 142.12) |
| Duties to check | The HTS rate, Section 301 duties on many Chinese-origin products, and antidumping or countervailing duties where an order covers the product |
| Supply chain checks | Country of origin and transshipment rules; links to Xinjiang under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act |
| Other US agencies | Depending on the product, agencies such as CPSC, FCC, EPA or USDA may have their own rules |
| Core documents | Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and any product certificates |
| Not taken on by us | FDA-regulated categories |
Sources: eCFR Title 19, Parts 142 and 149; USTR; CBP. Checked October 27, 2026.
Importing From China to the US: Common Questions
What extra duties apply to goods from China?
Many Chinese-origin products carry Section 301 duties on top of the regular HTS rate. Some products have time-limited exclusions. Products under an antidumping or countervailing duty order pay those duties as well. Check the current HTS, including Chapter 99, and USTR notices before you price an order.
Who has to file the ISF for a shipment from China?
The ISF importer, usually the US buyer or its agent, files it for ocean cargo. The core data is due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the port in China. Late or missing filings can lead to claims against the bond.
How long do I have to file entry after the goods arrive?
Under 19 CFR 142.2, entry is filed within 15 calendar days after arrival. If the entry summary is not filed with the entry, it is due within 10 working days after entry, with estimated duties.
What is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and why does it matter?
Under the UFLPA, CBP presumes that goods made wholly or partly in Xinjiang, or by listed entities, were made with forced labor and may not enter the US. The presumption can reach products assembled elsewhere if inputs trace back to Xinjiang, so buyers should be able to document where materials came from.
Does shipping through a third country change the origin?
Not by itself. Origin changes only if the goods are substantially transformed in that country. Routing goods through a third country to hide Chinese origin is a customs violation.
Can you source FDA-regulated products from China?
We don't take on FDA-regulated categories, because we can't judge whether a factory meets the standards US inspectors apply.
Step 1: Classify the Product and Price the Duty Before You Order
Start with the HTS code. It sets the base duty rate and decides whether Section 301 duties apply. Then check whether the product falls under an antidumping or countervailing duty order. For those orders, the written scope matters more than the HTS number; see Antidumping Duty Scope: Why the HTS Code Isn't the Final Word.
Put every duty, fee and charge into one number before you compare suppliers. The Real Landed Cost of a Shipment lists what sits behind freight. For any term you are unsure of, our import and sourcing glossary has short definitions.
Step 2: Check the Supply Chain, Not Only the Factory
Two questions decide whether a shipment from China clears without trouble: where the product was really made, and where its materials came from.
- Country of origin. Final assembly in another country does not always change origin. See Country of Origin: Substantial Transformation and Transshipment.
- Material tracing. For products with cotton, polysilicon, aluminum or other inputs that may trace back to Xinjiang, ask the supplier for documents showing where materials were sourced.
- Who you are dealing with. Confirm the supplier is who it says it is before any deposit. See How to Verify a Supplier Before You Wire a Deposit.
Step 3: Book the Freight and File the ISF
Choose between a full container and shared space based on volume and timing. Ocean Freight: FCL, LCL, and the Hidden Cost Traps covers the trade-offs. The Incoterm you agree with the supplier, such as FOB or CIF, decides who books the freight and where risk passes; see FOB vs CIF.
For ocean cargo, the ISF data must reach CBP no later than 24 hours before loading in China, which means the supplier's details need to be ready before the container leaves the factory. See ISF Filing and Bond Claims.
Step 4: Arrival, Entry and the Customs Bond
Once the goods arrive, the importer of record files entry, usually through a customs broker, and pays duties. Most formal entries need a customs bond, either for a single shipment or a continuous bond for the year. See Continuous Bond vs. Single Entry Bond.
Keep the importer's records with CBP up to date. An outdated record can hold a shipment; see Importer of Record Numbers Voided.
Step 5: Tie Payment to What Arrives
A common structure is a deposit at order and the balance before shipment. Tie the balance to an inspection against the approved sample and spec sheet, not to the factory's message that goods are ready. Before paying a new bank account, check it; payment fraud often appears at this step. See Supplier Payment Fraud: Fake Sites, Map Pins, and Domains.
Where Orientwings International Fits
Before we place an order, we check the supplier's background and risk. If we have a partnership with a supplier we propose, such as our authorized status with Soontrue, we tell you up front. Our team in China finds and visits suppliers, and our US company, Orientwings International Corp, signs and is paid in the US. On the shipments we purchase, our US company is the importer of record. Our work on this route includes Supplier Due Diligence and Transaction Risk Management and Quality Control and Shipment Supervision. Tell us what you are importing from China, and we'll start with the HTS code and the spec sheet.