A solid contract is your main protection in a cross-border deal. It should specify: 1. Vehicle identification: VIN, year, mileage, trim level, and photos of the actual car appended as an annex — not just「a 2021 Toyota」. 2. Condition guarantees: no accident, no flood or fire damage, no structural repairs, supported by a third-party inspection report referenced in the contract. 3. Price and Incoterm: total amount, currency, the named port, and whether freight and insurance are included. 4. Payment schedule: e.g., 20–30% deposit after contract signing, balance against copy of the Bill of Lading. Avoid 100% upfront. Use T/T to the company's corporate bank account only — never a personal account. 5. Timeline: inspection date, estimated loading date, and latest shipment date, with remedies if delayed. 6. Dispute clause: governing law and arbitration (CIETAC or your local chamber) rather than foreign court litigation. Ask for the contract in English (or bilingual) with the supplier's company chop. A company that refuses a written contract or pushes for full prepayment is a red flag.

Our legal red line is that the amounts on the China Customs declaration, export license, commercial invoice, and bank receipt must be consistent across all four documents. We firmly refuse to engage in the illegal act of issuing "false low-value invoices" to assist buyers in evading customs duties in the destination country.

This is a macro policy minefield. Although used cars are rarely classified as dumping, if your single import quantity is too large and the declared price is significantly lower than local similar products, it can easily trigger an investigation by the tax bureau. We strongly recommend B2B buyers to break down shipments into smaller batches and use multiple invoices for customs clearance.