Our shipping quotes are typically valid for only 7 to 14 days. If a CIF contract is signed and there are significant fluctuations in shipping costs due to war surcharges or route changes imposed by the shipping company before the vehicle is actually loaded, we will transparently provide you with the official price increase notice from the shipping company. At that point, we reserve the right to renegotiate the freight difference or allow you to change the trade terms to FOB, letting you designate your own freight forwarder for booking.

A compliant shipment from China includes a standard document set. Verify you receive all of them before the ship departs, because correcting documents mid-transit is slow and expensive. The core set: commercial invoice, bill of lading (original, if your country requires presentation for customs), packing list, certificate of origin, and the export customs declaration. For used cars, also expect the Chinese registration certificate copy, deregistration proof, and a condition/inspection report. Some destinations require additional certificates — GCC states need GSO conformity, EU countries need COC or individual approval, several African nations require BESC/ECTN tracking numbers issued before loading. Your customs broker will typically need the invoice and bill of lading at minimum, plus proof of vehicle age and emissions where age limits apply. Ask your exporter for scanned copies the day the vessel sails, not when it arrives: pre-clearance can cut port storage fees significantly. One caution: the invoice value must match your payment records. Under-declaring to save duties is customs fraud in most countries and risks seizure.

We will directly check the registration certificate (the big green book) and count the number of changes.