How to import banquet chairs from China: the full sequence

Importing banquet chairs is a sequence, not a purchase. It has nine steps, and money is only genuinely at risk at two of them: the deposit that starts production, and the balance that releases the container. Everything else is paperwork you can plan for.

The sequence

1. Specification. Model, finish, cushion, quantity, destination port. A photograph of the venue helps more than a paragraph of adjectives.
2. Quotation. Ask for one term, and ask what is excluded. We normally return specifications and pricing within one working day.
3. Sample. Optional but worth it on a first order. Sample cost and lead time are quoted separately and discussed against the bulk order.
4. Proforma invoice and deposit. Thirty percent by T/T starts production. Check that the beneficiary name matches the company on the invoice.
5. Production. Fifteen working days for standard models; ten to twenty for special colours or fabrics.
6. Inspection. Before the balance. On a container order, a third-party inspection costs little against the risk.
7. Balance and booking. Seventy percent before shipment, then the forwarder books the sailing.
8. Documents. Invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, plus test reports if your market asks for them.
9. Clearance and delivery. Your broker handles duty and import VAT; the container moves to your warehouse or venue.

The documents, and who needs them

If your tender or your retailer requires CE documentation, say so before production, not after. Reports are prepared against a specific model and finish.

Where the risk actually sits

The deposit buys production time, so the risk is a supplier who takes it and does not start. The balance buys release of the goods, so the risk is paying for something you have not seen. Both are managed the same way: a named company account, a written specification attached to the proforma invoice, and an inspection before the balance moves.

We invoice from the company account only, and we expect buyers to check that the bank beneficiary matches the contracting entity. A supplier who asks for a payment to a personal account is telling you something.

Duty, VAT and the numbers we cannot give you

Banquet chairs are normally classified with seats, tables with furniture, and the exact code depends on the frame material and your country's tariff schedule. The rate, the import VAT and any anti-dumping treatment are decided at your border. Your broker will give you those figures in an hour; a supplier who quotes them confidently from another continent is guessing.

Five failures worth designing out

• Specification drift. The invoice says "gold chair"; the factory ships a different gold. Attach photographs and a finish reference.
• Cushion fabric substitution. The cheapest place to save money quietly. Approve the fabric by sample, not by name.
• Balance paid before inspection. It removes your only leverage, and inspection is cheap.
• Documents after the vessel sails. Missing a certificate of origin can cost more than the certificate.
• Delivery date assumed, not confirmed. Transit time is your forwarder's number, not your supplier's.