Export, shipping & documentation
The product is only half the order. This page sets out what happens between a confirmed order and goods on the water — the documents, the payment structure, the container maths and the timeline — so you can plan cash flow and promise dates you can keep.
What you receive with a shipment
Missing paperwork delays customs clearance more often than anything physical. This is the standard set, and who needs what.
| Document | Purpose | Provided by |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Value declaration for customs; basis for duty | Shipper |
| Packing list | Carton count, contents, dimensions, gross and net weight | Shipper |
| Bill of lading | Contract of carriage and document of title | Carrier / forwarder |
| Certificate of origin | Establishes origin; may affect duty treatment | Chamber of commerce or issuing authority |
| Insurance certificate | Cover against loss or damage in transit | Insurer, where CIF or CIP applies |
| Test report | Evidence that the goods meet the standard you specified | Laboratory |
| Fumigation or material declaration | Where wooden packaging is used | Supplier / treatment provider |
A certificate of origin, a specific test report or a particular invoice format are all easier to arrange before the goods are packed than after. Tell us the documents your bank, broker or customer requires when you request the quote.
Payment structures and what each one protects
Payment terms are a risk allocation, not a formality. Choosing the wrong one exposes either you or the supplier — usually the party with less information.
| Structure | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 30% deposit, 70% against bill of lading copy | Deposit starts production; balance is paid when you can see the shipment document | Standard for a new trading relationship. Balanced exposure on both sides |
| Letter of credit | Bank undertakes payment against compliant documents | Larger orders and buyers with bank facilities. Document compliance is strict — discrepancies cost time and money |
| Full payment before shipment | Simplest for the supplier | Small orders, samples, or where trust is already established |
| Open account | Goods shipped, payment after an agreed period | Established relationships only. Not available at the start |
A buyer's deposit rarely covers the supplier's deposit. If your customer pays 30% up front and the factory requires 50% to start, you fund the gap until the balance arrives. Budget for it before you take the order, not when the invoice lands.
Fake payment slips, requests to ship before funds clear, and last-minute changes to bank details are the recurring ones. Confirm funds in the account before production starts, and treat any change of bank details as a verification step, never an instruction.
Which term fits your situation
The trade term decides who pays for what and, more importantly, where risk transfers. Umbrellas are bulky, which makes the freight decision material to your landed cost.
| Term | Risk transfers | What you control | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | At the factory gate | Your forwarder handles everything from collection | You carry export formalities. Only sensible if you have a reliable agent in China |
| FOB Ningbo | When goods pass the ship's rail at the port | You nominate the vessel and control ocean freight | Our standard term. Inland haulage and export clearance are handled; you own the main carriage |
| CIF | Same point as FOB | We arrange and pay freight and insurance to your port | Insurance is minimum cover by default; specify if you want more |
| DDP | At your delivery address | You receive the goods cleared and delivered | Duty and tax estimates carry risk for the shipper; usually offered once the lane is proven |
Trade terms change with each revision of the published rules. State the edition you are working to when you contract.
Container planning for bulky, light goods
Umbrellas and shades are the classic light-but-bulky product: you will usually run out of space long before you run out of weight. Bases and stands are the opposite, and mixing the two is where freight cost is won or lost.
| Container | Nominal internal volume | Realistic loading |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft general purpose | Around 33 m³ | Typically 28–30 m³ once carton shapes and stacking losses are counted |
| 40 ft general purpose | Around 67 m³ | Typically 58–60 m³ |
| 40 ft high cube | Around 76 m³ | Typically 68–70 m³, and the best choice for tall patio poles |
Approximate figures for planning. Actual capacity depends on carton dimensions and packing pattern; payload limits vary by carrier and route.
Four things that change the freight cost
- Pole length — a two-piece pole can move a patio umbrella from a 40 ft high cube requirement down to a 20 ft, or double the quantity per container
- Carton dimensions — designed around the container, not around the product, this is the cheapest freight saving available
- Flat packing versus assembled — bases and frames ship far better knocked down
- Consolidation — components and finished goods in one container spreads the fixed cost across both
When weight becomes the limit
Resin, granite and steel bases are dense. A container can reach its payload limit well before it is visually full, and over-weight containers attract penalties and re-handling.
Pairing bases with umbrellas in the same container uses the weight allowance that the umbrellas alone would leave unused. It is the single most common way buyers in this category reduce landed cost per unit.
Sampling before you commit
Samples are charged, and the cost is normally credited against your first bulk order. That is deliberate: a sample someone paid for is a sample with a specification behind it.
Specification first
Send the drawing, a reference photo or a physical sample. A sample request without a specification produces a guess, and two parties then disagree about what was confirmed.
Sample build
Standard models can often be sent from existing stock; custom printing, colours or frames require a build. We tell you which applies before you pay.
Courier
International courier billed at cost, with tracking. Declare the value truthfully — under-declaring samples is a customs risk that lands on the receiver.
Approval becomes the reference
The approved sample is what bulk is measured against. Keep one, and so do we. Most disputes dissolve when there is a physical reference on both sides.
A sample built from bulk materials is the one worth approving. A showroom sample built from stock components can differ from what your production run actually uses. Ask which one you are being shown.
From confirmed order to goods on the water
Planning ranges, not promises. Each stage is confirmed in writing for your order, and the two variables that most often move a date are printing complexity and season.
| Stage | Typical duration | What can extend it |
|---|---|---|
| Sample build | Roughly one to two weeks | Custom tooling, dyed-to-order fabric, new frame |
| Courier to you | A few days by express | Customs clearance at destination |
| Approval and order placement | Your side of the process | Internal approval cycles |
| Bulk production | Commonly several weeks | Printing passes, peak season, fabric dyeing |
| Inspection | A few days including report | Failed first inspection and re-work |
| Inland haulage, export clearance and loading | Several days | Vessel schedules and cut-off times |
| Ocean transit | Weeks, depending on lane | Routing, transhipment, port congestion |
Indicative planning ranges. We confirm actual dates for your order rather than quoting a generic lead time.
For a promotional programme, the useful question is not "how long is production" but "when does the merchandise have to be in the warehouse". Give us that date and we plan backwards: production, inspection, transit and clearance, each with its own margin.
Plan your first shipment
Tell us the destination, quantity and when the goods need to arrive. We will come back with a packing plan, a shipping option and a realistic date.
Discuss shipping & terms