China Import

Your First Test Order from China

Small order, low risk, real learning. Here’s how to do it properly.

✎ 77 Freight Transport   ·   📍 China → Australia   ·   ⏱ 7 min read

Nobody should commit to a full container with a supplier they’ve never worked with. A test order — a small shipment sent by air — lets you verify the product, the supplier, and your own process before there’s real money on the line.

It’s the cheapest insurance in importing.

What a Test Order Actually Proves

🔍
Product quality
Photos lie. Physical samples don’t.
🤝
Supplier reliability
Do they communicate, meet deadlines, pack properly?
💳
True landed cost
Freight, duty, GST — the real number, not an estimate.
🛠️
Your own process
Learn the paperwork on a small shipment, not a big one.

Step by Step

1
Agree the order with your supplier. Keep it small — enough units to properly assess quality and, ideally, to sell if it’s good. Confirm the product spec in writing.
2
Get carton dimensions and weight. Ask for these before you request a freight quote — air freight is priced on chargeable weight, so dimensions matter as much as weight.
3
Send us the details for a quote. Product type, dimensions, weight, your delivery address. We’ll come back with a door-to-door figure and our China warehouse address.
4
Your supplier ships to our China warehouse. A standard domestic delivery within China. From there we handle export documentation, air transit and Australian customs clearance.
5
Delivery to your door. Parcels under 20 kg go via Australia Post as standard; heavier consignments go via freight carrier.
If your supplier can’t ship to our warehouse: Most factories arrange domestic delivery within China as a matter of course, and it usually costs very little. If yours genuinely can’t, we can collect from them for an additional fee — just tell us when you book.

What to Ask Your Supplier

Ask For Why It Matters
Carton dimensions (cm) Determines volumetric weight — the single biggest variable in your air freight cost
Gross weight per carton Compared against volumetric weight to find your chargeable weight
Commercial invoice & packing list Required for customs clearance — must accurately describe the goods and value
Product material composition Affects duty classification and whether biosecurity inspection applies
Confirmation they can ship domestically They’ll need to send your goods to our China warehouse — check they can before you order
On packaging materials: Timber pallets, straw, and some organic packing materials trigger Australian biosecurity requirements. If your supplier uses these, tell us upfront — it’s far easier to plan for than to resolve at the border.

Common First-Timer Mistakes

✗ Budgeting on actual weight only
Then getting an invoice based on volumetric weight and assuming something went wrong.
✗ Under-declaring goods value
Suppliers sometimes offer this “to save duty.” It creates serious compliance risk for the importer — you. Declare accurately.
✗ Vague product descriptions
“Goods” or “samples” on a commercial invoice slows clearance. Be specific.
✗ Ordering too large a “test”
If losing the money would hurt, it isn’t a test order. Start smaller.

Your Test Order Checklist

✅ Order size small enough that losing it wouldn’t hurt

✅ Product spec agreed in writing with the supplier

✅ Carton dimensions and gross weight confirmed before quoting

✅ Supplier confirmed they can ship to our China warehouse

✅ Commercial invoice describes goods accurately, at true value

✅ Australian delivery address confirmed — residential or commercial

“A test order that goes wrong is a cheap lesson. A container that goes wrong is a very expensive one.”

From a First-Time Brisbane Importer

“We sent a small air freight test order first. The product was fine but the packaging wasn’t — we fixed it with the supplier before ordering 500 units. That one shipment saved us a fortune.”

Planning Your First Test Order?

We work with first-time importers regularly — including helping with clearance documentation.

Air freight $10.99/kg AUD, door to door. 5–10 days.

Get a Quote

📞 0466 132 080

77 Freight Transport — Underwood QLD 4119 | Serving Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay to Gympie

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