Buying a wet wipes machine from China can be a headache if you are not aware of the complete shipping process.
This article offers a step by step shipping guide on what to do on each stage to avoid potential hassles once your wet wipes machines are ready to dispatch.
The shipping process can be divided into 23 steps.
Let’s go over each of them together:
Step 1：Identify Needs
Importer:Identify needs and expectation for a desired wet wipes machine
Read Related article that can help you finding the right wet wipes machines you need.How much does a wet wipes machine cost?-Ultimate Pricing Guide.
Step 2：Place Order
Importer: Fix the contract of sales & Order goods from the most preferred wet wipes machine supplier
Step 3：Arrange Down Payments
Importer:Make a down payment to the wet wipes machine supplier (exporter) to prepare for production
Step 4：Arrange Production
Exporter：Manufacturing of wet wipes machine begins
Timeline：30-120 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Note：Lead times on wet wipes machine orders can run as short as 30 days to as long as 120 days depends on the market demand & supply.
Step 5：Book Shipping Space
Exporter：Reserve shipping space in the vessel for shipment and get a shipping order (SO)or Booking Confirmation from shipping company. (Shipping order mentions Booking No.; BL No.; Vessel Name; Port of loading; Port of Discharge; ETA; ETD; Cut-off time etc.)
Timeline：10-20 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 6：Pre-shipment Inspection
Importer：Arrange for pre-shipment inspection and quality check on ordered wet wipes machines
Timeline：12-15 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 7：Arrange Balance Payment
Importer：Make balance payment to wet wipes machine exporter based on agreed payment terms to exporters to arrange shipment
Timeline：9-12 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 8：Pre-shipment Seaworthy Packing
Exporter：Arrange for packaging, labeling, and marking of wet wipes machines as per standard shipping practices
Timeline：6-8 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 9：Arrange container pickup
Exporter/Freight Forwarder：Pick up delivery order (DO) for container from shipping line and arranges for container pickup, stuffying and sealing. (Container No.; Seal No.will be informed. )
Timeline：8 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 10：Export Haulage
Exporter：
(option 1) Arrange carrier (containers)to pick up wet wipes machines with seaworthy packing (video link) at the supplier’s premises
(option 2) Transfer wet wipes machines (by means of truck) to forwarder’s origin warehouse for container loading at the port of loading (typically it takes 2-3 days depending on the distance and geography） before cut-off date>
Timeline：5-7 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 11：Load Container
Exporter：Arrange container loading of ready machines at port or at exporter’s premise.
Timeline：4-6 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 12：Prepare Shipping Documents
Exporter:Prepare shipping documents (Bill of Lading, Packing List, Commercial Invoice) and arranges documents check (check particularly goods description; HS Code, consignee/ notify party info) by sending drafted copy to importer for confirmation before submitting to custom of origin port.
Timeline：3-4 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 13：Export Custom Declaration
Exporter/Freight Forwarder：
Submit a declaration detailing the cargo and supporting documents to China Custom.
Timeline：3-4 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 14：Custom cleared
China Custom：China Custom Releases containers after documents check and custom inspections
Timeline：2-3 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 15：Apply for CO：
Exporter：Apply for Certificate of Origin issued by the Custom and send drafted copy to importer for confirmation before issuing final copy
Timeline：1-2 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 16：Containers on Board
Port Dock Workers：Load the port on scheduled ship. At the port, the container is stacked together with other containers intended to load on the same ship, and finally loaded when the ship is ready at the port.
Timeline：0-1 days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 17：Ship takes off
Ship departures from Port of loading
Date of Shipping
Notes: chances are big that shipping could delay for 1-7 days at some point that will be completely beyond importer & exporter’s control Reasons for Shipping Delay: bad weather condition, port congestion, custom inspection
Step 18：Courier Shipping Documents
Exporter：Get the original Bill of Lading (BL) and Certificate of Origin (CO) from shipping line and other documents (Packing List, Commercial Invoice; Certificate of Analysis; Measurement List; Catalogue etc.courier hard copies to importer/consignee (3-5 working days after the ship takes off )
Timeline：3-7 working days prior to estimate date of shipping
Step 19：Arrival of Goods
Wet wipes machines arrive at the port of destination of importer’s country
Timeline：5-50 days after estimate date of shipping
Transportation time Depends on direct or indirect shipping, shipping lines, Port of destination.
Step 20：Import Custom Clearance
Importer/Freight forwarder：
Present the shipping documents to the customs at the Port of Destination for import clearance
Timeline：2-4 days after estimate date of arrival
Step 21:Receive Containers
Importer：Take custody of the shipment
Timeline：2-4 days after estimate date of arrival
Step 22:Import Haulage
Importer：Arrange for transportation of wet wipes machines to final destination
Timeline：4-7 days after estimate date of arrival
Step 23:Unload Containers & Receive goods
Importer：Arranges unloading of the container & hands over empty container at appointed yard of the shipping line
Timeline：5-10 days after estimate date of arrival
Q (1). How can I know the exporter has shipped my wet wipes production lilnes?
A professional wet wipes supplier will keep you in the loop on the start-to-finish shipping process.
Transparency is required to enhance mutual trust between exporter and importer.
Don’t take your wet wipes machine suppliers’ word for granted unless they provide solid proof with booking confirmation, documentations, real time container loading videos and pictures.
Here at Droid, through regular communication we will keep you up to date with everything you need to know about the shipping process of the goods.
Q (2). How can I track my shipping of wet wipes machines?
Once the shipping space is booked, you will get a shipping order (SO)or Booking Confirmation from shipping company.
Shipping order mentions Booking No.; BL No.; Vessel Name; Port of loading; Port of Discharge; ETA; ETD; Cut-off time etc.
Once the goods are loaded into container,Container No.; Seal No.will be informed.
With the information fo Booking NO.; BL No.; Container No. Or Vessel Name, importers can track your shipping status anytime through the shipping line website.
Q (3). When shall the shipping space be reserved?
Shipping Space is suggested to be reserved before goods are ready for shipping.
When to reserve the shipping space largely depends on the demand and supply of containers on the market.
Containers and vessels are in short supply particularly in On-season or around big festivals such as Lunar Chinese New Year, when orders from China abound and importers around the globe are hustling to stockpile their commodities before Chinese factories are completely shut down for weeks long holiday.
Plan your shipment beforehand, avoid rush shipment.
Q (4). Are there daily shipments to my port of destination?
(Can I ship my wet wipes machines whenever I want?)
Each Shipping line follows a particular sailing route on their own schedule from one departure port to the port of destination.
Depending on the offerings of different shipping companies, shipment to Port A to Port B commonly happens once/twice/triple per week, yet shipment does not happen every day.
For example, the ship from Qingdao Port, China to New Delhi, India operated by Emirate Shipping Line takes off every Tuesday. That is to say, if you fail to catch Tuesday’s shipment of ESL, you have to wait for another week until next Tuesday.
Importer can then choose to book the shipment with another shipping lines for the most suitable date of shipping according to their goods production time.
Q (5). If my wet wipes machine is ready, how soon can I ship it?
a). Reserve shipping space
b.) Arrange pre-shipment packing
c.) Export Haulage
d.) Contianer Loading
e.) Documents Check
f.) Custom Declaration
g.) Containers on Board
A typical shipping process encompasses above steps. Each step take time to operate.
There is no magic drug to make shipment happen overnight.
Importer should plan your shipment at least 7-10 days before date of departure to avoid any potentially improper handling.
Plan your shipment beforehand, avoid rush shipment.
Q(6). When Can I get the copy of shipping documents?
Shipping Documents, commonly comprised of Bill of Lading, Packing List, Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin, are a set of documentations issued by shipping line and exporters for export and import custom clearance.
The copy of Bill of Lading is issued by shipping line, Certificate of Origin is issued by China Custom/ Chamber of Commerce while Packing List and Commercial Invoice is prepared by Exporters according to cargo details.
BL copy issued by shipping line will be couriered to exporter in a 3-7 working days before exporter could courier a full set of documents to the importer .
Importers will send drafted digital copy to the importer to do documents check (check particularly goods description; HS Code, consignee/ notify party info) before submitting to custom of origin port and sending hard copy out after shipment.
Overall, you are expected to receive drafted copy 3-4 days prior to estimate date of shipping, hard copy 10-17 days after shipment takes off.
Q(7). Is it normal that shipping delays? Reasons for shipping delays?
Everyone doesn’t like delay, but when it comes ocean freight transportation, chances are big that you will have some sort of delay at some point that will be completely beyond your control and may be beyond your supplier’s control as well.
Common reasons for shipping delays include but not limited to Port congestions, custom inspection, bad weather, dockworker strike, pandemic impact, holidays impact etc.
The delay could could take as short as 1-3 days or as long as 7-15 days.
When the steamship crossed the ocean, and were arriving at the destination port, trouble might still happens.
Such as the latest West Coast dockworkers dispute.
This kind of port delays can be avoided by choosing a different destination earlier.
It may result higher price, but the time saved are more valuable in some cases.
Droid Group also offers
All you need for an easy wet wipes production:
- Single Sachet Wet Wipes Production Line
- Automated Cross Fold Wet Wipes Production Line (5-40wipes)
- Automated Flow Pack Wet Wipes Production Line (20-120wipes)
- GMP Clean Room Design & Construction for Wet Wipes Production
- Selected Wet Wipes Raw Material Supply
For additional information, please drop email to [email protected]or call +86-15659726323