The car is already owned by our company. We cancel its Chinese registration, declare it to Chinese customs and load it on board, and you receive a consistent set of documents for your customs broker.
What we handle in China
Ownership and paperwork check
Once payment is received as set out in your proforma invoice, we check the car's ownership papers against the car and prepare the registration documents the export needs.
Deregistration of the Chinese registration
Before a used car can leave China, its Chinese registration is cancelled and its plates are handed in. We handle this with the vehicle registration office and obtain the deregistration certificate, which your customs may ask to see.
Export customs declaration
We declare the car to Chinese customs for export, using its VIN and the same values as your commercial invoice. The export declaration is the record that the car left China through official channels.
Delivery to the port, booking and loading
We truck the car to the departure port, book space on a container ship or RoRo vessel, and see it through port handling and loading. Once it is on board, the shipping line issues the bill of lading.
Documents you receive
- Proforma invoice — the car, its VIN, the costs, our bank details and the payment terms — before you pay
- Commercial invoice — the formal record of the sale, used by customs to value the car — with the shipping documents
- Packing list — the car, its keys and any accessories in the shipment — with the shipping documents
- Bill of lading — the shipping line's receipt; the destination port releases the car against it — after loading
- Export customs declaration — proof that the car was declared for export in China — with the shipping documents
- Vehicle deregistration certificate — proof that the Chinese registration was cancelled — with the shipping documents
- Certificate of origin — states where the car was made, needed in some countries — on request, before shipping
Some countries ask for more.
What we need from you
These are needed when the documents are issued.
- Consignee name and address, written exactly as your customs needs them
- A notify party, if different from the consignee
- Your destination port
- Your ID or company registration number, if your customs requires it on the documents
- The address where original documents should be sent, and who will receive them
How the documents reach you
How the documents reach you depends on the bill of lading type agreed in your proforma invoice. Original bills of lading travel by courier with the other originals. With an electronic release, often called a telex release, the car is released at destination without paper bills; we e-mail copies and courier any originals your customs needs.
Clearance at your destination
Import clearance, duties, taxes and registration are handled by you or your customs broker. Our destination guides give the main points for each country: Algeria, France, United Kingdom, Russia, United States and Middle East and Africa.
Questions about documents
Can the consignee be a company?
Yes. Give us the company's full registered name and address, plus its registration or tax number if your customs requires it, exactly as they should appear on the documents. Countries often treat company imports differently from personal ones, and your sales manager can talk through which suits you.
Can the consignee be someone other than the payer?
Yes, but tell us before the proforma invoice is issued, so both are named correctly. The consignee's name must match what your customs expects, and your bank or customs may ask why the payer is different. Changing the consignee after the bill of lading is issued is slow and can cost money.
My customs asks for a document that is not on this list. What now?
Send us the requirement, in writing from your customs broker if you have it, before the car ships. Some documents, such as a certificate of origin or translations, can often be arranged in China. If we cannot provide a document, we tell you plainly.
When can my broker start clearance?
Your broker can prepare once they have copies of the bill of lading, the invoices and the export documents, which we send after loading. Clearance itself starts when the car arrives and the bill of lading is released. Timing depends on the sailing and on your port's procedures.