Key takeaways
- Most delays start at the factory, not the port: wrong labels, short counts, or missing documents.
- Set up your importer of record number and customs bond before the first order ships.
- Classification decides your duty rate. Confirm the HTS code before you agree a price.
- Inspection before the balance payment is the cheapest place to fix a problem.
1. Find and vet the supplier
Start with a shortlist, not a single factory. Compare quotes on price, minimum order, lead time, and export experience, and confirm the company is a real, registered manufacturer rather than a middleman. A sourcing agent in China can do this on the ground.
2. Samples, then the purchase order
Approve samples before you commit, ideally collected from several factories and shipped to you together. Your purchase order should set the specification, packing and labeling rules, the Incoterm, and the payment terms.
3. Set up the US side
Every import needs an importer of record. For most businesses that is the company EIN, registered with CBP. Formal entries, generally shipments over $2,500, need a customs bond. A continuous bond covers a year of imports and suits anyone shipping more than a few times.
4. Classify the product and cost it
Every product has an HTS code, and that code sets the duty rate. Goods from China usually add a Section 301 tariff on top. Check the classification and total the landed cost per unit before you finalize the order, not after the goods land.
5. Inspect before the balance is paid
A pre-shipment quality inspection checks quantity, workmanship, labels, and packing while you still hold leverage over the supplier. Fixing a problem in China costs a fraction of fixing it in the US.
6. Book freight and file the ISF
Once goods are ready, freight is booked by sea or air. For ocean cargo the Importer Security Filing (ISF 10+2) must be transmitted at least 24 hours before loading in China. A late or wrong ISF can draw a penalty of up to $5,000.
7. Customs entry, duty, and release
As the cargo approaches Port Houston, the broker files the entry and pays duties, taxes, and fees such as the merchandise processing fee and, for ocean cargo, the harbor maintenance fee. CBP releases the goods, or selects them for an exam, which adds time.
8. Delivery and records
Released goods are delivered to your facility or to Amazon. Keep your import records for five years. CBP can ask for them.
What changes when the goods are going to Houston
Houston importers choose between two ocean routings. All-water through the Panama Canal lands at Port Houston's Barbours Cut or Bayport terminals and is often cheaper. Landing on the West Coast and moving by rail to Houston is usually one to two weeks faster. The customs entry can be filed at either the port of arrival or inland, so the choice changes the paperwork plan as well as the transit time.