COMPLETE GUIDE TO IMPORTING FROM CHINA
If you run a business in El Salvador and are thinking about buying products from China, this guide explains step by step how to find suppliers, compare quotes, understand shipping, prepare documents, estimate costs and avoid common import mistakes.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
QUICK SUMMARY
STEP 1
There is no single perfect source. The practical approach is to compare options, request complete information and avoid paying only because a quote looks attractive.
A common starting point to compare international suppliers and request quotes.
Useful for manufacturers, industrial products, machinery and specialized suppliers.
Another B2B platform for comparing suppliers, categories and products.
A Chinese wholesale marketplace, usually more focused on the domestic market; it may require an agent, Chinese language support or an intermediary.
Useful for consumer products, small items, accessories, home goods, toys and Yiwu market products.
Useful when buying volume or building a more serious relationship with a factory.
Sometimes the best source, but documents, terms and costs still need to be reviewed.
No platform removes all risk. A platform helps you find options, but you still need to compare suppliers, request documents, review terms and avoid paying blindly.
This does not guarantee a supplier is perfect, but it reduces risk before you pay. LTA can advise on the logistics and import-document side, but the commercial decision about the supplier remains with the buyer.
Look for suppliers with several years of activity, ideally 3+ years.
Check whether the profile is verified or audited.
Compare at least 3 suppliers before deciding.
Ask for real photos and videos of the product.
Ask for a technical sheet, catalog or specifications.
Request a sample before production if the order value justifies it.
Check whether they have a website or commercial presence outside the platform.
Ask whether they have exported to Latin America or similar markets before.
Ask for references, cases or previous clients when possible.
Confirm MOQ, production times, packaging and warranty.
Confirm whether payment terms are protected or clearly written.
Check whether certificates shown actually correspond to the product.
Before sending money, request enough information to understand product, packaging, weight, volume, origin, terms and documents.
Proforma invoice or formal quote
Complete product description
Quantity
Unit price and total price
MOQ
Production time
Real photos or videos
Packaging type
Package dimensions
Gross weight and net weight
Total volume / CBM
Port or city of origin
Proposed Incoterm
What the price includes and does not include
If shipping is included, exactly how far it goes
Documents available for export
Certificates or reports if applicable
If a supplier says 'shipping included' or 'all included,' do not accept it blindly. Ask what is included, where responsibility ends and what costs may still appear in El Salvador.
STEP 2
Incoterms define responsibilities, costs and risk transfer between buyer and seller. They do not replace a clear quote: they help you know what to ask before paying.
The supplier makes the goods available at the factory. The buyer usually coordinates almost everything: pickup, export, international freight, import and delivery.
Check: It gives control, but also more responsibility. Check who can pick up and export from China.
The supplier delivers the goods to a carrier or agreed place. From there, the buyer usually coordinates the main transport.
Check: Confirm the exact delivery point, export documents and who pays each leg.
The supplier pays transport to an agreed destination, but risk may transfer earlier when the goods are handed to the carrier.
Check: Do not assume everything is covered to El Salvador. Check destination, risk and local charges.
Similar to CPT, but with insurance arranged by the seller to the agreed destination.
Check: Confirm insurance coverage, exact destination and what costs remain pending.
The supplier delivers to an agreed place, usually without unloading and without paying import duties.
Check: Check who handles customs clearance, who pays taxes and whether unloading or storage charges apply.
The supplier delivers the goods unloaded at an agreed place.
Check: Confirm whether the unloading place is realistic and who handles customs, taxes and further delivery.
The supplier promises delivery with duties paid. It can sound easy, but it needs careful review.
Check: Check who legally imports, who declares, how taxes are paid and what happens if problems appear.
The supplier delivers the goods alongside the vessel at the port of origin.
Check: Confirm port, port charges and who coordinates loading onto the vessel.
The supplier delivers the goods on board the vessel at the origin port. From that point, the buyer normally coordinates international freight, insurance if applicable, customs and delivery.
Check: It can provide good control, but freight, documents and destination coordination need to be planned early.
The supplier pays cost and freight to the destination port, but insurance is not necessarily included.
Check: Review destination charges, insurance, customs, taxes and local delivery.
The supplier pays cost, insurance and freight to the destination port, but this does not mean all costs in El Salvador are included.
Check: Destination charges, customs clearance, import duties and local delivery still need to be reviewed.
STEP 3
Documents should be clear before shipping, not only when the cargo has arrived. Vague descriptions or missing data can delay customs and create extra costs.
Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of Lading / Air Waybill depending on shipment
Product description
Supplier/exporter details
Buyer/importer details
HS code / tariff classification if available
Gross weight / net weight
Volume / CBM
Country of origin
Certificates, permits or registrations if applicable
Photos/specifications if the product is hard to classify
Insurance documents if applicable
Bad descriptions, missing packing lists, unclear weights or wrong documents can delay customs clearance and create extra costs.
WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE A QUOTE
If you already have a supplier quote, invoice, or screenshot, we can help you check whether it includes the right shipping, customs, and delivery information for El Salvador.
STEP 4
Chinese suppliers often offer included shipping or send a freight quote. That is not always bad, but it can become a problem if the price does not clearly explain what it covers.
STEP 5
The cheapest product is not always the cheapest import. The real number is the cost to have the goods released and delivered in El Salvador.
If you already have product price, weight, volume and a shipping quote, we can help review the logistics side and the next import steps.
STEP 6
Once you have a supplier, product and quote, LTA can help coordinate the logistics side so you do not have to chase several companies.
If you want to understand customs clearance, DUCA-D and documents, also read our customs broker page for El Salvador. If you already have an invoice or quote, you can also review customs broker support in El Salvador.
COMMON MISTAKES
Many problems are not just bad luck. They come from incomplete information or decisions made too late.
FAQ
You can start on platforms such as Alibaba, Made-in-China, Global Sources, 1688, Yiwugo, trade fairs, direct contacts or referrals from other importers. No source removes all risk, so compare options and request complete information.
Alibaba can be a useful starting point, but it does not guarantee every supplier is right for your purchase. Check years of activity, profile, documents, real photos, samples, payment terms, Incoterm and export experience before paying.
There is no single signal. Compare suppliers, review years of activity, request technical sheets, photos, videos, samples if applicable, relevant certificates and clear terms. This reduces risk, but the commercial decision remains with the buyer.
LTA does not certify suppliers or audit factories. We can advise on logistics, import documents, shipping terms, customs and delivery in El Salvador.
Ask for a proforma invoice or formal quote, full description, quantity, unit and total price, MOQ, production time, photos or videos, packaging, dimensions, weight, volume, origin city or port, Incoterm, documents and certificates if applicable.
An Incoterm defines responsibilities, costs and risk transfer between buyer and seller. It helps clarify who pays and coordinates each part of the process.
The 11 Incoterms 2020 are EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP, FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF. They do not apply the same way to every shipment, so review the term used in your quote.
Usually you need a commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, product description, supplier and buyer details, weight, volume, country of origin, tariff classification if available and certificates or permits if applicable.
It can work if the quote is clear. Before accepting, confirm how far it goes, which Incoterm applies, whether destination charges, insurance, customs clearance and local delivery are included, and who responds for delays or extra costs.
Yes. Once you have a supplier, product and quote, LTA can help review the logistics side and coordinate shipping, documents, customs clearance, cargo release and local delivery in El Salvador.
Yes. You can try with one import and compare clarity, coordination and follow-up before moving more cargo with LTA.
WHEN YOU WANT HELP COORDINATING THE PROCESS
We can help with shipping, customs clearance, and local delivery in El Salvador.
