Importing bathroom sinks from China is a well-trodden path, but the details decide whether your landed cost matches the spreadsheet. This guide covers the trade terms, the HS code question, tariffs including Section 301, the documents you must have, a realistic logistics timeline, a landed-cost worksheet, and the pitfalls that quietly drain margin. It is written for trade buyers and smaller B2B importers specifying solid surface (artificial stone) pedestal basins, but the mechanics apply to most sanitary ware.
Trade terms: FOB, CIF, DDP
These three Incoterms define who pays for what, and mixing them up is the fastest way to mis-budget.
- FOB (Free On Board): the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port. Risk and cost transfer to the buyer at the ship's rail. Buyer pays ocean freight, insurance, destination handling, duties. This is our standard wholesale term.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight): seller pays ocean freight and insurance to the destination port, but risk still transfers at loading. Buyer still handles import clearance and duties. CIF can simplify billing but often costs more than a buyer-arranged ocean rate.
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): seller handles everything to the buyer's door, including duties. For B2C retail we quote EXW; door-to-door DDP (freight + duties included) is available on request — ask your forwarder to cost this lane specifically, it varies too much to quote generically.
Rule of thumb: if you have freight forwarder relationships, FOB gives you control and usually the best rate. If you want a single number to your dock, DDP is simpler but the duty risk is priced into the seller's quote — and that is where the traps below live.
HS codes: classify before you commit
Bathroom sinks are typically classified under one of two HS headings, and the right one for an artificial stone product is not automatic:
- 6910 — ceramic sanitary fixtures (basins, sinks, washbasins).
- 3922 — plastic or other-material bathing, washing, and sanitary ware.
Because solid surface is a mineral-filled composite rather than fired clay, it does not cleanly fall under 6910, and 3922 is the more defensible home for many artificial stone products — but classification is fact-specific and varies by destination customs practice. We will not tell you a single code as a fact, because doing so would be wrong for some buyers.
What to do:
- Confirm the HS code with your own customs broker before you ship. This is the single most important step in this guide.
- Ask the broker to confirm the duty rate and any additional tariffs that attach to that code from China.
- Keep the broker's written classification on file; it supports you if customs questions the entry.
The cost of guessing is real: a misclassification can trigger a delay, a re-classification assessment, or a penalty. Ten minutes with a broker saves that.
Tariffs and Section 301
Goods from China may be subject to Section 301 additional duties on top of the base Most-Favored-Nation rate, depending on the product and the current U.S. trade measures. The rate is not static — it has changed and can change again. Two implications:
- Do not lock a 12-month project budget on today's tariff. Build in a contingency, or negotiate price review clauses for orders with long lead times.
- The HS code and the product's country of origin drive the 301 exposure. This is another reason the broker step above is non-negotiable.
We do not quote tariffs as fact; we quote FOB and let your broker confirm the landed duty. If you need a duty estimate for budgeting, your forwarder or broker is the source, not us.
Customs documents checklist
For a clean U.S. entry (adjust for the EU or other destinations), have these ready:
- Commercial invoice — seller, buyer, value, description, HS code, Incoterm.
- Packing list — cartons, gross/net weight, dimensions, pieces per carton and per container.
- Bill of Lading — the ocean B/L; the copy triggers the 70% balance under T/T terms.
- Arrival notice — from the carrier or forwarder.
- Importer of record details — your IRS/EIN or broker account.
- Certificate of origin — if claiming any preferential treatment (note: China-origin goods generally do not under current U.S. measures, but keep it for the file).
- Test reports, if asked — we can supply material testing to JC/T 2116-2012 and the SGS raw-material RoHS report on request.
- Customs bond — for formal entries above the de minimis threshold.
Missing or inconsistent documents are the most common cause of hold at the port. The invoice and packing list must agree on counts and weights, or customs will question the entry.
Logistics timeline
A realistic end-to-end timeline for a West Coast FOB order:
| Phase | Typical duration | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Sample / verification | 1–2 weeks | Buyer + seller |
| Deposit + production slot | Immediate on payment | Buyer |
| Production (industry-typical) | 25–35 days | Seller |
| In-line + pre-crating QC | During production | Seller (on-site team) |
| Inland to port + export clearance | 2–5 days | Seller |
| Ocean to US West Coast | 2–4 weeks | Carrier |
| Customs clearance + delivery | 3–10 days | Buyer / forwarder |
| Total, deposit to site | ~7–11 weeks | Both |
East Coast and Europe add transit and clearance time. Build buffer for peak-season vessel space.
Landed-cost worksheet
Use this to model a real order. Figures are industry ranges; insert your own.
| Cost element | Example / range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unit FOB | Quoted per model | Solid surface pedestal, tiered |
| Ocean freight per unit | Varies by lane & weight | Heavier item; get forwarder quote |
| Insurance | ~0.3–0.5% of cargo value | Recommended |
| Destination handling | Port-specific | Terminal + drayage |
| Duties / Section 301 | Broker-confirmed | Depends on HS code |
| Last-mile delivery | Lane-specific | To your DC or site |
| Landed cost per unit | Sum of above | Compare to resale or install budget |
For retail quoted EXW, freight and duties are not in the listed price (DDP available on request) — but remember the duty is inside that price, and duty volatility is the seller's risk to manage, not yours.
Pitfalls that drain margin
1. Tariff volatility ignored. A project quoted at one 301 rate can land under another. Contingency or price-review clauses protect you.
2. The DDP margin trap. DDP looks clean, but the seller has embedded duty and freight at today's rate. If duties or ocean rates rise after you order, the seller eats it or renegotiates — and some will quietly cut packing quality to protect margin. With FOB you see each cost and can audit it. For large orders, FOB plus your own forwarder is usually the more transparent choice.
3. Incomplete customs files. Invoice and packing list must match. A one-carton discrepancy can hold a container for days at demurrage.
4. Signing clean on a damaged carton. Note damage on the receipt and photograph on opening, or the carrier and any claim window close.
5. Wrong HS assumption. Never assume 6910 just because "sinks are 6910." Confirm with your broker; artificial stone may sit under 3922.
6. Lead-time compression. Industry-typical production time plus ocean is not negotiable to zero — confirm the actual figure per order rather than working from a rule of thumb. Tight schedules that ignore this cause air-freight panic at 5x cost.
FOB vs DDP by business profile
- Small B2B / first-time importer: DDP removes the learning curve — one price, duties in. Accept that you pay a margin for that simplicity, and that duty volatility is the seller's problem, not yours.
- Established distributor: FOB with your own forwarder almost always wins on total cost and visibility. You control the lane, the insurance, and the clearance.
- Hotel / project buyer: FOB with a specified forwarder, treating the basins as one line in a larger FF&E shipment where consolidation saves the most.
Working with a freight forwarder: questions to ask
Before you commit, ask your forwarder:
- Current all-in ocean rate to your destination port, and how long it is valid.
- Transit time and reliability on that lane this season.
- Whether they file ISF (U.S. importers) and handle the customs bond.
- Their demurrage and detention terms at the destination.
- How they handle a damaged-container claim.
A forwarder who cannot answer these clearly is a risk, not a cost saving.
U.S. specifics: ISF and customs bond
For ocean imports into the U.S., the Importer Security Filing (ISF, "10+2") must be submitted before loading. A formal entry requires a customs bond. These are routine but easy to forget on a first order — your forwarder or broker handles them, and a missing ISF can mean a penalty and a hold.
Europe: VAT and the certification gap
For the EU, budget import VAT (recoverable if you are VAT-registered) on top of any duty. Note our current status: cUPC and CE are in progress, test report available. If your specification requires CE-marked goods now, confirm before ordering — we will not represent our uncertified units as compliant.
Asia-Pacific: duties, GST/VAT and DDP
We ship to nine Asia-Pacific markets on one published price — EXW from US$172; door-to-door DDP available on request, quoted and settled in USD, with no regional discount applied. Under a DDP quote, international freight, import duty and final-mile delivery to the door are included; under EXW you arrange these, so there is no customs broker to appoint and no surprise fee on arrival.
What differs by market is the tax regime, not the way we quote. Australia and New Zealand apply GST, Japan a consumption tax, Korea VAT, Malaysia SST and Taiwan a business tax — each is handled inside the DDP price rather than billed to you at the border. We do not publish duty or tax rates for these markets: rates change, and the authoritative figure for your shipment comes from your broker or forwarder. Confirm the landed number with them before you commit a budget, exactly as you would for a U.S. or EU entry.
Lead time to Asia-Pacific is usually shorter than to the U.S. lane because the sea leg is shorter — but ask us for the current door-to-door window for your market instead of working from a rule of thumb.
Container sizes, briefly
Most sanitary ware moves in 40HQ for volume. A 20GP suits a small first order; a 40GP is a middle step. We quote pieces-per-container per your model mix rather than a fixed number, because dimensions drive the count.
Red flags in a DDP quote
- A DDP price far below a comparable FOB + freight + duty estimate. Something is cut — usually packing or insurance.
- A supplier who will not name the HS code or tells you to "just use 6910."
- No photo records or inspection evidence offered.
- Certificate numbers presented for marks (cUPC / CE) that are not yet granted.
Each of these maps to a pitfall above. The cheap quote is where margin leaks.
How we handle it
Our model is built for transparency on these points:
- Wholesale = FOB. You control freight and customs; we supply packing data, weights, pieces per 40HQ, and the documents above.
- Retail units are quoted EXW. Door-to-door DDP (freight + duties included) available on request — duties handled by us under DDP, by you under EXW.
- QC before crating. Our own team inspects every unit at the partner facility before it is boxed, with photo records for any claim.
- Verifiable supply. Visit in person or by live video; third-party inspection (SGS, BV, TUV) welcome. Dedicated casting capacity is reserved for our orders.
- Honest certifications. cUPC and CE are in progress, test report available — no fabricated numbers. Material tested to JC/T 2116-2012 (absorption 0.1% vs 0.5% limit; Barcol 46 vs 35 min). Raw material — unsaturated polyester resin 201B — compliant with EU RoHS per SGS report SZXEC23002470101.
Frequently asked questions
What Incoterm should I use? FOB if you have forwarder relationships and want control; DDP if you want a single door price. We quote wholesale FOB and sell retail DDP.
Which HS code applies to artificial stone sinks? Confirm with your customs broker. They are commonly considered under 3922 (plastic/other material) rather than 6910 (ceramic), but classification is fact-specific — do not assume.
Are Section 301 tariffs included in your quote? Not as a fact. We quote FOB; your broker confirms the applicable duty and 301 rate, which can change.
What documents do I need for customs? Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, importer details, and (recommended) a broker-classified HS code. Test reports available on request.
How long does import take? Industry-typical production runs about 25–35 days, plus 2–4 weeks ocean to the U.S. West Coast, then clearance and delivery — roughly 7–11 weeks deposit to site.
Can I verify the product and packing? Yes — factory visits in person or by live video, and third-party inspection at line or before stuffing.
Do I need a customs broker? For formal entries, yes — a broker (or your forwarder acting as one) handles classification, duty, ISF, and the bond. We supply the documents; the broker confirms the HS code and rate.
What if tariffs change after I order? Under FOB, the duty is your cost at arrival, so a change lands on the importer of record — build contingency. Under DDP retail, the duty is inside our price and the volatility is ours, not yours.
Start your import
Send your model list, quantities, and destination port. We will return an FOB quote with packing data and pieces per 40HQ, plus a video look at production.
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