Guides

Guides for importing from China to Africa

Practical advice from our team in China: payments, shipping, deadlines and buying smart.

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PlanningOctober 2026 · 4 min

Chinese New Year 2027: order deadlines for African importers

Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027. Factories close for weeks. Here is when to order and ship.

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Chinese New Year 2027 is on 6 February. Most factories stop production one to two weeks before and restart two to four weeks after. Workers travel home and many do not return straight away.

Place orders that need production by early December. Factories fill up fast before the holiday, so late orders get pushed to March.

Ship before mid-January. Ports and shipping lines are busy and prices go up in the weeks before the holiday.

If you sell fast-moving goods, order extra stock now so your shop does not run empty in February and March.

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TipsOctober 2026 · 4 min

How to pay a Chinese supplier safely

Most import scams happen at the payment step. Five rules that protect your money.

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Pay a company account, not a person. A real supplier or agent has a bank account in the company name. If someone asks you to pay a personal account, stop.

Check that the name on the invoice matches the name on the bank account. A different name is the most common sign of fraud.

Be careful when bank details change. Scammers copy emails and WhatsApp chats and send "new" account numbers. Always confirm by voice call.

Pay in stages for production orders: a deposit to start, and the balance after you see photos of the finished goods.

Keep every invoice and payment receipt. You need them for customs and if anything goes wrong.

LogisticsOctober 2026 · 3 min

FCL or LCL: which shipping option fits your order?

Full container or shared container? It depends on the volume of your goods.

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LCL (Less than Container Load) means your goods share a container with other importers. You pay for the space you use, measured in cubic metres (CBM). It is the best option for first orders and mixed goods.

FCL (Full Container Load) means the whole container is yours. A 20' container holds about 25 to 28 CBM, a 40' high cube about 65 to 68 CBM.

Once your goods fill more than about half of a 20' container, FCL is often cheaper per CBM and faster, because nothing waits for other shippers.

Not sure? Send us your product list and we will tell you the volume and the cheaper option.

GuideOctober 2026 · 3 min

What is MOQ, and how to buy less than the minimum

Factories set a minimum order quantity. Here is how small businesses still get good prices.

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MOQ means Minimum Order Quantity: the smallest amount a factory will produce for one order. It can be 500 pieces for one product or one full carton per colour.

Buy from Yiwu market shops. Many sell from stock by the carton, so you can buy small quantities of many different products.

Mix products in one shipment. Ten products from ten suppliers can travel together in one LCL shipment.

Ask and negotiate. Some factories lower the MOQ for a first order or if you accept a standard colour or packaging. We negotiate this for you.