How to import from China to Saudi Arabia: step by step

1. Get your company ready to import

Importing into Saudi Arabia goes through ZATCA (the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority) and its FASAH platform. The importer needs a valid Commercial Registration and a customs file linked to it, and VAT registration once the business passes the legal threshold.

If you would rather not handle customs yourself, see step 6: with door-to-door (DDP) shipping, clearance is done for you.

2. Check your product before you order

Most problems at Saudi customs start here:

• SABER certificates. Many products must be registered on SASO's SABER platform: a product certificate once per product, then a shipment certificate for every shipment. Without them, goods do not clear customs. First-time certification can take weeks, so start early.
• SFDA products. Food, cosmetics, health supplements and medical products fall under the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, with their own rules.
• The tariff code (HS code). It decides your customs duty. On top of the duty, imports pay 15% VAT.

3. Find the supplier and agree every detail

Agree in writing on the exact product, specifications, quantities, packaging, labels and price. For Saudi Arabia, check labels and product information early: they are part of the conformity checks.

We find the suppliers, negotiate, and send you quotes with the full price per product by the next business day. How it works

4. Pay

Many importers pay in two parts: a 30% deposit before production and the 70% balance against the bill of lading (B/L), the document that proves the goods have shipped. We work this way too, alongside a prepaid balance and payment terms for regular clients.

5. Check quality before the goods leave China

Fixing a problem in China is easy; fixing it after it reaches Saudi customs is slow and expensive. Two problems our checks have caught before shipping: missing accessories and the wrong material used by the factory.

We check every order in our own warehouse in Dongguan: we count, inspect and photograph your goods, and you see the photos before they leave. How we check

6. Ship: by yourself, or door to door

If you import yourself, your goods usually travel with: a commercial invoice showing tariff codes and country of origin, a detailed packing list, a certificate of origin certified by a chamber of commerce, the bill of lading or air waybill, and the SABER certificates. Your customs broker then clears the goods through FASAH, and you pay duty and VAT.

If you choose door to door (DDP), we deliver to your address in Saudi Arabia with customs clearance, duties and taxes handled and included in the price. It usually takes 7 to 14 days, and it includes cosmetics and health supplements. For most of our Saudi clients, this is the simplest and fastest way.

Common mistakes to avoid

In Saudi Arabia, small mistakes are expensive. The ones to watch:

• Shipping without the SABER shipment certificate, or with a certificate for a different product.
• Invoices without tariff codes or country of origin, or that do not match the goods exactly.
• A certificate of origin that is not certified by a chamber of commerce.
• Shipping cosmetics or supplements without checking SFDA requirements.
• Leaving certification to the last minute: first-time certificates take time.