How to Import Products from China to the US

Importing products from China means clearing them through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as the importer of record — classifying each item under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, paying the correct duties (including any additional Section 301 tariffs that apply), and proving your supply chain is free of forced labor under the UFLPA. The sourcing and negotiation side gets most of the attention, but the legal exposure lives in the entry: get the classification, the valuation, and the forced-labor screening right and the goods clear; get them wrong and you face detentions, recovered duties, and penalties.

This guide walks the compliance steps in the order they actually matter, not the order a sourcing blog would list them.

You Are the Importer of Record

The importer of record is the party legally responsible for the entry — for declaring the right value, the right classification, the right country of origin, and for paying duties. That is you, the buyer, not your supplier and not your freight forwarder. CBP holds the importer to a duty of “reasonable care,” which means you cannot outsource the legal responsibility to a broker even when a broker files the paperwork. Everything below flows from that single fact.

Step 1 — Classify the Product and Estimate Landed Cost

Every imported item gets a 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code that sets its base duty rate. Classification follows the General Rules of Interpretation and is the importer’s responsibility — our step-by-step HTS classification guide covers how to do it and how to lock in certainty with a binding ruling.

For China specifically, the base HTS duty is only the starting number. Many Chinese-origin goods carry additional Section 301 tariffs on top of the regular rate, and the treatment of low-value shipments has changed — the old assumption that parcels under $800 enter duty-free no longer holds for Chinese-origin goods. The tariff landscape here moves frequently, so do not rely on a rate you read last year:

Because the additional-tariff picture changes with policy and litigation, confirm the current rate for your specific HTS code with CBP or a licensed customs broker before you commit to a price. Treat any percentage you see online as a prompt to verify, not a quote.

Step 2 — Line Up the Documents CBP Requires

A China shipment needs a standard entry package, plus one filing that is easy to forget:

• Commercial invoice — accurate description, value, and country of origin.
• Packing list and bill of lading (or air waybill).
• Importer Security Filing (ISF, “10+2”) — for ocean cargo, filed at least 24 hours before the goods are loaded onto the vessel. Late or inaccurate ISF filings draw liquidated-damages claims, so this deadline is real.
• Customs bond — a continuous or single-entry bond guaranteeing payment of duties; required for commercial entries.

Entries are filed electronically in CBP’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Keep every entry document for five years, because that is CBP’s recordkeeping window and the foundation of any later audit defense — see building an import compliance plan.

Step 3 — Screen for Forced Labor (UFLPA)

This is the China-specific risk that surprises importers most. Under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), in force since June 2022, CBP applies a rebuttable presumption that any goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang region — or by an entity on the UFLPA Entity List — were made with forced labor and are barred from entry. The presumption reaches any input at any tier of the supply chain, not just the finished product.

If CBP detains a shipment under the UFLPA, the burden flips to you: you must produce clear and convincing documentary evidence tracing the supply chain back to raw materials. Cotton, polysilicon (solar), tomatoes, and some aluminum and electronics inputs draw particular scrutiny. Map your supply chain and collect tracing documentation before you import, not after a detention.

Step 4 — Check the Other-Agency Requirements

CBP enforces the rules of many other agencies at the border, so the question for any product is “who else regulates this?” Common ones for Chinese imports:

• CPSC — consumer products, especially anything for children, must meet U.S. safety standards and certification rules; see Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations.
• FDA — food, cosmetics, dietary supplements, medical devices, and electronics that emit radiation.
• FCC — devices that transmit radio frequencies.
• Intellectual property — CBP seizes counterfeit and trademark-infringing goods; confirm your supplier is not copying a protected mark.

Missing an other-agency requirement is one of the most common reasons an otherwise routine entry gets held.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a license to import from China?

There is no general “import license” for most products. You import as the importer of record using a customs bond and the standard entry documents. Specific product categories (for example, FDA- or CPSC-regulated goods) carry their own requirements, but the act of importing from China itself does not require a blanket license.

How much are the tariffs on Chinese goods?

It depends entirely on the product’s HTS code. You pay the base HTS duty plus any additional Section 301 tariff and any antidumping or countervailing duties that apply to that code. Those additional rates change frequently with trade policy, so confirm the current figure for your specific code with CBP or a customs broker rather than relying on a published estimate.

What is the UFLPA and does it apply to me?

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act bars goods linked to forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. CBP presumes covered goods are inadmissible, and you must prove otherwise with supply-chain documentation. It applies to any importer whose product or its inputs may trace to the region — a real risk for cotton, electronics, and solar components.

Who is responsible if my customs broker files the wrong information?

You are. The importer of record bears the legal duty of reasonable care for the accuracy of every entry, even when a broker prepares it. Choose a broker carefully, review what they file, and keep your own records.

Importing from China rewards preparation and punishes guesswork. Reidel Law Firm advises importers on classification, tariff exposure, UFLPA supply-chain documentation, and reasonable-care programs on flat-fee terms. Get an import compliance memo.