Question 1

What exactly does ChinaBrokers do?

Accepted Answer

We collect one detailed enquiry from an importer and pass it to a limited set of vetted forwarders who actually run that route and mode. The offers come back broken down into components, so you can put them side by side and see what each price covers. We are not a carrier or a forwarder - we do not move containers and we are not party to the contract of carriage. You sign directly with whichever company you choose.

Question 2

What does it cost me?

Accepted Answer

Nothing. There is no fee for sending an enquiry, no subscription and no charge per offer received. We are paid a commission on the forwarder's side, and nothing is added to the rate they quote you. The price you see is the price they set.

Question 3

Do I have to create an account?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An account is needed to send an enquiry - it is what lets you see the status of your quote and every offer that comes back in one place, rather than scattered across emails. It takes a moment and costs nothing.

Question 4

Do you work with importers outside Poland?

Accepted Answer

Our forwarder network is built around the China–Poland lane, so that is where we are useful. If your delivery address is elsewhere in the EU, write to us before filling in the form - sometimes we can help, sometimes the honest answer is that a local specialist will serve you better.

Question 5

How long until I get offers?

Accepted Answer

We come back within 24 working hours. That is when you receive a comparison, not an acknowledgement, if a forwarder needs something clarified before pricing, we ask you rather than letting the enquiry sit.

Question 6

Why do offers for the same shipment differ so much?

Accepted Answer

Usually because they cover different things. One quotes port to port, another includes terminal handling, customs clearance and delivery. Currencies and free days differ too. This is exactly why we break every offer into components - comparing two bottom-line figures tells you almost nothing.

Question 7

Are the calculators on the site accurate?

Accepted Answer

They show indicative ranges based on market rates, not live quotes, and they say so wherever they appear. Use them to sanity-check an order of magnitude before you order. A binding figure only ever comes from a forwarder pricing your specific shipment.

Question 8

Which mode should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Sea for volume and no hard deadline, rail when six weeks is too long but air is too dear, air when being out of stock costs more than the freight, courier for samples and small urgent batches. If you are unsure, mark it in the form and we will ask the forwarders to price more than one option.

Question 9

What is the difference between FCL and LCL?

Accepted Answer

FCL means you hire a whole container and pay for it regardless of how full it is. LCL means you pay for the space your goods occupy and share the container with other cargo. The break-even sits around 13–15 CBM - below that groupage usually wins, above it a full container usually does.

Question 10

Can you collect the goods from my supplier?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Choose a door-to-door or door-to-port scope in the form and give the supplier's address. Without a precise pickup address a forwarder cannot price the inland leg in China, which is why the form asks for it only when the scope needs it.

Question 11

How much duty and VAT will I pay?

Accepted Answer

Duty depends on the HS classification of the goods and commonly falls between 0% and 12%, though some categories carry anti-dumping duties that run far higher. Import VAT in Poland is 23% for most goods, charged on the customs value plus duty, and generally deductible for a VAT-registered business. Our duty calculator gives an indication; the binding answer comes from the tariff.

Question 12

Do I need an EORI number?

Accepted Answer

Yes, to clear goods as the importer. It is free and the Polish application usually takes a few days. Arrange it before the goods arrive rather than while they accrue storage at the terminal.

Question 13

What documents does the supplier have to provide?

Accepted Answer

A commercial invoice, a packing list and the transport document as a minimum, plus proof of origin where a preferential rate applies. Inconsistencies between these, a weight on the packing list that contradicts the bill of lading, for instance - are the most common reason a shipment is held.

Question 14

Is DDP a good idea?

Accepted Answer

It looks convenient and is often not. If the seller clears the goods as the declared importer, the import VAT was not paid by you and there is nothing on your side to deduct. Before accepting DDP, check who appears on the customs declaration.

Question 15

How do you vet forwarders?

Accepted Answer

Registered business with an active VAT number, current freight forwarder liability insurance, documented experience on the China–Poland lane of at least two years, and offers itemised rather than bundled. We also act on what importers tell us afterwards: repeated complaints about charges appearing after the fact end the partnership.

Question 16

What happens to my data?

Accepted Answer

The enquiry goes to the matched forwarders so they can price it and contact you - at that point each of them becomes a separate data controller under their own privacy policy. We do not sell data and do not pass it on for any other purpose. You can stop the flow at any time by writing to us.

Question 17

Can you check my supplier before I pay?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Verification ranges from a registration and licence check to an on-site factory audit and pre-shipment inspection. The cheapest level catches the failures that lose you an entire deposit, and it is worth doing before the first order with anyone new.

Question 18

How do I become a partner?

Accepted Answer

Send the form on the partner page with your company details and the scope of services you cover. We verify legal status, experience on the China route and liability insurance, then have a short conversation about the kind of enquiries you want. The whole process usually takes a few working days.

Question 19

How are the terms of settlement agreed?

Accepted Answer

The terms of cooperation, settlement included, are agreed individually and written into the partnership agreement - they depend on the scope of your services and the scale you work at. We go through them in the call that precedes joining the base, before you take on any commitment. The application itself carries no fee.

Frequently asked questions

General

Quotes and costs

Freight

Customs and documents

Trust and safety

For forwarders

Still unsure?