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 register?

Accepted Answer

No. The quote form takes a few minutes and asks only for what a forwarder needs in order to price the shipment, plus a way to reach you with the answer.

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

How many forwarders see my enquiry?

Accepted Answer

At most four, and only those whose profile matches the route and mode. We deliberately avoid sending it to a dozen companies: at that point the only thing that wins is price, and preparing a quote stops being worth a forwarder's time. Fewer, better-matched offers beat a bidding war.

Question 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

How many forwarders receive one enquiry?

Accepted Answer

At most four, and only those matching the route and mode. We deliberately do not broadcast to a dozen companies: at that point price is the only variable and preparing a quote stops paying off. We would rather every enquiry you receive has a real chance of converting.

Question 21

What is the Founding Partners programme?

Accepted Answer

The first ten companies specialising in the China–Poland lane get ninety days with no subscription and no access fee. Afterwards we show you your own numbers — enquiries received, quotes prepared, shipments won — and only then discuss terms. We run it this way because we do not yet have historical conversion data, and we are not going to invent any.

Question 22

How is the commission settled?

Accepted Answer

On shipments actually performed with a client introduced through us, invoiced monthly. There is no charge for receiving enquiries and no subscription for being listed — if you do not win the business, you pay nothing. The rate and the attribution window are set in the partnership agreement.

Frequently asked questions

General

Quotes and costs

Freight

Customs and documents

Trust and safety

For forwarders

Still unsure?