How to Import Sanitary Ware from China: Complete Guide for 2026

We talk to importers every day, and the same questions come up again and again. How do I find a supplier I can trust? What should the quotation include? Do I need a certificate for CE or RoHS, and who issues it? How much should I order the first time?

This guide answers those questions from the factory side. We manufacture hand dryers, sensor faucets, soap dispensers and other bathroom equipment in Hangzhou, and we have shipped to distributors across Europe, the Middle East and South America. The advice below reflects what actually works, not what looks good in a brochure.

Step 1: Define your product and your market requirements first

Before you contact a single factory, write down three things.

First, the exact product. “Hand dryer” is not a specification. What is the dry time? What power supply does your market use, 220-240V or 110-120V? Do you need a specific color or finish? What IP rating does the installation site require?

Second, the compliance requirements of your target country. A buyer selling into the EU needs CE marking and usually RoHS documentation. The UK has its own UKCA marking now. Middle Eastern markets often ask for SASO or G-Mark depending on the country. South American importers frequently need a certificate of origin for tariff purposes. Write these down before you start, because they affect which factory can serve you.

Third, your realistic volume. You do not need exact numbers, but you need a ballpark. A factory treats a buyer with a 2,000-unit first order very differently from someone testing with 50 units.

Step 2: Find factories, not just traders

This is the step where most first-time importers make their biggest mistake. Many companies in the export trade are trading companies, not manufacturers. A trading company can still deliver decent goods, but you pay a margin, you lose control over quality, and the factory that actually makes your product is hidden from you.

How to tell the difference:

Ask for the factory address and check it. A manufacturer will give you a plant address. A trader will give you an office address.
Ask for photos or a video walkthrough of the production line. Any real factory can provide this within a day.
Ask which certifications are held in the factory’s name. A manufacturer holds CE and ISO certificates in its own company name. A trader will show you someone else’s.
Check if the company appears on B2B platforms with a verified factory badge, and cross-check the company name against business registries.

If you plan to order substantial volumes, a factory visit is worth the trip. You learn more in one afternoon on the production floor than in a month of emails.

Step 3: Get a proper quotation

A useful quotation tells you more than the unit price. When you request a quote, ask for this list explicitly:

Unit price with the exact specification it covers
Whether the price is FOB, CIF or EXW, and the port
Carton dimensions, gross weight, and units per carton (this determines your freight cost)
MOQ (minimum order quantity), and whether a trial order below MOQ is possible
Payment terms (see step 5)
Lead time for production
Which certifications are included and which cost extra
Sample cost, and whether it is refundable against the first order

A factory that answers all of these clearly is organized. One that gives you a single price with no breakdown is either a trader or someone who will hit you with add-ons later.

Step 4: Test before you commit

Never skip the sample stage. Order at least one sample of each model you plan to buy, and test it the way your end customer will use it.

Run the hand dryer 200 times and watch for the motor heating up, the sensor losing sensitivity, or the noise getting worse. Leave the faucet on a test bench for a week. Check the soap dispenser pump for dripping. This is your cheapest quality control, and it costs almost nothing compared to discovering a problem after a container arrives.

When you test, also verify the markings on the product. The CE mark, model number and rating plate should match the documentation. Mismatches here cause customs delays.

Step 5: Payment terms that protect both sides

Standard practice in this industry is 30% deposit and 70% balance before shipment, with payment by T/T. For new relationships, some factories accept this, and some ask for different terms. A few things to know:

A 100% payment upfront is a red flag with an unknown supplier.
Letter of credit is common for large orders, especially with Middle Eastern buyers.
For small trial orders, payment platforms and PayPal are sometimes offered, but you usually pay a fee and a worse exchange rate.
The deposit is normally non-refundable once production starts, so make sure the order specification is confirmed in writing before you transfer it.

Get the order confirmation document in writing with the full specification, unit price, quantity, and delivery date. A professional factory sends this automatically. If they are vague, push for it.

Step 6: Plan shipping and documentation

Most sanitary ware ships as sea freight. For a 20-foot container you typically fit roughly 1,500 to 2,500 hand dryers depending on model and carton size. A 40-foot container roughly doubles that.

The documents you will need for customs clearance at destination usually include:

Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of lading
Certificate of origin (ask your supplier, they normally arrange it)
Test reports or certificates relevant to your market (CE, RoHS, etc.)
Insurance certificate if you buy coverage

Give your forwarder the documents a week before the vessel arrives, not the day before. Late documentation is the most common cause of demurrage charges, and those bills are painful.

Step 7: Start small, scale up

For your first order, resist the temptation to order a full container of one model. A better approach for most importers:

Order samples of 2-4 models and test them.
Place a trial order of 200-500 units of the model that performed best.
Sell through that stock, gather feedback, then place the volume order.

This sequence costs a little more in freight per unit, but it protects you from the two failures that kill first-time importers: buying the wrong product in bulk, or buying from the wrong supplier in bulk.

Common mistakes we see buyers make

Choosing the cheapest quote without checking what it excludes. The lowest price usually lacks something: certification, packaging quality, or after-sales support.
Assuming all CE marks are equal. CE is a self-declaration in the EU, which means the certificate is only as good as the factory’s testing. Ask for the test report behind the certificate.
Forgetting voltage. A dryer built for 220V will not run on 110V without modification. Confirm your market’s voltage before production starts.
Ignoring the rating plate language. Some markets require labels in the local language. This is a detail, but it is a detail that holds up customs clearance.

Questions importers should ask us

If you are at the stage of shortlisting suppliers, here are the questions we would encourage you to ask any factory, including ours:

Are you the manufacturer or a trading company?
Can we visit the factory or take a video tour of the production line?
What are your MOQ and sample policy?
Do you hold CE, RoHS and ISO9001 in your own name?
What is your typical lead time for a 1,000-unit order?
What after-sales support do you offer for defective units?

We answer all six directly, and we can send you our factory certification documents along with the first quotation. If you want to compare us against other suppliers, that is exactly what you should do. We have been in this business since 2015, our export team handles every step from sample to shipment, and we are happy to walk a first-time importer through the process. Start with a quote request and tell us your market, your target volume and the certification you need, and we will come back with a full breakdown.