E-commerce relies on bringing many products from all over the world and then marketing and selling them until reaching the target customers. China is one of the most important countries from which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia imports many different products, and it is one of the largest global manufacturing centers of our time.
The movement of goods from China to Saudi Arabia goes through multiple stages, requiring extensive documentation and international commitments to regulate trade between the two countries. What are these procedures? How to ship goods from China to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? That’s what we take you on a journey in this article.
About shipping between China and Saudi Arabia
The transportation between the two countries is either by sea, which is the most popular and followed method in the relationship between the two countries, or by air, which is the more costly method and is less used in the transportation of goods between the two countries. As far as China is concerned, in order to facilitate cargo business, China has many airports and ports all over the country, including Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing.
As for Saudi Arabia, the most famous destinations are Jeddah, Riyadh and Medina. But what is Saudi Arabia’s most famous import from China?
Saudi Arabia imports most of its goods from China
Saudi Arabia imports many major products from China, the latter is one of the largest suppliers of Saudi Arabia, with a batch of goods exported from China worth US$22 billion in 2018, the most important of which are as follows:
- Electrical and electronic equipment.
- Nuclear machinery and reactors.
- Ships, dinghies and many other floating installations.
- furniture.
- Textile clothing interior.
- steel products.
- Foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains.
- car.
There is also a list of goods that are prohibited from being imported from China, and Saudi Arabia generally blocks shipments to the country from any country in the world, these prohibitions are:
- arms.
- Alcohols.
- Pork and its derivative products.
- pornography.
- Used and recycled tires.
- used clothes.
- Car produced more than 5 years ago.
- Used police cars.
- taxi.
There are also some other goods that require special permission to enter the country, such as agricultural seeds, religious books and live animals.
Now we have to know what are the requirements that anyone in Saudi Arabia must have in order to request and benefit from certain shipments from China, or even sell them through e-commerce.
Import Requirements for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Now we are talking about the legal documents and obligations that must be provided when importing from Saudi Arabia, as follows:
Importers must have a valid commercial import register, and this register must correspond to their import activities, which means that the commercial registration corresponds to the goods they actually import.
- The original invoice is in triplicate and must be certified by the trade authority of the exporting country.
- The invoice must show some basic information about the goods, such as the type, value, weight and trademark of the goods, and must also include proof of insurance for the insured goods.
- A certificate containing the ship’s specifications, such as name, nationality, owner, and all ports passed through on its way to Saudi Arabia.
- Saudi Certificate of Conformity, which is a certificate of assurance that the goods conform to Saudi and international standards.
- The certificate of origin of the goods must be certified by the competent chamber of commerce of the exporting country.
- A non-removable label affixed to imported goods showing the country of origin.
- Certain products, such as edible items, must have an expiration date.
- In addition, the import of certain goods must be approved by some government departments and relevant ministries.
But if you are a Saudi shipping company and you are going to import some goods from China, and after you have provided all these documents and legal documents, what are the practical steps to start shipping from China to Saudi Arabia?
How to ship goods from China to Saudi Arabia
Once you have completed all the required legal obligations we mentioned above, it means you have the legal permission to import. With this, you can apply to the Chinese company and then follow the company’s regulations for financial procedures. After completing all these procedures, you will be able to instruct the Chinese exporter to send your goods to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Now imagine that you have an agreement with a Chinese company to ship the goods to Saudi Arabia, what are the shipping steps?
Steps to ship goods from China to Saudi Arabia
The transportation of goods from China to Saudi Arabia needs to go through several specific steps, and no link can be ignored or ignored in order to ensure the safe completion of the transportation process.
These steps are:
- PackageProducts and goods are packed in standard packaging suitable for export or as per Buyer’s requirements.
- deliver goods: After each batch of goods is packaged, the goods are delivered to the authorized freight forwarder, and then the goods are transferred to the port of transportation.
- deliver goods: After the goods are delivered and arrive at the port, they are delivered and stored in the warehouse, and then wait for the ship to deliver them to Saudi Arabia.
- Free Storage: After the goods are settled in the port warehouse, the free shipping period is 30 days, and then the goods are loaded on the ship, which marks the goods are sent from China to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- customs clearanceAt the port, customs officials inspect the shipment and check all documents accompanying the shipment.
- payload insuranceThis step is the actual insurance against any risks the cargo may face.
- Cargo Control: Goods are monitored by competent authorities to prevent theft, mishandling and misuse as goods are stored in secure locations that are closely monitored.
- Unloading and distributionAfter the cargo is completed and loaded onto the vessel bound for Saudi Arabia, the cargo is placed at the designated location.
Now, as you may have noticed, we specifically talked about shipping a ship from China to Saudi Arabia by sea, so is it possible to ship cargo via the airport, or is the airport the only way?
The time limit and method of cargo transportation from China to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
In fact, there are 3 ways to ship goods from China to Saudi Arabia, the following are their detailed differences:
1. Shipping by sea
The most common way to ship goods from China to Saudi Arabia, and this way is cheaper than air freight. As for the delivery time, it depends on many factors, such as: the speed of the ship, the type of cargo transportation, and the customs clearance of all discharge ports and destinations. It can be said that it takes 20-40 days on average.
2. Air freight
It takes a little time compared to sea freight, but more expensive and efficient in case of low shipments or perishable goods, while air freight only takes a few days.
3. Fast Shipping
This rate applies if the shipment weighs 35kg or less. After the goods arrive, no matter how they arrive in Saudi Arabia, they must comply with some regulations and customs fees in Saudi Arabia, so the goods can enter the country.
Saudi Arabia’s Most Important Regulations and Tariffs
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enforces a strict customs regime for goods arriving from anywhere in the world. One of the most important is the customs regulations:
- The importer must be in Saudi Arabia when the goods are cleared.
- Goods are subject to strict inspection by customs authorities.
- Shipments are subject to locally applicable customs duties (taxes).
- A packing list must be clearly displayed on all containers, showing the goods inside, and adding the name and address of the importer.
- Authorities have the right to confiscate goods that do not indicate their country of origin.
The import of certain goods requires approval from certain government agencies and ministries, and without these official documents, these goods cannot enter the country and expose the importer to financial fines.
As for tariffs, they are as follows:
- Most staple foods and consumer staples such as rice, tea, coffee, sugar, meat and unroasted coffee are not affected by the tariffs.
- With the exception of agricultural products, there is an average fee of 5% on most other commodities.
- To encourage local industry, tariffs of up to 20 percent are imposed on some locally produced goods.
- Finally, you should be aware that certain items are subject to customs duties based on weight and size.
The most important Saudi companies providing shipping services from China
The following are the names of 5 Saudi companies that provide sea freight services to China.
- BASON INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AND LOGISTICS CO.,LTD
- Mohammad Masood Al Khalidi Foundation.
- Topanabu Trading Group.
- JCB Arabian Company.
- orient trading shipping co., ltd.
Now, with all the details and official documents that have to be provided, you can have a clear picture of the complete shipping journey from China to Saudi Arabia.