Importing Retail Store Fixtures from China: Documents, Duties and DDP Explained
Importing retail store fixtures from China rarely goes wrong in the factory. It goes wrong in the gap between a factory quote and a shop that is ready to open — freight, clearance, classification, compliance and the cost of a document error. This page explains who is responsible at each step, and which questions to settle before production begins.
Start with the price you were actually quoted
Most overseas factory quotes are ex-works or FOB. Both are honest numbers, and neither is the cost of getting fixtures into your building.
EXW (Ex Works). The price covers the goods, packed, at the factory. Everything after that — inland haulage, export clearance, ocean or air freight, insurance, import clearance, duties, delivery — is yours to arrange and pay for.
FOB (Free On Board). The price covers the goods loaded onto the vessel. Ocean freight, insurance, import clearance, duties and final delivery are yours.
CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight). The price covers freight and marine insurance to your port. Import clearance, duties, port charges and onward delivery are still yours.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid). The price covers delivery to a named destination with import duties paid. This is the only one of the four that answers the question "what will this cost me to get installed?"
The distinction matters more than it looks. Between FOB and DDP sit customs brokerage, port handling, storage, and duties — and those items are frequently larger than the price difference between two competing factories. Comparing an FOB quote with a DDP quote on unit price alone is comparing two different products.
What DDP changes on a fixture project
On a store fit-out, DDP moves the least predictable part of the cost off your balance sheet and into the supplier's scope. That has three practical consequences:
The number you approve is the number you pay. No clearance invoice arriving three weeks later, after the fixtures have already been installed.
The supplier carries the consequence of a document error. If the commercial invoice is wrong, the classification is wrong, or a certificate is missing, the delay and the storage cost land on the party who declared the goods.
It requires the supplier to know your market. DDP is only credible from a supplier who has shipped there before. Ask which destinations they clear regularly, and ask for the scope in writing — line by line, destination by destination.
If a quote says "DDP" and cannot tell you what happens if the shipment is held at port, it is a price, not a service.
The documents an import actually needs
The exact list depends on the destination and the goods, but a fixture shipment normally travels with:
Commercial invoice — the declared value and description of the goods, which drives the duty calculation.
Packing list — carton count, dimensions, weights and contents, used at inspection and at delivery.
Bill of lading or air waybill — the transport contract and the document of title.
Certificate of origin — may affect the duty rate under an applicable trade arrangement.
Product compliance documentation — the test certificates relevant to the destination market.
Any destination-specific declaration required for the goods or the buyer.
Two habits prevent most problems here. First, keep the invoice description specific enough that a customs officer can classify it — "furniture" invites a query; "glass display counter, tempered glass, LED lit, wooden carcass" does not. Second, keep declared value accurate. Under-declaring to reduce duty is the single fastest way to turn a routine clearance into a seizure.
Classification and duties: confirm the number, do not assume it
Duty is calculated from the HS classification of the goods and the rate that applies to that classification for your destination. Both the classification and the rate can change, and the rate that matters is the one in force on the date of import — not the one quoted when the project started.
So the responsible question is not "what is the duty on store fixtures" — it is:
Which HS code will the shipment be declared under?
What rate applies to that code for my destination, on my import date?
Does a trade arrangement or certificate of origin change it?
Is the duty borne by the seller (DDP) or by me (FOB, CIF, EXW)?
Ask for the classification in writing before you approve the order. A supplier who ships internationally can normally tell you the code they use. Confirm the resulting duty with your own customs broker — that is what the broker is for, and it is the only answer that will hold.
Compliance is decided at material selection, not at the port
Fire performance and electrical safety requirements differ between markets, and they are properties of the materials and components you choose — not something that can be added later.
This is why the destination market belongs at the top of the brief. A fixture specification acceptable in one country can be non-compliant in another, and the failure surfaces at the point where it is most expensive to fix: after the goods are built, shipped and paid for. Relevant documentation patterns include CE marking, ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 quality and environmental certification, EN 13501-1 reaction-to-fire classification for the materials used, and RoHS for restricted substances in electrical components. Which of these your project needs depends on your market and your specification — but they are selected at design stage, not at the port.
Packing, inspection and the last mile
Fixtures are awkward cargo: glass, long metal sections, sharp corners and finished surfaces. Three things are worth writing into the order:
Export-grade packing specified by name, not left to chance. Crating and protective wrapping are part of the product, not a favour.
A pre-shipment inspection point, where you or a third party confirm dimensions and finish before the crates are sealed. Opening crates at destination to discover a 3 mm error is far more expensive than catching it in the factory.
A named delivery point and access assumptions. Delivered to your port, your warehouse, your shop, or curbside? Whether the truck needs a liftgate, and whether anyone on site can receive a pallet, are practical questions that decide whether the delivery day works.
Five failure points that cost the most
Comparing unit price across different Incoterms. Normalise every quote to landed cost at your door before comparing.
Assuming the duty rate. Confirm the HS code and the rate in force for your import date.
Leaving compliance to the end. Fire and electrical requirements are material decisions.
No inspection before crating. Corrections are cheapest at the factory.
No named interface for the base build. If the contract does not say where the fixture supplier's scope ends and the local contractor's begins, the argument happens on site.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the customs duty on an import?
It depends on the agreed Incoterm. Under DDP the seller pays it; under EXW, FOB and CIF the buyer does. The duty is levied on the importer of record, so the term you agree decides who funds it.
Can I get a price that includes everything?
Yes — that is what DDP is. Ask for it by name, and ask for the scope in writing, destination by destination.
How long does an import take?
Production lead time and shipping time are separate. Fixture production typically runs four to eight weeks, with ocean freight and clearance adding their own transit and processing time on top. The date that matters is the one the fixtures are needed on site, so work backwards from it rather than forward from the order.
What if the shipment is held at customs?
The party that declared the goods handles the query. Under DDP that is the supplier; under FOB or CIF it is you and your broker. Ask the question before ordering, not after.
Do I need a customs broker?
On most commercial imports, yes — and the broker's classification advice is the answer you should rely on for the duty rate, not the factory's estimate.
Where to go next
Importing fixtures is a coordination problem before it is a manufacturing one. Fix the Incoterm, the classification, the compliance list and the delivery point in writing — then compare prices.
Get a quote in 24 hours. Send your floor plan, product list or a sketch to marketing@lux.com.hk, or message us on WhatsApp at +86 177 3517 3885. Tell us four things and the quotation comes back faster: the product and quantity, your store size or drawing, your country and city, and your opening date. Free 3D design, fixed price, DDP delivery.
Lux Design & Construction manufactures showcases, counters, wall units and complete store furniture in its own facility, and ships internationally. Our group includes LUX DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION LIMITED (Hong Kong, 2006), which handles overseas contract signing and international settlement, and we deliver on a DDP basis with duties paid to the door. Certifications include CE, ISO 9001, ISO 14000, EN 13501-1 Class C and RoHS. If you would like to discuss an import project, get in touch with our team.
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