Instrument
T/T against proforma
A proforma invoice from our licensed export partner, settled by T/T bank transfer. This is the ordinary instrument of export trade, not a workaround.
Trade terms
How a wholesale order ships and gets paid, in plain language
No hidden terms and no surprises at the invoice. Below is exactly how we quote, how you pay, what the minimums are, and how long the leaf takes to reach you — the same terms we would want to read before placing a first order abroad.
Incoterms
Who does what, and where the risk passes
We quote on standard Incoterms through a licensed Chinese export partner. The term you choose decides how much of the journey we arrange and where responsibility passes to you.
- Ex works
EXW - You collect from the warehouse in China and arrange everything onward. Lowest quoted price, most work on your side — best for buyers with their own China forwarder.
- Free on board
FOB - We deliver, clear for export, and load at a Chinese port; your freight and insurance from there. The common choice for importers with a freight contract.
- Cost, insurance & freight
CIF - We add sea freight and insurance to the destination port; import clearance and delivery stay with you. Simplest for a first shipment.
- Delivered at place
DAP - For Russia and the EAEU only, via white-channel carriers — delivered to your address, import duties and clearance on you.
- Not offered
DDP EU/US - Delivered duty paid to the EU or US requires an importer of record on the ground, which we are not. We will not label a shipment DDP when it is not — that is how goods get stuck at customs.
Payment
Proforma invoice and bank transfer, the export standard
Split
50/50, then 30/70
A first order is 50% to start production and 50% before shipment; repeat orders move to 30/70. Samples are payable online.
Currency
Quoted in CNY
Prices are set at origin in renminbi and converted at the day’s rate. Tier pricing by volume is in the catalogue, sent on enquiry.
What we don’t do
No card, no credit
No card checkout, no NET-30/60, no consignment at this stage. Clear terms beat generous-sounding ones that fall through.
Minimums & formats
The volumes we work in
- Consolidated order
from 100 kg - Named teas from 1–5 kg per SKU, combined into one shipment — the way to start a broad range without a full container per tea.
- Private label
50–100 kg / blend - Your own trademark, produced in 30–60 days, tin design in our studio with a 3D mock-up within two weeks.
- Sample set
8–12 teas - 25–50 g each, credited in full against your first order; free for confirmed large-volume enquiries.
- Consolidation
LCL → FCL - Less-than-container loads for pilots and mixed ranges; full containers once a lane and volume settle.
Lead times & freight
How long, and why freight is quoted by volume
Tea is light and bulky, so carriers charge by volumetric weight, not scale weight. Shipping from origin is slower than an EU warehouse — what you gain is harvest freshness and a traceable lot.
- Sea
28–40 days - To Europe; the default for cost per kilogram on volume.
- Rail
16–25 days - China–Europe rail; a middle ground on speed and cost.
- Air
5–10 days - For samples and urgent top-ups, priced accordingly.
- Production
30–60 days - For private label, before shipping time is added.
Documents
The export pack that travels with every shipment
Import clearance stays on the buyer’s side — these are the papers that let it go smoothly.
Phytosanitary certificate
GACC-issued, confirming the consignment is free of regulated pests.
Health certificate & CoA
Health certificate plus a certificate of analysis; per-lot multi-residue testing against GB 2763 / GB 2762 on request.
Certificate of origin
Country-of-origin proof for your customs and, where relevant, preferential duty.
Invoice, packing list, ISPM-15
Commercial invoice, packing list, and heat-treated pallets marked to the ISPM-15 wood-packaging standard.
Enquiry
Get a quote on your terms
Tell us the teas, the volume, the destination, and the Incoterm you prefer — we reply within one business day with the catalogue and a price for your market.