Guides · Importing
Importing power tools from China, without the container of mistakes
Most first orders do not fail on price. They fail on a plug type nobody checked, a battery platform that does not match the rest of the range, or a conformity certificate that had to be applied for before production rather than after. This guide walks the process in the order it actually happens.
The whole process at a glance
Seven stages, and the two in the middle are the ones importers skip when they are in a hurry. Skipping either is what turns a good price into dead stock.
| Stage | What happens | Who drives it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Specification | Voltage, plug type, battery platform, packaging, brand | You |
| 2. Quotation | Unit price, MOQ, packing, lead time, trade terms in writing | Supplier |
| 3. Sample | One unit, or a mixed sample shipment across categories | Both |
| 4. Pre-production approval | For private label: a branded unit and carton approved in writing | Both |
| 5. Production and inspection | Bulk run, then function, voltage, accessory and carton checks | Supplier |
| 6. Conformity | Destination scheme runs in parallel with production, not after it | Depends on the country |
| 7. Loading and documents | FOB loading, invoice, packing list, certificate of origin | Supplier |
1. Decide the specification before you ask for a price
A power tool price is only meaningful next to four things: the voltage, the plug type, the battery platform and the packaging. Ask for a price before you have decided those and the number you get back will be for whichever domestic Chinese variant the factory had on the shelf that week.
The four decisions that change everything
- Voltage and plug type. Not one specification covers a region — see the country table below.
- Battery platform. If you already sell a system, choose a tool that matches it, or you have created a second spare-parts line for yourself.
- Corded or cordless. Cordless carries a battery and charger margin but is only worth selling where the mains is unreliable. In construction-supply channels both sell; in agricultural channels cordless wins on portability.
- Retail packaging. A colour box, a blister or a plain export carton. This affects carton size, which affects freight, which affects your landed cost more than the unit price does.
What the grid looks like in the markets we ship to
| Market | Voltage and frequency | Plug type |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 230 V, 50 Hz | Type D and Type G |
| Kenya | 240 V, 50 Hz | Type G |
| Egypt | 220 V, 50 Hz | Type C and Type F |
| Saudi Arabia | 230 V, 60 Hz | Type G |
| United Arab Emirates | 220–240 V, 50 Hz | Type G |
| Iraq | 230 V, 50 Hz | Type C, D and G all in use |
Saudi Arabia is the one that catches people out: the voltage is close to the African markets but the frequency is 60 Hz, not 50 Hz. Motors, chargers and any tool with a speed that depends on mains frequency need to be specified for it. A 50 Hz-only unit is not simply "close enough".
2. Ask for the quotation in writing, with the packing
A quotation you can forward internally has six parts on it:
- Unit price against a stated quantity
- Minimum order quantity, and whether it differs for private label
- Packing: units per carton, carton dimensions and gross weight
- Lead time from deposit
- Certification status, and what is not included
- Trade terms — FOB port, and what happens beyond it
Carton dimensions are not a detail. They are the input to your freight calculation. Two suppliers can quote the same unit price and give you a landed cost twenty per cent apart, purely because one packs 10 units to a carton and the other packs 6. Ask for the packing figures before you compare prices, not after.
3. Order a sample, and judge the sample — not the photo
Samples start from one unit with us, and a mixed sample shipment across several categories is normal. That matters because the failure you are protecting against is not "is the tool good" — it is "is this the tool I described".
What to check when a sample arrives:
- Does the plug actually match, physically, the socket in your market?
- Does the rating plate state the voltage you ordered?
- Does it run at your voltage without a converter, and does the speed hold under load?
- Is the accessory set complete against the packing list?
- Do the battery and charger fit the platform you already sell?
- Is the carton artwork and the barcode what you specified?
A sample that passes all six is worth more than a second week of price negotiation.
4. Approve the private-label unit before bulk runs
If your brand is going on the tool, the approval is not a logo file. It is a physical pre-production unit carrying your logo and colour, with photographs of the retail carton, and it is approved in writing before the bulk run starts.
The line between private label and a genuine product change is worth stating plainly, because it is where expectations usually diverge. Private label means your logo and colour on a model we already produce, on the same electrical platform, from 30 units per model. Changing the tool itself — a different chuck, a different voltage platform, a different accessory set, a different housing moulding — is a development project that needs tooling, and tooling is quoted per project at a much higher volume.
We will not put your logo on somebody else's trademark. If the artwork you send is not yours, we stop there. Counterfeit or lookalike branding is not a service we offer at any quantity, and a shipment stopped for it costs far more than the order was worth.
5. Inspect before loading, not on arrival
By the time a container reaches Lagos, Mombasa or Umm Qasr, a defect is your problem and no longer the supplier's. Inspection before loading is the only point in the process where the goods and the money are both still on the supplier's side of the table.
| Check | What we do | Evidence you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Function test | Every unit powered on and run under load; speed, switch and trigger checked | Video of the test run, plus the number of units tested |
| Voltage and plug | Rating plate read against the order; plug type matched to your market | Photograph of the rating plate and the plug |
| Accessory count | Discs, bits, blades, nozzles, keys, guards, cases and manuals counted against the packing list | Photograph of the laid-out accessory set |
| Cosmetics | Housing, label and silkscreen checked for scratches, misprints and colour drift | Photographs with defects documented |
| Carton and packing | Retail carton artwork, barcode, quantity per carton and carton dimensions verified | Photograph of the carton and the confirmed dimensions |
| Quantity | Full carton count against the order | Signed packing list matching the invoice |
You are welcome to appoint your own inspector — SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or an agent of your own — and we will accommodate the visit and the sampling. The full checklist is here.
6. Start the conformity process before production, not after
CE is our standard, and it is a self-declaration against European directives. It is useful as a baseline and it is not the same thing as permission to import into your country. Every market in this region runs its own scheme, and the single most important thing to know is when each one has to start.
| Market | Scheme | Who acts, and when |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | SONCAP | Applied for by the importer or their clearing agent in Nigeria. Runs on the Nigerian side, in parallel with production. |
| Kenya | PVoC, through a KEBS-appointed agency | Inspection happens in the country of export before shipment — so this one sits on our side, and it has to be scheduled, not assumed. |
| Egypt | GOEIC factory registration | A factory-side action. It has to be settled before quotation, because it determines which factory can supply the order at all. |
| Saudi Arabia | SABER | Two certificates: a product-level one, then a shipment certificate per consignment. |
| United Arab Emirates | ECAS, under ESMA | Product registration and marking before the goods can clear. |
| Iraq | COC issued by an appointed inspection agency | Inspection takes place at origin, before loading. |
Two conclusions follow. First: the cost of conformity belongs in the quotation, not in a surprise after the goods arrive. Second: for Kenya and Iraq the inspection is an origin-side event that has to be booked into the production schedule — a shipment that is ready before the inspection is scheduled is not a shipment that is ready.
We do not pre-pay for certificates you have not asked for. If your market requires one, tell us at the enquiry stage and we will confirm what it costs and what it adds to the lead time, in writing, before you commit.
7. Freight: FOB, then consolidate
We quote and ship FOB Shenzhen, Ningbo or Yiwu. That is a deliberate choice rather than a limitation we are hiding: on FOB terms you own the freight contract, you see the real freight cost, and your name is on the bill of lading. If you need CIF or door delivery we will introduce you to forwarders we work with — you contract with them directly.
For a first order, most importers start with less than a container load. Once volume is roughly ten cubic metres or more, a 20-foot container usually beats LCL on total cost and on transit time, and the goods travel without being re-handled.
If you buy from more than one supplier, tools can be consolidated: goods from another supplier are received at the warehouse, checked against their packing list, and loaded into one container with one set of shipping documents. How consolidation works.
The five mistakes that cost a container
- Ordering a domestic Chinese specification. Correct for China, wrong for your socket.
- Choosing a battery platform that does not match your existing range. You have bought a spare-parts obligation, not a product line.
- Discovering the conformity scheme after production. For Kenya, Iraq and Egypt this can cost the whole shipment window.
- Comparing unit prices without comparing packing. The carton is what you actually pay freight on.
- Skipping pre-shipment inspection on the first order. It is the only stage where the risk is still on the other side.
Where to go next
If you are choosing a market, start with the regional pages: Africa and the Middle East, then the country page that matches your port. If you already know what you want to buy, the product range lists what we source category by category.
Questions we get before a first order
What is the minimum order for a first order?
One unit for samples. Private label starts at 30 units per model, which covers your logo and colour on a model we already produce. A genuine product change is a development project and is quoted per project.
Can I mix categories in one container?
Yes, and most first orders do. A mixed sample shipment across several categories is normal, and for bulk you can combine any of the categories we supply into one container.
Do you publish prices?
No. A published price list goes stale and ends up in the hands of people comparing you against your own customer. Prices are quoted per enquiry, in writing, with a stated validity period.
How long does the whole process take?
Samples ship in 3-7 days. Bulk production is 25-35 days after deposit, and 30-40 days for a private-label run once artwork is approved. Conformity inspection, where it applies at origin, is scheduled into that window.
Send us your list and your destination port
Models, quantities and the destination port is enough to start. You get a written quotation with unit prices, MOQ, packing, lead time and trade terms — usually within one business day.