Importing from China to the Bahamas: business licence
Start with your business licence: the Bahamas customs registration portal requires a copy for all businesses. Ask your own broker to confirm registration, product requirements and the final entry. For sourcing in China and a quote to your Bahamian port, work with Cambridge China Bridge.
Buying from China for a business? How our UK China sourcing agent service works · China sourcing agent for businesses outside the UK
Start with your business licence
The Bahamas customs registration portal states: “For All Businesses: Copy of Business Licence.” Customs also says that accessing Click2Clear requires online registration. Before committing to a Chinese factory, ask your own Bahamian customs broker to check your business-licence paperwork and confirm the registration arrangements for your shipment.
Send the broker the intended use, materials, model details and proposed packaging. Ask for a written checklist covering any product permits, certification or labelling applicable to your goods. The Mexico guide and Colombia guide explain those destinations separately; keep their registration checklists separate from your Bahamas order.
Agree a quote to your own Bahamian port
Tell us your destination port, product specification, quantity and packing requirements. We can quote to your own Bahamian port. Ask the quotation to identify the delivery term, freight, insurance arrangements and destination charges left for you, including clearance and onward delivery.
Our overseas buying guide explains the wider service. For the purchasing relationship, see buying through a UK company. Agree who invoices you, who receives payment and which documents your broker wants for a UK seller supplying goods dispatched from China.
Prepare the factory document pack before dispatch
We coordinate the commercial invoice and packing list with the Chinese factory. Ask your broker to review draft descriptions, buyer and seller details, currency, quantities and freight information before dispatch. Match carton marks, package counts and weights across the packing list and shipping documents.
We arrange a certificate of origin and obtain relevant factory test reports where agreed for the order. Ask your broker which documents are needed for your particular goods. Check that reports identify the model, materials and construction being supplied. Keep Chinese manufacturing origin visible when preparing paperwork involving a UK seller.
Give your own broker the arrival work
Agree that your own Bahamian customs broker will review classification and valuation, prepare and submit the entry, coordinate any Customs examination and arrange release. Ask the broker to confirm applicable duties, taxes, fees and the final entry for your shipment.
Send the broker the agreed document pack and the carrier's bill of lading or air waybill before arrival. Ask for a separate estimate covering clearance, terminal handling, storage exposure and delivery beyond the port. Keep an identified contact available to answer document queries.
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Check the supplier and inspect before shipment
Our own staff in China check the supplier's identity, production location, equipment and ability to make the specified product. We compare the proposed factory with the quotation and approved sample, and ask which processes are subcontracted. Record any proposed material or component substitution for your approval.
Before shipment, we inspect against the agreed specification and sample, including workmanship, function, dimensions, quantities, packaging and approved label artwork. We report findings and agree corrective work before authorising dispatch. Factory audits and inspections are usually included in the quote; complex checks that need a third party are charged separately and agreed in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a business licence to register with Bahamas Customs?
The customs registration portal lists a copy of the business licence for all businesses. Ask your own Bahamian broker to check your paperwork before you order.
Can a UK sourcing company quote to my Bahamas port?
Yes. Tell us your port, specification, quantity and packing requirements. Agree freight, insurance and destination charges in writing so you can budget for clearance and onward delivery.
Which documents should my Chinese supplier provide?
We coordinate the commercial invoice and packing list, arrange a certificate of origin and obtain relevant test reports where agreed. Your broker confirms the document pack needed for your goods.
Who clears my shipment when it reaches the Bahamas?
Arrange arrival clearance with your own Bahamian customs broker. Agree responsibility for the declaration, document queries, examinations and release. The broker confirms the final entry.
Sources
Buying from China for a business outside the UK? China sourcing agent for businesses outside the UK →