Using a China warehouse before export
Use a China warehouse to hold factory deliveries and combine them before export. Agree who looks after the goods, how receipts are checked, how stock stays identifiable and who can authorise collection. Ask Cambridge China Bridge to coordinate these arrangements with its own staff in China.
Agree custody before factories dispatch
Ask for the warehouse operator’s name, storage address and named contact. Put the receiving, handling, storage and collection arrangements in writing. Specify who investigates missing or damaged goods, who pays for agreed remedial work and how you retrieve stock if the sourcing relationship ends. Ask whether another operator will physically hold your goods.
Agree suitable storage conditions, access for checks, permitted handling and a process for reporting damage. Request insurance details covering your goods at that address, including exclusions and the claims contact. Clarify separately who bears an uninsured loss. Agree storage and handling charges, when they start and how extensions are approved. For destination receiving arrangements, see importing without commercial premises.
Reconcile each delivery on arrival
Send the warehouse your expected delivery list before dispatch: supplier, order reference, product description, variant, batch reference, carton marks and expected quantities. Agree whether receiving checks cover sealed cartons, opened cartons or individual units. A carton count cannot confirm the contents of unopened boxes.
Request a dated receipt recording expected and actual quantities, the counting basis, visible damage, photographs and the person receiving the goods. Record shortages, excess stock and unidentified cartons separately. Keep disputed goods on hold while the supplier and warehouse reconcile the difference. Receipt into storage should not automatically trigger quality acceptance or permission to ship; use the quality inspection guide to agree the separate product checks.
Keep stock identifiable while it is stored
Give each stock line an agreed identifier linked to your order, supplier, product variant and batch. Ask the warehouse to record its location and status: awaiting checks, approved, disputed or allocated for dispatch. Keep similar products and different buyers’ goods distinguishable. Preserve original carton marks or record how replacement labels map back to them.
Ask for a stock statement showing receipts, movements, repacking, dispatches and the remaining balance. Require approval before substitution, mixing batches or disposal. Agree how damage discovered during storage is photographed, reported and isolated. Arrange a recount if the recorded balance and physical stock disagree.
Consolidate against an approved packing plan
Prepare a shipment allocation identifying which stock lines and quantities will leave together and which will stay behind. Decide whether an incomplete factory delivery holds the shipment or travels later. Ask the warehouse to confirm the allocated goods are physically available before freight is booked.
Agree repacking, protection, carton labels and packing-list preparation. Record the link between incoming cartons and outgoing packages so consolidation does not erase batch identity. Recheck package counts, weights and dimensions after repacking, and record the residual stock. Use the container loading check guide for checks at loading.
Authorise release and close the stock record
Name the person authorised to approve warehouse release and the channel used for approval. The release instruction should identify the shipment, approved stock lines, quantities, collection party and any unresolved holds. Ask for a dated handover record with actual quantities, package identifiers, vehicle details, photographs and acknowledgement from the collector. Record container and seal details where applicable, then obtain an updated stock balance.
Keep the approved release instruction, handover record, final packing list, invoice and transport document together. Warehouse release approval records your instruction to hand over stock. HMRC may ask for supporting documents during a UK customs check, so resolve document mismatches before collection and share the final pack with your customs agent. The UK customs documents guide covers that separate preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine orders from different Chinese factories?
Yes, if the warehouse accepts the goods and can keep each supplier’s stock identifiable. Agree delivery references, receiving checks, packing arrangements and what happens when a supplier is late.
Does a warehouse receipt mean my goods passed inspection?
Only if the agreed inspection was performed and recorded. A receipt may confirm sealed carton counts and visible condition. Keep receiving, product inspection and shipping approval separate.
Who is responsible if goods are damaged in storage?
Agree responsibility with the named operator before delivery. Check the storage arrangements, insurance scope, exclusions and claims process, and specify who handles uninsured losses.
What records should I get when stock leaves the warehouse?
Request the approved release instruction, dated handover record, actual package and quantity details, collector acknowledgement, final packing list and updated remaining stock balance.