Wait to combine China orders? Work out the break-even
Combining orders saves freight and per-shipment charges, not duty or import VAT, so wait only while the saving exceeds the weekly cost of waiting and the goods still arrive before stock runs out. Set a latest release date from your stock-out date and ship the ready order if the other factory has not shown dated evidence by then.
What combining saves, and what it leaves alone
Duty and import VAT are charged on the customs value, so putting two orders in one shipment reduces neither. The saving is on freight and on charges that apply once per shipment, such as collection, documentation and clearance handling. Ask your forwarder to mark each charge as per shipment, per cubic metre or per kilo before you compare the two plans.
Waiting can also raise the customs value. HMRC counts inland transport and associated costs in the country of export, and transport surcharges such as peak season, bunker and currency adjustment, in the value. A sailing that slips into a surcharge period therefore raises the value on which duty and VAT are charged, so ask the forwarder to quote the later sailing with its surcharges, not today's rates.
The break-even sum, with an illustrative example
Write down five numbers: the freight and shipment charges if you send each order separately, the same if combined, the weekly cost of holding the ready goods (storage, extra handling, tied-up money), the weekly margin you lose once stock has run out, and the week stock runs out. The saving divided by the weekly holding cost is how many weeks of waiting it pays for. After stock-out, every week costs the holding cost plus the lost margin.
Illustrative example, not a quote: separate shipments cost £1,900 and £2,600, £4,500 in all; combined they cost £3,700, a saving of £800. Holding the ready goods costs £40 a week, stock runs out in week 3, and each week without stock loses £350 of margin. If the other order is ready in week 5, waiting costs 5 × £40 = £200 plus 2 × £350 = £700, so £900 against a saving of £800. If it is ready in week 3, waiting costs £120 and the saving holds.
Duty and VAT do not change with the plan. On goods with a customs value of £10,000 at an illustrative 4% duty rate, duty is £400 and import VAT at 20% on £10,400 is £2,080, in one load or two. Your real rate comes from the commodity code; see the import duty calculator.
| Item | Ship the ready order now | Wait and combine |
|---|---|---|
| Freight and per-shipment charges | £4,500 (two shipments) | £3,700 (one shipment) |
| Holding the ready goods | £0 | £40 a week |
| Margin lost per week after stock runs out (from week 3) | £0 if the goods arrive in time | £350 a week |
| Total if the other order is ready in week 5 | £4,500 | £4,600 (£3,700 + £200 + £700) |
Turn your stock-out date into a latest release date
Work backwards from the day usable stock runs out: subtract the transit time on the quoted sailing, then clearance and receiving into your warehouse, then a buffer you choose. The result is the latest day the ready goods can leave the factory. Count only usable stock, after reservations and damaged units. If the other order cannot be released before that day, the sum has already answered the question.
Ask the forwarder and your customs agent how long clearance and delivery normally take on this route rather than assuming, and whether a combined entry needs separate invoice lines for each supplier.
Ask the other factory for dated proof, not a date
Ask for the production stage reached and the work remaining, with dated photos or video of the packed goods, the inspection result or its date, the packed quantity against the order and the date the goods can be collected. A factory that has said three more days twice has told you something: treat the second slip as the trigger to release, not a reason to extend.
If the cause of the delay is the real problem, see what to do when a Chinese factory delays your order.
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Fix the stop date and the fallback before you start waiting
Write the instruction down: who decides, the latest release date, the evidence required and what happens at the date. The usual choices are to ship the ready order alone, or to send the stock-critical lines ahead and combine the rest. Compare air for the small urgent part with the sea and air freight calculator, and ask the forwarder to keep a separate-dispatch booking available and say what a change costs.
When loads do combine, keep each supplier's invoice, packing list and carton marks separate so the customs entry shows each invoice value and goods can be matched to cartons. See consolidating China orders to an overseas port for how combined loads are built and managing split shipments for the paperwork when you split.
Our staff in China can check the other factory's progress and coordinate release through the consolidation service. Inspection and factory checks are normally included in our quote; anything complex enough to need a third party is charged separately, agreed in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Does combining China orders reduce import duty or VAT?
No. Both are charged on the customs value, which is the same whether goods ship in one load or two. The saving is on freight and per-shipment charges, and waiting can add surcharges that raise the value.
How long should I hold a ready shipment?
Until the saving is used up by holding costs, or until your latest release date, whichever comes first. Work back from the day usable stock runs out, less transit, clearance, receiving and a buffer.
What proves another factory's order will be ready?
Dated photos or video of the packed goods, the inspection result, the packed quantity against the order and a confirmed collection date. A promised finish date alone does not.
Can I send urgent lines ahead and combine the rest?
Often yes. Ask for a quote for the stock-critical part and a revised quote for the remainder, including extra picking, packing and transport, and compare the total with shipping the ready order alone.