How to Import Goods from China to Saudi Arabia (Step by Step)
From finding a factory in Guangzhou to delivering stock to Amazon.sa — the complete import process for Saudi e-commerce sellers, explained step by step.
Step 1: Find and vet your supplier
Most Saudi sellers source on Alibaba, 1688 or Global Sources. The platform matters less than the vetting: check Trade Assurance status, years in business, verified badges, and always request the company business licence. A supplier that hesitates to share documentation is a supplier to avoid.
Order a paid sample before any bulk commitment. Test it against Saudi standards — many products need SASO-compliant test reports before they can legally clear customs, and it is far cheaper to discover a problem with one unit than with a container.
- Confirm Trade Assurance and verified-supplier badges
- Request business licence and factory audit reports
- Order and test a paid sample first
- Confirm SASO/IEC test report availability
- Negotiate MOQ, price and lead time in writing
- Use a contract or purchase order for every order
Step 2: Choose your shipping method
The right freight mode depends on your margin, urgency and order size. Many successful sellers air-freight the first batch to start selling quickly, then switch to sea freight once demand is proven.
| Method | Transit time | Cost profile | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air freight | 3–8 days | Highest per kg | Samples, launches, urgent restocks |
| Sea FCL | 25–40 days | Lowest per unit at volume | Large single-supplier orders |
| Sea LCL | 30–45 days | Pay only for space used | Medium orders below a full container |
Step 3: Certification and customs clearance
Regulated products need a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) via the SABER platform, plus a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) for each shipment. Without these, goods cannot clear Saudi customs.
You also need a Saudi commercial registration, a VAT number, correct HS codes and Arabic labelling. Missing paperwork is the number-one cause of clearance delays at Jeddah and Dammam ports.
Step 4: Receive, prep and fulfil locally
Once goods land in KSA they need receiving, quality checks, marketplace-compliant labelling (Amazon FNSKU or Noon SKU) and storage until they are delivered to FBA or FBN. Tejaraa handles this entire local leg from one dashboard — you can even ship directly from your supplier to our warehouse.
Let Tejaraa handle the hard part
Tejaraa sources, receives, quality-checks, labels and stores your products in Saudi Arabia, then delivers to Amazon FBA and Noon FBN — free to join, pay only for what you use.