Importing Commercial Refrigerators from China: A Buyer’s Checklist

How to import commercial refrigerators from China

Start with the destination, use, cabinet specification and order quantity. Verify the supplier and the documents for that exact configuration, compare quotations on the same delivery basis, approve a sample against written checks, and agree the inspection and shipping record before releasing the batch.

Keep one purchasing file throughout the process. A useful file connects the quotation, model and drawing revision, electrical version, artwork, acceptance criteria, packing plan and unresolved questions. This lets purchasing, engineering and the forwarder work from the same agreed scope.

140th Canton Fair: a refrigerator buyer’s meeting checklist

The official 140th Canton Fair schedule lists Phase 1 as October 15–19, 2026, including Household Electrical Appliances. Use the official exhibitor directory to confirm each supplier’s product range, attendance and booth before planning a visit. A category listing alone does not establish that a particular commercial cabinet is on display.

Bring the same RFQ and comparison worksheet to every meeting. Ask permission to photograph the cabinet and its rating label, then attach the images to the exact quoted model. A display sample can have a different door, shelf layout, controller, refrigerant or electrical version from the export configuration you need.

After each meeting, separate what you observed from what the supplier still needs to send. Before selecting a sample, request a written quotation and the missing evidence using the model and revision recorded at the booth. Keep the contact, promised response date and open questions with that quotation.

Define the cabinet before asking for a price

Provide the stored product, target temperature, ambient conditions, door-opening pattern, placement, ventilation limits and power supply. These details help factories quote a suitable system rather than only a similar-looking cabinet. Include bottle, can or food-package dimensions when usable shelf capacity matters.

List external dimensions, door type and handing, glass or solid panels, shelf count and material, lock, casters or feet, controller, lighting, branding, plug, refrigerant, packaging and accessories. Ask suppliers to state every assumption and exclusion. A shared model suffix or similar catalogue image is not enough to confirm the configuration.

Split the requirement into sample, pilot and production quantities. Specify which changes are essential for the first order and which can wait. Ask for the minimum quantity and lead-time trigger for each proposed combination of cabinet, components and artwork; do not assume a standard cabinet and a customised version share the same terms.

Verify the supplier and the model-specific documents

Confirm the legal contracting entity, manufacturing address and relationship between the seller and the production site. Ask who issues the quotation and invoice and who handles technical questions, inspection and warranty claims. Keep the answers in the purchasing file and resolve unexplained changes before the next commercial step.

Request the current specification, drawing, electrical and refrigerant version, applicable market files, proposed temperature-test evidence and inspection format. Check that the model identity and configuration on each file match the offer. A certificate for another product family, a component approval or a logo in a brochure does not by itself establish the status of the complete cabinet.

Agree which documents must be checked before sampling, production and shipment. Have the responsible importer and qualified advisers confirm the requirements for the destination and intended use. Record missing or inapplicable evidence explicitly rather than filling every comparison cell with a check mark.

Compare landed costs on the same delivery basis

Use a cost worksheet, not a fixed percentage added to the factory price. For each offer, record the currency, quantity, quotation date, validity, named delivery place and agreed trade term. Mark which cost lines are included so freight or origin charges are not counted twice.

A practical comparison is the quoted goods and agreed options, plus the costs not already included for inspection, packing, transport, insurance, destination clearance and delivery. Separate one-off tooling, sampling and launch costs from recurring costs per cabinet. Keep unknown charges open until the responsible party supplies a current quote.

Request both packed dimensions and gross weight for the exact packaging revision. Ask the forwarder to compare the proposed model mix and shipment size. A nominal cabinet volume or a generic container count cannot establish the landed cost of your order. Ask the destination adviser to confirm classification and current duties or taxes for the actual product; this checklist does not assign a tariff rate.

Approve the sample against written acceptance checks

Inspect the sample against the agreed specification and drawing: cabinet size, door motion and seal, shelf spacing, package fit, lock, controls, lighting, plug, labels, artwork and accessories. Record deviations before deciding whether the sample is acceptable. Photographs help with visible details, while technical checks need their own evidence.

For temperature evaluation, agree the ambient conditions, loading, door-opening pattern, sensor positions, test duration and acceptance criteria in advance. A controller display or an empty-cabinet photograph cannot demonstrate how the loaded cabinet performs in the planned location.

Keep visual and technical approvals separate. The production release should identify the approved drawing and artwork revisions, electrical and refrigerant configuration, inspection scope, packaging and accepted exceptions. If a later change affects fit, cooling or market files, confirm whether the sample evidence still applies.

Confirm packing, shipping documents and service before dispatch

Agree the packing method, glass and corner protection, loose-accessory restraint, shipping marks and handling requirements for the exact cabinet. Request packing photographs and a loading plan tied to the actual model mix. Confirm orientation and handling instructions with the manufacturer and transport provider.

Ask the supplier, forwarder and responsible importer to agree the shipment document list. It may include the commercial invoice, packing list, transport document and any origin, product or market documents required for the transaction. Reconcile model descriptions, quantities, package counts, weights and consignee details before document release.

Assign production release, inspection, booking, document preparation and shipment acceptance to named parties. Keep payment milestones and any inspection conditions in the written order. Agree the spare-parts list, fault-report information and responsibility for parts, labour and transport before the cabinets enter service.

Questions to resolve before the first order

Can I mix models in one order? Ask for a written quantity breakdown by model, electrical version, artwork and packing type. Confirm the minimum for each line and request a loading plan for the proposed mix.

How long will the order take? Ask what starts the quoted lead time: payment, drawing approval, artwork approval, sample acceptance or another agreed milestone. Separate sampling, production, inspection and transport, and get the dates confirmed for the chosen configuration.

Does a trade-fair sample prove that the export version is ready? No. Record the differences between the display cabinet and the offered model, then check the documents and sample evidence for the version you will buy.

Can I compare suppliers using only the lowest unit price? Compare the same cabinet and delivered scope first. A cheaper offer may exclude an option, document, packing method or service that another includes. Ask suppliers to resolve those differences in writing before choosing.

Ask for a structured quotation response

For each requirement, ask the supplier to identify confirmed scope, open questions, excluded cost and evidence still to be supplied. Include the contracting entity and manufacturing-site relationship as identity questions. Assign packaging, documents, inspection and shipment tasks to a named party instead of leaving them inside a general unit price.