In this guide
What should I confirm about my 1688 supplier’s delivery terms?
Ask where the supplier’s quoted work ends and where the transport provider’s work begins. Record the exact address and handover point, who arranges each movement, loading and unloading, and which records confirm receipt. If the sale uses an Incoterms rule, record the full written rule, named place or point and agreed edition. Resolve any missing movement or task before approving collection.
Start with the supplier’s actual written offer
WorldFirst’s South Asia importing article introduces trade terms alongside supplier quotations. For your order, first ask what the delivery line buys. ‘Delivery included’ may leave the receiving address or handling work unspecified. Save the quote reference and revision, supplier details, goods and packing references, then request written inclusions and exclusions. Where a domestic 1688 sale simply includes delivery to a China address, record that arrangement without assigning it an Incoterms rule.
Make the stock identifiable
Keep supplier order references, SKUs and expected carton counts together. The receiving team needs a record it can compare with the goods when they arrive.
Write down the precise place and any agreed rule
ICC describes Incoterms rules as allocating costs, risks and obligations in trade contracts. If a rule appears in your offer, ask both parties to confirm its full name, named place or precise point and edition. ‘China warehouse’ leaves too much open. Obtain the full address, receiving company, contact, collection or arrival instructions and booking requirements. Check these details against the provider’s collection point. Keep the cost allocation, physical handling tasks and contractual risk obligations as separate questions.
Clarify loading when EXW or FCA appears
The ICC Academy’s EXW/FCA explanation shows why the named point matters. Under its explanation of EXW, the seller makes goods available ready for loading; the buyer handles loading the collecting vehicle and export formalities. Under FCA at the seller’s premises, the seller loads the buyer’s collecting vehicle. At another agreed FCA place, the seller delivers ready for unloading from its vehicle. The seller handles export formalities in both FCA cases. If your sale uses either rule, have the responsible parties confirm how the agreed rule and any additional written terms apply to this collection. A price label alone does not name the people doing the work.
Give each handover task an owner
Complete this original worksheet using supplier and provider replies. Replace role descriptions with a business and contact. Keep unanswered points open until the responsible party confirms them.
Scroll sideways if needed. Keyboard: focus the table area and use the left and right arrow keys.
| Work | Responsible party | Evidence to obtain | Open question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods ready for collection | Supplier dispatch contact | Goods, carton references and readiness confirmation | Which exact premises and collection point? |
| Load the collecting vehicle | Party agreed for loading | Written loading arrangement | Who provides people and equipment? |
| Move goods to China receiving point | Party arranging the domestic movement | Named carrier and transport reference | Does the price reach the agreed address? |
| Arrival and unloading | Receiving site and unloading party | Booking and unloading instructions | Who unloads, and is the work included? |
| Export arrangements, where applicable | Party undertaking the export work | Written scope and information required | Has that party accepted this responsibility? |
| Record physical receipt | Named receiving contact | Carton count, condition and discrepancy record | Who receives and follows up the record? |
Close the gap between two quotations
In this invented example, the supplier includes delivery to Warehouse A, while the forwarder’s offer starts with collection from Warehouse B. Neither offer covers the movement between them. Ask who will arrange that journey, loading and unloading, and what it will cost. Alternatively, request revised offers meeting at one agreed point. Get the receiving site’s confirmation and your approval of the revised scope before authorising the movement. Keep the accepted supplier and transport revisions together.
Prepare for the final handover
Confirm the delivery address, receiving hours and booking instructions before dispatch. Add any pallet, label or unloading requirements to the same shipment brief.
Connect collection evidence to the receiving record
Match the goods and carton references released by the supplier to the collection reference and China receipt. Record the cartons received, visible condition and any difference reported. Agree who contacts the supplier or carrier when something is missing. A scan or signature records an event; it does not by itself establish contractual risk, ownership or a right to claim. Check those questions against the agreed terms and relevant records. Update the plan if the receiving address or collection provider changes.
Bring the supplier quote and handover address
Share the supplier’s offer, proposed collection or delivery address and transport quote. We can help list the handover details to confirm with the supplier and provider before you approve the work.
Questions before you order
Does ‘China delivery included’ mean the sale is FCA?
That wording alone does not establish FCA. Ask what the supplier has agreed to deliver, to which address, with which handling included. Record an Incoterms rule only where the sale actually agrees one.
Who loads a vehicle collecting from the supplier?
Confirm the agreed sale terms and collection arrangement. The ICC Academy explanation assigns loading differently under EXW and FCA at the seller’s premises. Name the loading party and confirm any required equipment before booking.
What if the supplier and forwarder quote different handover points?
Identify the missing journey and handling work. Request a written scope and price for it, or revise the offers to meet at one agreed point. Obtain the necessary confirmations before approving collection.
Related visual references
Look more closely at the storage, handling and transport settings that inform an order plan. Each photograph links to its original source.
Sources & further guidance
- WorldFirst South Asia: importing from China (regional supplier-quotation background)
- ICC: Incoterms 2020 public overview
- ICC Academy: FCA and EXW explained (author’s explanation, 7 January 2025)
WorldFirst’s article addresses South Asia, principally Pakistan; its regional import requirements and blanket choice of trade term are not applied here. The ICC sources are public explanations, not the full rulebook; the Academy article states its author’s views may differ from ICC policy. Our worksheet and example help record scope and do not amend the sales contract.
Product acceptance, inspection scope, charges and delivery arrangements need to be agreed for your order.
