How to choose and work with a freight forwarder for imports from China

What a forwarder does

A freight forwarder organises the movement of your goods from one country to another. GOV.UK guidance (opens in a new tab) describes the job as booking space with carriers, preparing transport documents, arranging insurance and storage where needed, and keeping customs charges down. Its companion page (opens in a new tab) adds customs clearance, paperwork for each shipment and advice on packing.

For a container from China, the work splits into two ends. At the China end there is collection from the factory, export paperwork and booking the sailing. At the UK end there is customs clearance, port charges and delivery to your door. Some forwarders run both ends themselves and some use partners. Ask who does each part, and who your contact is at each end.

Forwarders and customs agents

Customs clearance is a core part of many forwarders' work. GOV.UK notes a forwarder can do it in-house or pass it to a specialist customs broker. Either way, whoever makes your declaration is acting as your customs representative.

They can act in one of two ways. With direct representation they act in your name, and you remain liable for the accuracy of the declaration and for any duty and import VAT. With indirect representation they act in their own name and are jointly liable with you. GOV.UK also makes clear that you keep responsibility for due diligence on your declarations (opens in a new tab) even when someone else does the work.

Ask which applies and get it in writing. Getting set up to import covers EORI numbers and the other basics you need first.

Questions to ask before you choose

• How often do you move full containers from my supplier's part of China to my UK port?
• Who handles the China end, your own office or a partner, and who is my contact there?
• Do you clear customs yourselves or use a broker? Will it be direct or indirect representation?
• Which trading conditions do you use, and can I see them before I accept a quote?
• Do you offer cargo insurance, and what does it cover?
• How will you keep me updated, and who do I call if something goes wrong in transit, including outside office hours?
• Do you hold Authorised Economic Operator status?
• Can you put me in touch with importers of similar goods?

Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status is an internationally recognised standard showing that a business's customs and security procedures meet set criteria. GOV.UK explains AEO (opens in a new tab) and links to a way to check whether a business holds it. It is a good sign, not a requirement.

Look the company up on Companies House too. Its free search service (opens in a new tab) shows the registered address, officers and filing history, including when accounts are due. BIFA, the trade body for UK forwarders, has over 1,700 members and a member search on its website (opens in a new tab).

Reading and comparing quotes

Quotes are hard to compare because forwarders split costs differently. Line them up on the same basis before you look at the totals.

• The same Incoterm, ports, container size and ready date on every quote.
• What is in and what is out: China-side charges, ocean freight, UK port and terminal charges, customs clearance and delivery.
• How long the price is valid, and which charges can change. In March 2026, for example, Maersk told customers (opens in a new tab) that where it provides customs clearance it would pass on new Felixstowe import charges from 1 April, backdated where applicable.
• How many free days at the UK port come with the rate.
• Whether duty and import VAT are included or billed separately.
• Whether insurance is included. GOV.UK guidance for forwarders says their conditions should make clear that goods are not automatically insured.

The same guidance says trading conditions should be shared with the customer before the contract is agreed, ideally at the quotation stage. If they are not attached, ask for them. The real cost of importing a container walks through the full set of charges a quote should account for.

Trading conditions and what they mean for you

Most UK forwarders work under standard terms. The best known are the British International Freight Association's Standard Trading Conditions, often shortened to BIFA STC. BIFA published a 2025 edition (opens in a new tab) for use from the start of 2026 and no longer supports the 2021 and earlier editions. Only current BIFA members may use them.

The terms that matter most to you are about liability. BIFA's own comparison of cargo liability limits (opens in a new tab) lists the STC limit at 2 SDR per kilo. SDR stands for Special Drawing Rights, an international unit of account set by the IMF. In October 2026 BIFA converted that to about £2.05 a kilo.

Example only: if a 25 kg carton of garden chairs worth £400 went missing, a limit of about £2 a kilo would mean a claim of roughly £50. The exact wording, exclusions and time limits for claims are in the conditions themselves, so read them before you ship.

Working well with your forwarder

• Give instructions in writing, and early. GOV.UK advises confirming anything agreed by phone in writing.
• Send invoices, packing lists and any licences as soon as you have them.
• Introduce the forwarder to your supplier, and agree who tells whom when goods are ready.
• Agree how you will hear about changes, such as a new sailing date, a rolled booking or a customs query.
• Check every invoice against the quote, and raise differences quickly.

The handovers between supplier, forwarder and you are where dates tend to slip. Portside works in those gaps: it tracks each container and its dates, chases factories and forwarders for dates and paperwork, and files the documents against each shipment. It does not book freight or make customs declarations, so you still need a good forwarder. What can go wrong, and what we do about it covers rolled bookings and other delays.

Quick answers