A first import order is mostly a sequence of small, predictable steps. The surprises come from skipping one of them. Here is the shape of the process, from an inquiry at our desk to a container at your gate.
Most first orders start as a mixed container: threshers, grinders, cutters and a crate of spare parts in one 40-ft box. Mixing families is normal — it is often the fastest way to test a market — but the packing has to be planned around it. Machines ship in cartons and steel frames. Moisture protection matters more than most buyers expect, especially for humid destinations.
Alongside the machine, an export order moves with paper: a proforma invoice, a commercial invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading, and a certificate of origin where your market requires one. Check three things on every set: names and addresses exactly as your customs broker wants them; quantity and description matching what is physically inside; and the HS code your destination actually applies.
Loading photos, taken unit by unit before the container is sealed — ask for them, and keep them. Note the seal number in your own records. At arrival: inspect cartons before signing anything, photograph any damage before the pallets are moved, and unpack the spare-parts crate first.
The cheapest fix in international trade is the one made before the container is sealed.