GD STAR AUTO · PROCUREMENT & EXPORT

Buying vehicles from China: enquiry, payment and shipment

A practical procurement guide for dealers and importers: confirm the vehicle, quotation, inspection, payment milestones, export documents and delivery responsibilities.

Updated: 2026-10-04

GD Star Auto is the vehicle export and sourcing brand of Yuezhixing (Guangzhou) Investment & Development Co., Ltd. Our catalogue presents new, zero-kilometre vehicles. Our separate sourcing service also handles requests for used vehicles, commercial vehicles, construction machinery and vehicle parts. This guide helps buyers prepare an order; the signed agreement and confirmed pro forma invoice govern the actual transaction.

1. Send a specific enquiry

State the exact brand, model, variant, model year, year of manufacture, quantity and destination. Include your company name, contact person and working email or WhatsApp number. For used vehicles, add acceptable mileage, condition and inspection requirements. Tell us which documents, steering position, equipment and delivery deadline your market requires.

Website form enquiries enter our website inbox. The website operator reviews them and hands them to a sales colleague for a reply. WhatsApp enquiries use our existing business WhatsApp team. To continue an existing discussion, quote the vehicle link and the quotation or order reference rather than opening several parallel requests.

Prepare a complete quotation request ↗

2. Check the written quotation

A formal quotation or pro forma invoice should identify the seller and buyer, vehicle specification, both year fields, quantity, currency, price basis, named handover location, validity period and expected schedule. Ask which charges are included: vehicle value, inland transport, terminal handling, export paperwork, freight and insurance. Destination import taxes, clearance and local delivery must also be allocated explicitly.

A website price is a reference, not a reservation or final landed price. Availability, colour and variant must be reconfirmed before an order. Minimum order quantity depends on the vehicle or sourcing request and is confirmed in the quotation.

3. Agree payment and vehicle inspection

Confirm the deposit amount, balance deadline, currency, approved beneficiary and cancellation arrangements in writing. There is no universal deposit percentage for every order. A letter of credit or another payment arrangement requires separate agreement. Before transferring funds, independently confirm the company's bank details with the established sales contact, especially if instructions change.

Agree an inspection scope before payment milestones. For a new vehicle, this may include matching the VIN to the order, checking variant and equipment, recording the manufacturer plate and reviewing available factory documents and photographs. Used vehicles require a specific condition report; battery assessment or third-party inspection is included only where agreed.

Used-vehicle inspection checklist ↗

4. Confirm export documents and shipping responsibilities

The required document set depends on the vehicle, route and destination. It may include a commercial invoice, packing list, export declaration, transport document, certificate of origin or relevant conformity records. Agree who provides each document and who obtains destination approvals. A certificate or registration outcome is not automatic simply because a vehicle can be sourced in China.

Name both the Incoterms rule and its location, for example FCA at an agreed handover point or FOB at a named loading port. Under Incoterms 2020, FOB risk transfers when goods are on board at the loading port. CIF includes seller-arranged freight and insurance, while risk still transfers on board at the loading port. Discuss the appropriate rule, insurance scope and any separate contractual commitments for your shipment.

ICC official Incoterms 2020 resource ↗

5. Follow dispatch, arrival and receipt

Before dispatch, request the agreed inspection records and confirm payment and release conditions. Keep the export and transport documents with the order reference. Transit estimates depend on booking, route, border procedures and destination clearance; a target is not a guaranteed arrival date unless expressly agreed.

On arrival, the buyer or appointed broker completes the agreed import procedures. At handover, check vehicle identity and condition, record receipt and preserve photographs of any damage. Notify the sales contact and relevant carrier or insurer promptly, following the applicable contract and claim deadlines. Warranty, after-sales assistance and remedies depend on the vehicle and written agreement; this guide does not replace them.

Common buyer questions

Send a sourcing enquiry ↗

Guidance reviewed: 4 October 2026. Confirm current destination rules with the competent authority or your appointed broker before purchase.