Before placing an order, importers should confirm the shipping documents, payment terms and destination-country requirements. Price is usually the first question we get; what happens between paying and receiving is the one that decides whether the order goes well.
This is how a lash order travels from a workshop in Qingdao to your warehouse. It is written with importers in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and the Gulf in mind, since those are markets we work with regularly.
Step 1: Documents. Get this right before anything else.
We provide a commercial invoice and a packing list for each order. Importers should confirm any additional documents required by their customs broker.
The transport document depends on how the goods move:
| Shipping method | Document you receive |
|---|---|
| Express courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, Aramex) | Air waybill (AWB) |
| Air cargo | Air waybill (AWB) |
| Sea freight | Bill of lading (B/L) |
A certificate of origin can be arranged on request. If your customs broker asks for anything else, tell us before the goods leave the workshop, not after. Documents requested after departure are slow and sometimes impossible.
One thing we will not do is invent paperwork. If your bank or your customs authority asks for a document we cannot legitimately issue, we will tell you so rather than produce something that fails at the port.
Step 2: Choose the shipping mode by order size, not by habit
Shipping costs and local charges should be compared before choosing a shipping method.
Samples and small trial orders — express courier is usually practical. A 20 to 100 box order is light. Express transit is typically around 3–7 business days, subject to destination, customs clearance and carrier conditions. Sea freight on a small order usually costs more in time and port charges than it saves.
Bulk orders — sea freight may be more economical. At hundreds or thousands of boxes, the shipping cost per unit usually falls, depending on volume, destination and local charges. Lashes are light and bulky, so express and sea freight use different pricing structures. Compare quotes based on the same shipment details, chargeable weight or volume, destination and included charges.
For buyers in Lagos, Durban, Nairobi and Dubai we quote the option that makes sense for the volume, and we say plainly when sea freight is not worth it yet.
Step 3: Agree the trade term, and understand where your risk starts
We quote FOB Qingdao by default. EXW and CIF are available on request.
- EXW — the seller makes the goods available at the named place; the buyer assumes the agreed responsibilities from that point, including export formalities where applicable.
- FOB Qingdao — applies to sea or inland waterway transport. Responsibility transfers when the goods are loaded on board the vessel at the named port. Where a container is handed to the terminal before loading, FCA may be the more appropriate term.
- CIF — applies to sea or inland waterway transport. It covers the agreed sea freight and seller-arranged insurance to the named destination port; the insurance is not unlimited cover. Import clearance, duties and other destination charges remain subject to the agreed terms.
Whichever term you agree, import duty, VAT and clearance charges at your end are yours. Ask us for the shipping estimate and then talk to your broker — the two together are your real delivered cost.
On classification: false eyelashes may fall under HS heading 6704. Confirm the applicable national tariff code and duty rate with your customs broker; do not rely on a single global code, because the subheading and duty rate differ by market and drive the whole landed cost.
Step 4: Pay in a way that protects both sides
Our standard terms for a first order are 30% deposit to start production, 70% balance before shipment, by T/T bank transfer. Bank details are on your proforma invoice; we do not publish account numbers on the website. For a first order, confirm the payment terms, company details and order documents before transferring funds.
For small sample or trial orders, generally under USD 1,000, we can issue a PayPal invoice instead. You pay it with your PayPal balance, a card or a linked bank account, and you keep a payment record. It is slower and more expensive per dollar for us, which is why we reserve it for small orders. The options are set out on our shipping and payment page.
Before paying the balance, confirm the agreed pre-shipment inspection evidence and packing details. The transport document will be provided according to the agreed shipping and payment arrangements.
Step 5: Country notes
These are general pointers, not fixed procedures — confirm current requirements, timing and documents with your bank and clearing agent, because rules change.
Nigeria. Your bank may require a Form M before it can remit USD for an import, and a PAAR as part of the import assessment before the goods can clear. Start that paperwork early rather than after the goods have left, since buyers who leave it late can lose weeks.
South Africa. Customs duty and VAT are assessed by SARS on your declared value. Your clearing agent will need the commercial invoice and packing list to match what you actually paid, so keep the declared value consistent between invoice and payment.
Kenya. KEBS requirements can apply depending on how the goods are classified and their end use. Ask your agent early.
UAE / Saudi Arabia. Documentation is checked carefully, and certain product categories can attract additional review. If you are importing for resale, tell us the end use so we can prepare the right specification sheets.
None of this is legal or customs advice. Every market has details that change and that depend on your own registration, so confirm with your broker and your bank before you commit money.
The sequence that works
- Tell us the styles, quantity and destination. Get a quote with the shipping estimate separated out.
- Confirm the shipping mode and trade term in writing.
- Pay the deposit. Ask for a production or packing photo before the balance.
- Pay the remaining 70% before shipment, as agreed in the proforma invoice. Confirm when the transport document will be issued or shared.
- Start your import paperwork (Form M, agent appointment, whatever your market needs) before the goods ship, not after.
Almost every problem we see comes from skipping step 5, or from treating an FOB quote as a delivered price.
Related reading
- What actually drives the price of private label eyelashes
- Eyelash MOQ explained: what 20, 200, 500 and 1,000 boxes mean
- Inside a lash factory: seven steps from fiber to box
Want a quote with shipping broken out?
Send us your style numbers, quantity and the port or city you import into, and we will quote it clearly — including telling you if the freight is not worth it at your volume.