A practical planning guide for U.S. hotel, villa, apartment and commercial buyers sourcing furniture from Foshan, China. It covers shipment planning, packing evidence, importer responsibilities and the information a factory needs before quotation.
What to prepare before requesting a shipping quotation
A useful freight estimate cannot be produced from a product link alone. Give the factory or forwarder a product schedule with quantities, packed dimensions or estimated cubic volume, gross weight, pickup location, U.S. destination, target date and the required delivery term. For hotel and multifamily projects, add room quantities and identify which pieces must arrive together.
- Furniture schedule or bill of quantities
- Packed dimensions and gross weight by item
- Pickup point in Foshan and destination city or port
- Target loading and site-delivery dates
- Preferred LCL or full-container plan
- Required labels, room numbers and installation sequence
LCL, 20-foot container or 40-foot high-cube?
LCL can suit samples or smaller orders, but furniture passes through more handling points. A full container gives the loading team more control over placement and can reduce handling for larger project orders. The choice should be based on the final packing list and usable volume—not the unboxed furniture dimensions.
Ask the factory to issue a preliminary packing list, then have the appointed freight forwarder confirm container selection and route. Do not treat nominal container capacity as guaranteed usable furniture volume; cartons, crates, irregular shapes and load safety reduce the space that can actually be used.
Furniture packing and container-loading checks
- Protect finished surfaces. Confirm corner guards, foam or other surface protection, moisture protection and carton strength appropriate to the product.
- Separate fragile or projecting parts. Mirrors, stone, glass, legs, hardware and accessories should be identified and packed according to the approved method.
- Match labels to the packing list. Project, room, item and carton references should be readable without opening the package.
- Record loading evidence. Photograph key packing stages, container number, seal and final load condition.
- Control movement inside the container. Arrange packages to reduce voids and movement while avoiding unsafe pressure on fragile pieces.
U.S. importer and customs checkpoints
The U.S. importer and its customs broker or authorized agent are responsible for import filings and classification decisions. For ocean cargo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection states that the Importer Security Filing is generally due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded on the vessel bound for the United States. Confirm the filing party and required data before the factory cutoff.
If solid-wood crates, pallets, skids or dunnage are used, verify the applicable wood-packaging requirements. USDA APHIS says regulated wood packaging entering the United States must be pest-free, debarked, treated or fumigated, and carry the required ISPM 15 mark. Processed materials such as plywood or oriented strand board may be treated differently, so the importer should confirm the final packing construction with its broker.
CBP: Import Security Filing timing · USDA APHIS: importing wood packaging material
How Lenatees supports export furniture orders
Lenatees is the export brand of Foshan Hong Sui Xiang Furniture Co., Ltd. For approved orders, the team can coordinate product information, packing-list preparation, production checks, export packing and container-loading records, while working with the buyer’s nominated freight forwarder. Contract scope and shipping terms are confirmed order by order.
Review the Usine de meubles de Foshan, manufacturing process, quality-control process, factory support for importers et hotel furniture import guide.
Information to send Lenatees
For a furniture and shipping-planning quotation, send the destination city or port, project type, furniture schedule, quantities, drawings or reference images, required date and preferred trade term. Start a project enquiry.
Foire aux questions
Can Lenatees quote U.S. delivery from only a product photo?
A reference photo can start product review, but a useful shipping estimate also needs quantity, packed size assumptions, destination, target date and agreed scope.
Who files the ISF for a U.S. ocean shipment?
The U.S. importer is responsible and may use an authorized agent. Confirm the broker or filing party before cargo is loaded.
Are wooden furniture crates allowed into the United States?
They can be, but regulated solid-wood packaging must meet U.S. requirements, including applicable ISPM 15 treatment and marking. Confirm the exact packing material with the importer’s broker.
Reviewed by the Lenatees Furniture Project & Export Team. Updated 13 August 2026. This article is a project-planning resource, not customs or legal advice; importers should confirm current requirements with CBP, APHIS and their licensed customs broker.