How long it takes to import parts from China

So how long does it take to import parts from China to South America?

The honest answer: it isn't one number, it's the sum of two stages. First the part is prepared (pulled from stock or sourced on-order), then it travels (by air or by sea). One order can carry both speeds at once, because some lines are in stock and others have to be produced or consolidated. That's why, before promising a date, the first step is to sort your list.

The stages, in order:

1. Part preparation. If it's in replacement stock, ready in 2-4 working days. If it's on-order, 7 to 30 days.
2. Transit decision per line. Each part is marked air/courier or sea/container based on its weight, volume and urgency.
3. Shipping. The urgent lines fly out without waiting on the heavy steel, which travels in the container.

What is replacement stock and why is it faster?

Immediate replacement stock is the part already held in the supplier's warehouse, ready to ship. Nothing has to be produced or sourced: it just gets prepared and packed. When the part is available in stock, that preparation is 2-4 working days. It's the fastest route, and it's the one that fits the high-rotation parts a workshop orders often.

A signal that the stock is real: the photo confirmation of the part usually arrives within 24-48 hours. If instead the reply takes days and is evasive, the part probably isn't in the warehouse and has to be sourced.

How long does a part that isn't in stock take?

When the part isn't in the warehouse, the supplier has to source, produce or consolidate it with a third party after receiving your order. That preparation stage normally adds 7 to 30 days before the part is ready to travel. It's not the same as replacement stock, which is why it pays to separate the two speeds from the start: that way you know which part of your list ships fast and which part needs more time.

Preparation: in-stock vs on-order

Is transit air or sea?

Transit isn't a decision per order, it's a decision per line. In one order, some parts are better sent by courier and others by sea. The rule is simple: light, high value-per-kilo parts justify air; heavy steel and bulky parts travel by sea. Paying courier rates for heavy steel is throwing money away.

I don't put a fixed transit-day range here because it depends on the courier, the route and the destination port in each South American country. To estimate the cost and chargeable weight of your list before deciding air or sea, use the freight tool. And to see line by line what fits courier and what fits a container, see the air vs sea shipping guide.

How do I shorten the lead time on a mixed order?

The most expensive mistake is letting the urgent 5% of an order wait on the slow 95%. If a sensor a workshop needs today travels in the same container as two bumpers, that sensor takes weeks longer for no reason. The way to shorten the real lead time is to split the list:

1. The lines a workshop is actually waiting on get prepared first and ship by air.
2. Heavy steel and bulky parts travel in the container, at their own pace.
3. Pressurized or oil-filled parts are flagged early, before promising a courier lead time.

What do I need to send to get a real lead time?

To sort each line into in-stock or on-order, and decide air or sea, what helps is:

1. The vehicle VIN, to confirm the right version before quoting.
2. The parts list with the OE number when you have it, or a clear photo of the old part.
3. Your destination city in South America, so the route can be planned.
4. Which lines are urgent (a workshop waiting) and which can go by sea.

With that I can tell you which part of your list ships in 2-4 working days and which part is on-order, and build the shipment so the urgent lines aren't held back by the heavy ones.