China Warehouse Receiving Checklist for Overseas Buyers

1. Create a reference before the supplier dispatches

Give each supplier the buyer, purchase-order, supplier and SKU references to put on delivery documents and carton marks. Provide the warehouse address, contact, receiving window and any booking requirements. Ask for an expected packing list before arrival.

For multiple suppliers, use a consistent reference structure and identify split deliveries. Keep unidentified cargo separate from released stock until ownership and order allocation are confirmed. A handwritten brand name alone may not distinguish two similar orders.

2. Record what physically arrived

Capture arrival date and time, domestic carrier or delivery reference, supplier, carton or pallet count, visible marks and outer condition. Photograph labels and exceptions clearly enough to connect each image to the receiving reference.

Record wet, crushed, open or resealed packaging as observations, without guessing when or by whom damage occurred. Where a condition needs immediate attention, notify the designated contact promptly and follow the warehouse’s agreed handling procedure.

3. Reconcile the expected delivery without erasing discrepancies

Compare the received count with the dispatch notice and packing list. Record expected, received and outstanding quantities separately. Identify excess cartons, mixed orders and partial deliveries instead of editing the expected number to match whatever arrived.

For an illustrative delivery expected to contain 40 cartons, a receipt of 38 cartons should show a two-carton shortfall. If one of the 38 is crushed, record that condition separately; do not turn it into a 37-carton receipt. The buyer then has distinct questions about the missing cartons and the damaged packaging.

4. State whether sealed cartons were opened

Basic receiving may cover carton counts and visible outer condition only. If sealed cartons remain closed, state that unit quantity and contents were not checked. Unit counting, assortment checks, product photographs, repacking and functional inspection need an explicit scope.

Agree which cartons or units to open, how to document findings and how opened packaging will be restored. A photo of a sealed carton cannot establish the condition or number of every item inside. Receiving evidence should not be described as a product-quality certificate.

5. Give each exception an owner and a disposition

Create an exception record with the reference, expected and observed facts, photos, required response and deadline. Identify who must respond: supplier, domestic carrier, buyer or another authorised party. Preserve the original evidence and later explanations as separate records.

Keep affected goods on hold where appropriate until an authorised decision is recorded. Do not assume the warehouse may discard, return, repair or accept goods on the buyer’s behalf. Log the decision, approver, date, cost responsibility and resulting movement.

6. Maintain a register through consolidation and loading

Track receipt, hold, inspection, repacking and loading status for every supplier reference. If carton numbers change during repacking, preserve the link between old and new identifiers and update dimensions or weight where necessary.

Reconcile the final packing list with received goods, authorised removals and loading evidence. A carton physically inside the warehouse is not automatically cleared for shipment. Check that holds and unresolved discrepancies have been addressed before release.

7. Close the file with clear limits

Keep the receiving report, delivery documents, photos, exception decisions and final consolidation record in the order file. State any checks not performed or facts that could not be established. This makes the record useful to people who were not present at delivery.

Confirm separately any required product inspection, testing or destination documentation. Receiving does not establish hidden conformity or regulatory compliance merely because a delivery was accepted at the warehouse.

MORENICE can coordinate China-side receiving and consolidation within an agreed scope. Start with the expected packing list, supplier references and release instructions so the warehouse record can support the buyer’s actual shipment decision.

Continue your buyer checks

MORENICE warehouse consolidation →

Inspection and verification differences →

Yiwu LCL vs FCL shipping →

Quality control support →