Bonded vs General Warehousing in China
Storing goods in China before they ship out — whether for re-export, gradual fulfillment, or just-in-time restocking — usually means choosing between a general warehouse and a bonded warehouse. The difference comes down to customs status and when duties are paid.
General warehousing is standard storage with pick, pack, and fulfillment services: goods clear customs on import, and you ship them out as orders arrive. Bonded warehousing keeps goods under customs supervision inside a free-trade zone; import duties are deferred until the goods are actually released, which improves cash flow and supports re-export without ever paying duty.
Choose bonded storage when you re-export or want to defer duty and hold inventory flexibly; choose general warehousing when you need fast, duty-paid fulfillment to customers. Many operations blend both — holding bonded stock for flexibility and general stock for fast dispatch — plus value-added services like sourcing, QC, and labeling under one roof.
Choosing the Right Warehouse
See how our China Warehousing & Procurement service combines bonded and general storage, real-time WMS, and sourcing in one Shenzhen hub.
- 10,000 m² Shenzhen fulfillment center with real-time WMS
- Bonded and general storage options in one location
- Sourcing, QC, repacking, and labeling under one roof
- Defer import duty with bonded stock; fulfill fast with general