Terms of Service

1. Acceptance Of These Terms

These terms become binding when you send us a purchase order, when you confirm a quotation in writing, when you pay a deposit, or when you use this website to request a service. If you act for a company, you confirm that you have authority to bind that company to these terms. If you do not have that authority, please ask the person who does to review and accept the terms before the transaction proceeds.

Where a separate written contract, a signed purchase order or a set of agreed shipping instructions conflicts with these terms, the signed document prevails for that transaction. Otherwise, these terms apply in full. Any general terms that you attempt to impose are excluded unless we accept them in writing.

2. Definitions

In these terms, the company, we, us and our refer to Tongshan Shuaichao Trading Co., Ltd. The buyer and you refer to the person or business that purchases goods or services through our desk. The supplier refers to a factory, trader or manufacturer from which the company sources goods on behalf of the buyer. Goods means the products that are sourced, inspected, consolidated, documented and shipped under an order.

Order means the written instruction, confirmed in a purchase order or an acceptance of our quotation, under which we perform the services. Services means the trading and export coordination work described on this website, including sourcing, supplier audit, export documentation, customs support, freight booking, quality inspection, loading supervision, warehouse consolidation and claims handling.

Incoterms means the international commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce, as named in a quotation or order. Business day means a day on which banks in China are open for ordinary business.

3. Scope Of Our Services

The company provides general trading and export coordination. We source goods, we run supplier audits, we arrange quality inspection and loading supervision, we prepare export documentation, we support customs clearance, we book ocean and air freight, we consolidate shipments in a warehouse, and we operate an after-sales and claims desk. The exact combination of services for any transaction is set out in the quotation or the order.

Unless a quotation says otherwise, we act as an independent trading company and not as an agent for either the buyer or the supplier. We do not manufacture the goods. We do not own the vessels, aircraft or trucks that carry them. Where we book freight we do so as a shipper or as a booking party, and the carrier remains responsible for the carriage under the carrier terms that apply to the transport.

We may use subcontractors and partners for inspection, haulage, warehousing, brokerage and translation. We remain responsible for the coordination of the services we have agreed to perform, but we do not guarantee the separate acts or omissions of a carrier, a port authority or a government body.

4. Quotations And Pricing

A quotation states the unit price, the specification, the quantity, the lead time and the shipping basis that we can offer at the moment it is issued. Unless the quotation states otherwise, it is valid for thirty days and is subject to the availability of goods and freight space at the time of confirmation. Prices are quoted in the currency named in the quotation and may change if raw material costs, exchange rates, freight rates or duties move before the order is confirmed.

Prices may also change if the buyer changes the specification, the quantity, the packaging or the delivery schedule after the order is placed. We will tell the buyer in writing before we apply an additional charge, and we will explain what caused it. Where a quotation is based on an estimate of volume or weight, the final invoice may be adjusted to the measured figures once the goods have been packed and weighed.

Taxes, duties, inspection fees and port charges are shown separately in a quotation where they are known. Where a charge is imposed later by a public authority, the buyer remains responsible for that charge unless the quotation states that it is included.

5. Orders And Confirmation

An order is formed when the buyer confirms our quotation in writing and, where required, pays the agreed deposit. The order becomes effective when we acknowledge it in writing and it is registered in our order file. We may decline an order if the goods cannot be sourced on the stated terms, if the freight route is unavailable, or if the transaction would breach a law or a trade restriction.

Once the order is effective, both parties are bound by the agreed specification, quantity, price and schedule. The buyer must provide the product specification, the artwork for labels and marks, and the shipping instructions in good time so that production and booking can proceed. Delays caused by late instructions may move the delivery date, and any resulting cost may be passed to the buyer.

We may make minor changes to packaging or routing where it improves the safe transport of the goods, provided that the goods still meet the agreed specification. We will inform the buyer of any such change before shipment.

6. Buyer Duties And Specifications

The buyer is responsible for the accuracy of the specification and for confirming that the goods are lawful in the destination country. The buyer must tell us about any labelling rule, safety standard, certification requirement or restricted material rule that applies to the destination market, so that we can check compliance before the order is produced.

The buyer must provide correct shipping marks, consignee details, delivery addresses and contact information. Errors in those details can cause a container to be misrouted, delayed or held, and any extra cost that results is the responsibility of the buyer. The buyer must also hold any import licence or permit that the destination country requires.

Where the buyer supplies designs, trademarks or content to be printed on the goods, the buyer confirms that the buyer has the right to use them and that their use does not infringe the rights of any third party. The buyer will indemnify the company against any claim that arises from such materials.

7. Supplier Duties And Audits

We audit the suppliers we recommend. An audit checks the business licence, the production capacity, the quality system, the working conditions that we are able to observe, and the record of past export shipments. The audit report is shared with the buyer so that the buyer can make an informed decision about the source.

An audit is a point in time assessment and it is not a permanent guarantee of future performance. A supplier may change its staff, its equipment or its subcontracting arrangements after the audit. We therefore monitor performance through inspection and through the claims desk, and we remove a supplier from the approved list when performance falls below the standard we require.

Where the buyer nominates its own supplier, the buyer is responsible for that supplier and for any claim that arises from the supplier performance. We can still provide inspection, documentation and freight services for a nominated supplier, and the same quality standards apply to the work we perform.

8. Inspection And Acceptance

Inspection is the step that confirms the goods match the approved sample. Unless the order states otherwise, an inspection is carried out before loading and produces a written report with photographs. The report describes what was checked, what was found, and whether the goods are released or held. Where defects exceed the agreed limit, we hold the shipment and negotiate a rework, a replacement or a credit with the supplier.

An inspection is based on sampling, and sampling cannot examine every unit. A release note means that the inspected sample met the agreed criteria; it is not a warranty that every single unit is free of fault. If a buyer requires full inspection of every unit, that requirement must be agreed in writing and may carry an extra charge.

The buyer should review the inspection report promptly and raise any question before loading begins where the schedule allows. Once the container is sealed and the goods have left the loading ramp, a change of mind about the specification is treated as a cancellation rather than an inspection matter.

9. Shipping, Freight And Risk

We book ocean and air freight on the basis agreed in the quotation. The applicable Incoterm decides the point at which risk and cost pass from the company to the buyer. Where the quotation names a specific Incoterm, that term governs. Where no Incoterm is named, the default is that risk passes to the buyer when the goods are handed to the first carrier.

Sailing schedules, flight schedules and transit times are estimates provided by the carrier. We pass them on in good faith but we do not control them. Congestion, weather, blank sailings, equipment shortages and route changes can delay a shipment. When a delay is likely, we tell the buyer what has changed and what options remain, such as holding for the next sailing, switching to air freight, or splitting the order.

The buyer should arrange marine cargo insurance unless the quotation states that insurance is included. Goods travel subject to the carrier terms, which may limit liability. We can help the buyer obtain a certificate of insurance on request.

10. Documentation And Customs

We prepare the commercial invoice, the packing list, the certificate of origin and the customs declaration that the transaction requires, and we lodge the declaration with the customs authority. The buyer must provide the correct consignee details and any import documents that the destination country requires.

Customs authorities have the power to inspect, to ask questions and to reassess values. If a clearance is delayed by a query that concerns information the buyer supplied, or by a missing document that the buyer was to provide, the resulting cost and delay are the responsibility of the buyer. If the delay concerns an error in a document we prepared, we will correct the document promptly at our own cost.

The buyer must not ask us to declare a false value, a false origin or a false description. We will refuse such a request, because it exposes both parties to penalties and because it breaks the trust on which the trade desk is built.

11. Payment Terms

Unless the order states otherwise, payment is made by bank transfer in the currency shown in the quotation. A deposit is normally required before production begins, and the balance is due before the goods are released for shipment or against a copy of the shipping documents, as the order specifies. We may require a letter of credit or another secured method for a first order or for a high value order.

Bank charges are borne by the party that incurs them unless the order states otherwise. If a payment is late, we may suspend production, hold the goods, or postpone the booking until the outstanding amount is settled, and we may charge interest at a reasonable commercial rate. Late payment does not entitle the buyer to cancel an order that has already been produced.

Where currency movement or a new tax changes the cost of a transaction that has not yet been paid in full, the parties will discuss an adjustment in good faith. Any adjustment must be recorded in writing before it is applied.

12. Cancellation And Changes

A buyer who wishes to cancel an order must tell us in writing as soon as the decision is made. If the order has not yet been placed with a supplier, we will cancel it and return any deposit that is not already committed to a supplier. If production has begun, the buyer is responsible for the cost already incurred, including material, labour, packaging and any non refundable deposit the supplier has charged.

If the goods have already been packed or loaded, cancellation is not possible because the shipment is in the carrier hands. In that case the buyer may be able to sell the goods to another buyer or return them after delivery, and we can help arrange either outcome on request.

A change to the specification, the quantity or the shipping date is treated as a new instruction and may change the price and the lead time. We will confirm the effect of a change in writing before we act on it, so that both parties know the new position.

13. Claims And Remedies

A buyer who finds a fault, a shortage or a mismatch after delivery should contact the claims desk promptly and in any event within the period stated in the order or, if none is stated, within thirty days of delivery. The notice should include photographs, a description of the problem, the inspection report reference, and the packing list reference.

Our claims officer gathers the evidence, opens a case with the supplier, and negotiates a remedy. A remedy may be a credit, a replacement shipment, a repair contribution, or another outcome that the parties accept. We aim to close every claim with a clear written answer, and we keep a record of repeated faults so that the next supplier audit can act on the pattern.

A claim must be genuine and supported by evidence. A claim that is raised after the goods have been altered, resold, or used in a way that prevents inspection may be reduced or refused. Nothing in this section removes a right that the law grants to the buyer and that cannot be waived.

14. Limitation Of Liability

We aim to perform our services with reasonable skill and care, and we stand behind the work we control. To the extent the law allows, our total liability for a claim that arises from an order is limited to the value of the service fees that we charged for that order, and it does not extend to indirect losses such as lost profit, lost market opportunity or loss of goodwill.

We are not liable for a loss that is caused by information the buyer supplied, by the acts or omissions of a supplier that the buyer nominated, by a carrier or port authority, by a customs decision, by a natural event, or by any other cause outside our reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence where such liability cannot be limited by law.

15. Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for a failure to perform that is caused by an event outside reasonable control. Such events include natural disasters, severe weather, epidemics, war, civil unrest, government action, trade embargoes, port closures, widespread power failure and disruption of transport networks.

A party affected by such an event must tell the other party promptly and must take reasonable steps to reduce the effect. The obligation to perform is suspended for as long as the event continues. If the event continues for a long period, either party may end the affected part of the order and settle the costs that have already been reasonably incurred.

16. Intellectual Property

The content of this website, including its text, layout, styles, graphics and structure, belongs to the company or to the developer operation that maintains it, and is protected by applicable law. You may read and print the pages for the purpose of doing business with us, but you may not copy the site, republish it, or present it as your own work without written permission.

The company name and the trade name ShuaiChao Trade are used by the company in the ordinary course of business. The buyer may use them only to refer to a genuine transaction with us. Product trademarks that appear on goods belong to their respective owners; the buyer is responsible for holding the rights to any mark the buyer asks us to apply to the goods.

17. Confidentiality

Each party may receive confidential information from the other during a transaction. Confidential information includes prices, specifications, supplier identities, buyer names, volumes, drawings and business plans. A party that receives such information must use it only for the purpose of the transaction and must protect it with reasonable care.

A party may disclose confidential information where the law requires it, or where it is necessary to perform the transaction, such as disclosing a specification to the supplier that will produce the goods. Where a disclosure of that kind is made, the disclosing party must inform the other party and limit the disclosure to what is needed.

These duties continue after an order has ended. They do not apply to information that is already public, that a party already held lawfully, or that a party develops independently without using the confidential information of the other.

18. Trade Compliance And Sanctions

Both parties must comply with the export, import, customs, sanctions and anti corruption laws that apply to their activities. The buyer confirms that the goods are for lawful civilian use unless the order clearly states an authorised end use, and that the buyer is not a person or entity that is subject to a trade restriction that would prohibit the transaction.

We may screen a transaction against applicable restrictions before we accept an order, and we may decline or end an order if a restriction applies or if the information available to us is not sufficient to confirm compliance. In such a case we will refund any amount that has not been committed to a supplier or a carrier.

Neither party will offer or accept a bribe, a kickback or any other improper inducement in connection with an order. A breach of this section is a serious breach that allows the other party to end the agreement immediately.

19. Termination

Either party may end an order if the other party commits a serious breach and does not remedy it within a reasonable period after receiving written notice. Examples of a serious breach include a failure to pay, a failure to deliver the agreed goods, a refusal to provide required documents, and a breach of the compliance or confidentiality sections of these terms.

When an order ends, the parties must settle the work that has already been done and the costs that have already been incurred. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination, such as those on confidentiality, liability, intellectual property and governing law, continue to apply after the order has ended.

20. Governing Law And Disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the mainland territory of China. The parties will first try to resolve a dispute through friendly discussion. If a discussion does not settle the matter within a reasonable period, the parties may refer it to mediation or, if mediation fails, to a competent court or arbitral body as the order or a separate written agreement provides.

Before beginning formal proceedings, each party agrees to give the other written notice of the dispute and a reasonable opportunity to respond. Both parties will keep the evidence that is relevant to the dispute, including documents, photographs and correspondence, so that a fair resolution is possible.

21. Changes To These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time to reflect a change in our services, a change in the law, or a change in the way we work. The current version is published on this page with the date of its last update. An order is governed by the version that was in effect when the order became effective, unless the parties agree in writing to apply a later version.

If you continue to use this website or to place orders after a new version takes effect, you accept the new version for transactions that begin after that point.

22. Contact

Questions about these terms may be sent to Tongshan Shuaichao Trading Co., Ltd. by email at sales@shuaichaotrade.mom, or by telephone at +17406932399 during business hours. Our postal address is No. 226 Group 2, Dakeng Village, Dafan Town, Tongshan County, Xianning, Hubei 437000, China (CN).

We answer contract and terms questions in writing so that the parties have a clear record of what was agreed. Please include the order number, if one has been issued, so that we can locate the relevant file quickly.