Commercial Import for Businesses: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Commercial import is an eight-step process: you define the product and specification, find suppliers and compare quotes, approve a sample, close the order and payment terms, follow production and check quality, ship, clear customs, and receive the goods at your warehouse. For a sea shipment from the Far East, the whole route usually takes months, not weeks. And before you send a shekel to a supplier, check three things: that the product may legally be imported, that the price all the way to your warehouse still leaves a margin, and that your VAT status suits importing.

This guide goes through every step: what you do in it, who is responsible, and what usually goes wrong. The regulatory facts were checked against the authorities' websites in September 2026, and the links appear in the text.

The eight steps, in the order they happen:

1. Defining the product and specification
2. Finding suppliers and comparing quotes
3. Samples and approval
4. Order, contract and payment terms
5. Production and quality control
6. International shipping
7. Standards, customs and taxes in Israel
8. Release, delivery to the warehouse and receiving inspection

Who this guide is for (and who it isn't)

The guide is written for businesses: owners of shops and online stores, restaurants and cafes, factories, contractors and purchasing managers who buy goods from manufacturers abroad in order to sell them or use them in the business. Most of the examples come from importing from the Far East, because that is where many of the manufacturers are, but the steps are the same when the supplier is in Europe, India or the United States.

It does not cover personal import. Someone ordering a parcel for private use follows different rules: as of September 2026, according to the Tax Authority, a personal-import parcel valued at up to $75 is exempt from taxes (except tobacco and alcohol), and between $75 and $500 it is exempt from customs duty but liable to VAT and to purchase tax where it applies. These exemptions are not relevant to a business. A commercial shipment is liable to import taxes in full, regardless of its size.

Before you start: three checks that save you from most mistakes

These three checks cost nothing, and you can finish them within days. Anyone who skips them finds out the answers when the goods are already at the port.

Is the product allowed in, and what does it require?

The starting point is convenient: according to the Ministry of Economy and Industry's guide for the new importer (updated March 2026), import into Israel is free as a rule, and anyone may import without an importer's license. That said, some products require registration, approval or an import license, in order to protect public health and safety.

How do you know what applies to your product? It all derives from the customs item: a code of up to eight digits that classifies the product. The first six digits are a uniform international code (the HS Code), so the manufacturer can help identify it too. With the customs item in hand, you check two sources:

• The Free Import Order lists the approvals and licenses required for each customs item, and points to the authority that handles each one.
• The customs tariff, which you can search through the Israel Tax Authority's Shaar Olami system, shows the customs duty and purchase tax rates.

A few areas worth identifying early:

• Products covered by an official standard, for example electrical and electronic products, baby and children's products, and cleaning products. Official standards are divided into four import groups by level of risk (as of the page's update in August 2025). Group 1 requires type approval and a test of every shipment at a recognized laboratory. In groups 2 and 3 the importer keeps a product file with type approval or a test certificate. Group 4 covers goods for industrial use only, which are exempt from approval. The Standards Institute of Israel's importer's guide explains how the testing itself works.
• Food: importing food requires approval from the National Food Service at the Ministry of Health, including registration of the importer.
• Cosmetics: handled by the Ministry of Health's cosmetics department, through its own registration and notification tracks.
• Wireless and communications equipment: approval from the Ministry of Communications.

Two reforms have changed the picture in recent years, and both are described in the Ministry of Economy's guide. Since July 2023 ("Not stopping at the port"), most products covered by an official standard no longer wait for the ministry's release approval at the port. And since January 2025 ("What's good for Europe is good for Israel"), a European import track has been open, in which the importer declares that the product meets European Union requirements. Note what this means: the relief is in the procedure, not in the responsibility. An importer who makes a declaration must hold the documents that back it up.

The Ministry of Economy itself notes that the Free Import Order is the first framework to check, and that additional requirements may exist in the legislation of the relevant regulator. So check the classification with a customs broker before the order, not after it.

Is it worth it: landed cost versus market price

The factory price is only the first line of the calculation. What decides is the landed cost: how much a single unit costs once it is standing in your warehouse, after freight, insurance, taxes, brokerage, port charges, testing and local delivery.

You compare this number with the price at which you buy today from an Israeli supplier, or with the price at which the product sells on the market. If the gap is small, import doesn't justify the capital tied up in the goods, the waiting time and the risk. Some products are simply not worth importing in small quantities: cheap, bulky products that freight makes very expensive, and products that require lab testing that is costly relative to the value of the shipment.

A breakdown of the cost components and a sample calculation appear later in the guide. Anyone who works with us gets this calculation as a written quote before any commitment, as part of our procurement and import support up to the warehouse.

In what capacity do you import: exempt dealer, licensed dealer or company

The law does not limit commercial import to a particular type of business. The difference is in VAT. On import you pay VAT when the goods are released. A licensed dealer and a company offset it as input tax, so in the end it is not a cost. An exempt dealer may not offset VAT on their purchases, so the import VAT stays with them as part of the price of the goods.

An exempt dealer also has an annual turnover ceiling, which is updated every year. Import intended for sale can bring you close to it quickly. If you plan to import regularly, sit down with your accountant before the first order, not after it.

Step 1 – Defining the product and specification

A supplier makes what is written in the order, not what you imagined. The more precise the specification, the more comparable the quotes you receive will be, and the more you will have to rely on if the goods arrive different.

A good specification includes:

• Material, dimensions, weight and tolerances (how much deviation is allowed)
• Color by an agreed code, finish, and type of printing or branding
• Electrical requirements: voltage, plug type, power rating
• Packaging: units per carton, marking, barcode, a Hebrew label if required
• Standards and approvals the product needs in order to enter Israel
• Quantity, expected order frequency and target price

"Like in the picture" is not enough. The same picture describes products at ten quality levels, and the supplier will price the cheapest of them. When there is no specification yet, a picture, a link or a physical sample is a good starting point, provided that before the order it becomes a written document.

One more thing to decide now: what matters more to you, price, quality or time. You can't maximize all three, and the supplier needs to know what you won't compromise on.

Step 2 – Finding suppliers and comparing quotes

There are several channels for finding a manufacturer, and each brings a different kind of supplier:

• Trade platforms: Alibaba and similar Asian marketplaces, India's IndiaMART and the like. The supply is enormous, but unfiltered: alongside factories you will find trading companies and middlemen.
• Trade shows: for example the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, or industry exhibitions in Europe. You see the product in your hands and meet the people.
• Official bodies: the Ministry of Economy's guide also lists the databases of the Chamber of Commerce and the Israel Export Institute, and the commercial attachés of the countries of origin.
• A purchasing agent or an import company: someone who knows manufacturers in the field and checks them for you.

A question worth settling early: factory or trading company? A factory usually gives a better price and control over the specification, but requires a higher minimum quantity. A trading company is more flexible on quantities and range, and adds its own margin. Both options are legitimate. The problem starts when you think you are talking to a factory, and in practice the production is done somewhere you have never seen.

You approach several suppliers with exactly the same specification. Only then are the quotes comparable. In each quote, check:

• Price per unit by quantity tier
• Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
• Terms of sale (Incoterms): what exactly is included in the price
• Production time
• Payment terms
• The cost of samples and the time to prepare them
• The documents and approvals the supplier can provide

A quote that is ten percent cheaper under EXW terms can be more expensive than a quote under FOB terms, because transport to the port and export costs fall on you. Compare the price to the warehouse, not the price per unit.

Before you move forward with a supplier, check who they are: business registration, factory address, years in business, experience exporting to countries with standards requirements, and how they answer technical questions. A supplier who dodges questions before the order will not improve after it.

If you don't have the time or experience for this, this is the part covered by our supplier and manufacturer sourcing service: searching several channels in parallel, vetting each supplier, and a short list of three to five suppliers with a comparison table and a recommendation.

Step 3 – Samples and approval

A sample is the only way to know what you will get. You order samples from two or three suppliers, and you pay for them and for the air shipment. This expense is very small compared with the price of a wrong container.

What you check in a sample:

• Conformity to the specification: dimensions, weight, material, color
• Finish and build quality
• Function in real use, not just appearance
• Packaging and marking
• Whether the product will pass the standards tests required in Israel

The sample you approved becomes the golden sample: the benchmark against which production is compared. You keep one with you and one with the supplier, and state in the order that the goods will be manufactured according to it. If you asked for changes, you ask for a corrected sample. Approval based on a photo of the fix is a gamble.

When the product carries your own branding, you also approve a print and packaging sample. You can see how this looks in practice in the project of a first private-label production run, where the sampling stage continued until the client approved the result.

Step 4 – Order, contract and payment terms

An import deal is concluded when one side unconditionally accepts the other side's offer: a detailed seller's quote that you approved, or your purchase order that the seller confirmed. In practice the central document is the Proforma Invoice (PI), so everything that was agreed must appear in it:

• Product description, with a reference to the specification and the approved sample
• Quantity, unit price and currency
• Terms of sale and port of origin
• Production completion date
• Payment terms and the supplier's bank account details
• Packaging and marking
• What happens if the goods don't match or are delayed

Terms of sale (Incoterms 2020) determine where responsibility and cost pass from the supplier to you. Under EXW you collect the goods at the factory gate and bear everything else. Under FOB the supplier brings them to the port of origin and loads them onto the ship. Under CIF the supplier also pays for sea freight and insurance up to the port of destination. Many importers prefer FOB, because that way they choose the forwarder themselves and control the freight cost.

Payment terms. The Ministry of Economy's guide lists four common methods in international trade:

In first orders with manufacturers in Asia it is customary to split: a deposit with the order, and the balance before shipment or against a copy of the bill of lading. The split is open to negotiation. What matters is that the final payment goes out only after you have checked the goods.

Two rules that prevent most fraud:

1. Pay only into a bank account in the name of the company that appears on the PI, not to a private account or to another company.
2. Verify every notice of a change in account details by phone with the contact person you know, before making the transfer. Forging such a notice is a well-known fraud scenario in international trade.

Step 5 – Production and quality control

Once the deposit is paid, the supplier orders raw materials and slots you into the production line. This is the time to follow up, not to wait.

Ask the supplier for a schedule with milestones: arrival of raw materials, start of production, completion, packing. A weekly update with photos is enough in most cases. A delay discovered in the middle of production can still be managed. A delay discovered on shipping day already costs money.

Also take into account the calendar of the country of production. Around the Lunar New Year, for example, factories across East Asia close for an extended period, and the weeks before it are especially busy.

Quality control is done at two points:

• During production, when part of the quantity is already ready. Here you catch a systematic problem before it is replicated across the whole order.
• Before shipment, when the goods are finished and mostly packed. An inspector samples units from the shipment, compares them with the specification and the golden sample, counts cartons and checks packaging and marking. At the end you receive a report with photos.

Why not wait for the goods to arrive? Because while they are at the factory and you haven't paid the balance, the supplier has a reason to fix things. Once they have sailed, the fix becomes a dispute over compensation. The inspection can be carried out by your representative, an independent inspection company or the import company that is accompanying the order. Whoever performs it must hold the specification and the approved sample.

Step 6 – Shipping: sea, air, full container or partial load

International shipping is arranged by a freight forwarder: they book space on the ship or plane, organize pickup from the supplier and update you when the cargo arrives. The choice between methods depends on volume, urgency and the value of the goods.

How is sea freight priced? According to the Ministry of Economy's guide, with a full container you pay a fixed price per container, regardless of how full it is. With a partial load you pay by W/M: the higher of the weight in tons and the volume in cubic meters. The minimum charge usually equals one cubic meter, which is why a very small shipment comes out relatively expensive.

The ministry also recommends requiring the forwarder to provide a written quote that itemizes all charges, including surcharges and the conversion rate. A quote that says only "sea freight" leaves room for surprises at the destination port.

Cargo insurance. The carrier's liability is limited, so you insure. The marine policy, which also covers air shipments, is offered at three levels of coverage, and the recommendation in the Ministry of Economy's guide is to insure at the broadest level (Clause A) wherever possible. The cost is small relative to the value of the cargo.

Packaging. In a partial load the goods pass through several hands. Strong cartons, pallets and clear marking save damage, and you settle this with the supplier at the order stage.

Step 7 – Standards, customs and taxes in Israel

When the cargo reaches the port or the airport, the clearance process begins, meaning release from customs supervision. The process is usually carried out by a customs broker (in the law's wording: a customs agent), and it is done online.

Do you have to use a customs broker? No. According to the Ministry of Economy's guide, Israeli law does not require the use of a customs agent, and any importer may carry out the process themselves. The same guide also recommends using an agent, since a mistake in classification or in calculating the value usually costs far more than the fee you saved. The Tax Authority publishes a list of customs agent corporations.

Documents for release:

• Supplier's invoice (Commercial Invoice)
• Packing list
• Sea or air bill of lading, redeemed against the carrier for a delivery order
• As needed: certificate of origin or preference document, standards approvals, import license and test certificates

A mismatch between documents, for example a different quantity on the invoice and on the packing list, is a common reason for delay. So you ask the supplier for drafts and check them before the goods leave.

Import taxes. As of September 2026, according to the Ministry of Economy and the Tax Authority:

• Customs duty: calculated on the "customs value" at the rate in the customs tariff. A large share of products carry no customs duty at all.
• Purchase tax: applies only to certain products. When it applies, it is calculated on the customs value plus the duty, and sometimes it is a fixed amount per unit.
• VAT: 18% since January 1, 2025. Calculated on the customs value plus the duty and the purchase tax.

What is the customs value? In a sea shipment: the CIF price (the goods, freight to the port in Israel and insurance) plus port charges. In an air shipment: the CIP price. The practical meaning is that you pay taxes on the freight and insurance as well. The supplier's invoice is converted into shekels at a rate that customs updates once a week.

Trade agreements. According to the Ministry of Economy's guide, Israel is party to 16 trade agreements covering 48 countries. Goods originating in one of them, that meet the origin rules and are accompanied by a suitable preference document, are exempt from customs duty. The relief applies to customs duty only, not to VAT or to purchase tax. Check with the customs broker whether there is such an agreement with your country of production, and which document the supplier must issue.

Inspection or direct release. Most shipments are released without prior inspection, and customs checks the documents afterward. Customs' risk management system can route a shipment to a physical inspection, and one of the reasons the Ministry of Economy lists for this is a new importer. A first shipment may therefore be delayed longer, and it's worth leaving a margin in the schedule for that.

Standards. If the product belongs to an import group that requires testing, you arrange it with a recognized laboratory now, and ideally you should hold the type approval before the shipment leaves. Goods waiting at the port for lab results accumulate storage fees.

At the end of the process you receive a gate pass, the document that allows the cargo to leave the port.

Step 8 – Release, delivery to the warehouse and receiving inspection

With the gate pass, the carrier picks up the cargo and brings it to you. You coordinate in advance what people tend to forget: whether a truck with a container can enter the street, whether there is a forklift or a ramp, and who unloads. A full container also has to be returned empty on time, otherwise you pay demurrage.

It's worth clearing the cargo from the port quickly. The free storage days are limited, and after them the charge accumulates every day.

Receiving inspection is the last step:

1. Count the cartons against the packing list, before you sign for the carrier.
2. Photograph external damage and write a note on the delivery slip.
3. Open a sample and compare it with the golden sample.
4. Report any damage or shortage in writing and immediately to the supplier, the forwarder and the insurance company. Policies have short notification deadlines.

The documents don't go in the trash. The import entry and the shipping documents go to the accounting department, and the product file, with the standards approvals and the importer's declarations, must be kept in case of a market inspection.

What it costs and how long it takes (in brief)

Cost components

You can't quote a general price. The cost depends on the product, the volume, the season and the customs classification. What you can know in advance is which components the landed cost is built from:

• The price of the goods at the supplier, per the terms of sale
• Transport within the country of origin and export costs (under EXW terms)
• International freight and insurance
• Customs duty, purchase tax and VAT
• Port fees, demurrage and storage
• The customs broker's and the forwarder's fees
• Lab tests and standards approvals, if required
• Quality control in the country of origin
• Local transport to the warehouse
• Bank fees and currency conversion

Sample calculation of import taxes

The example is based on the example in the Ministry of Economy's guide for the new importer, with VAT updated to 18% (as of September 2026). The customs rate and the exchange rate are for illustration only. You check the rate that applies to your product in the customs tariff.

A licensed dealer offsets the VAT, so their real cost in the example is the customs duty only. An exempt dealer bears both.

How long

Here too there is no single number. The ranges in the table are the general estimates that appear on our work process page, and the actual time depends on the product, the manufacturer, the season and the shipping method.

When you add up the ranges, a first order by sea takes roughly two months to half a year. A repeat order from the same supplier is much shorter, because the first three stages are already behind you.

Five common mistakes in commercial import

1. Ordering before checking regulation. The product arrives at the port and it turns out that type approval, a license or a lab test is required. While you sort it out the goods accumulate storage fees, and sometimes it can't be sorted out at all. Checking the customs item against the Free Import Order before the order prevents this scenario.

2. Calculating profitability by the factory price. Someone who multiplies the unit price by the quantity and adds "a bit of freight" discovers in the end that the profit has vanished. Calculate a full landed cost, with all the components listed above.

3. Skipping a sample or a pre-shipment inspection. The pressure to save two weeks is understandable, but once the goods have sailed and the balance has been paid, your bargaining power is very small.

4. Leaving agreements in the chat. What was agreed on WeChat or WhatsApp and did not make it into the PI is very hard to enforce. Specification, packaging, deadlines and payment terms are written in one document, and the supplier confirms it.

5. Building a schedule with no margin. Production runs long, a ship skips a port, a shipment is routed to inspection. Someone who committed to a customer on a date based on the best-case scenario ends up paying for an urgent air shipment.

Do it yourself or with an import company?

You can import on your own, and many businesses do. The question is how much time and experience you have, and how much a mistake costs you.

Doing it yourself suits you when you have a known supplier you have already worked with, a simple product with no standards requirements, someone in the business who can devote time to it, and a forwarder and customs broker you trust.

It's worth getting help when it is the first order, when the product is custom or subject to a standard, when you have no way to check the supplier or the goods in the country of origin, or when your time is worth more than the cost of the service.

It is also important to understand who does what. A customs broker releases the goods in Israel, but doesn't find a supplier and doesn't check quality. A forwarder transports, and is not responsible for what is inside the cartons. An import and procurement company manages the whole chain and coordinates between the parties.

Frequently asked questions

How do you start importing goods to Israel?

You start with three checks: whether the product requires approval or a license, what the landed cost will be, and in what business capacity you will import. Only then do you write a specification, approach several suppliers and order samples. It's worth checking the classification and regulation with a customs broker even before the order.

Do you need an import license or a standards approval?

Most products do not require a license. According to the Ministry of Economy, import into Israel is free as a rule. Some products do require an approval, a license or a standards test, and the requirement is set by the product's customs item in the Free Import Order. Electrical products, children's products, food, cosmetics and wireless equipment are examples of areas where it's worth checking in advance.

How long does import take, from order to warehouse?

It depends on the product, the production time and the shipping method. According to the general estimates on our process page, production takes 2–8 weeks, and sea shipping with customs release takes 3–6 weeks. In a first order, add a few weeks for finding a supplier and for samples.

How much money do you need for a first order?

There is no single amount. The amount is set by the manufacturer's minimum quantity, the unit price, the freight cost and the taxes. Some costs are fixed and do not shrink with the order, for example the customs broker's fee, a lab test and the minimum charge in sea freight, so a very small order is more expensive per unit. Calculate a full landed cost before you commit.

Can you import in small quantities?

Yes. A partial load (LCL) and air shipping make it possible to import without filling a container, and some manufacturers agree to a small trial order. The limit is usually the manufacturer's minimum quantity and the fixed costs of the shipment. We also support small-quantity orders, and check in advance whether the quantity justifies importing.

How do you pay a supplier abroad without taking risks?

You split the payment: a deposit with the order, and the balance only after a quality check before shipment. You pay by bank transfer to an account in the name of the company that appears on the PI, and verify any change in account details by phone. In large deals you can consider a letter of credit, in which the bank pays only against matching documents.

What is the difference between personal import and commercial import?

Personal import is for private use, and has tax exemptions for low-value parcels (up to $75, as of September 2026). Commercial import is for sale or for use in the business: it is liable to full taxes, subject to the Free Import Order, and a licensed dealer can offset the VAT on it.

How we work

Techno Import Line is a supplier sourcing, procurement and import company for businesses. We accompany the route described here in seven steps, from defining the need until the goods are in your warehouse, with one point of contact all the way.

In practice this means that we find and vet suppliers, collect and compare price quotes, coordinate samples, manage the order and the follow-up on production, carry out quality control before shipment as needed, and coordinate the shipping, documents and release with the forwarder and the customs broker, through to delivery to you. You make the decisions at the key points: supplier, sample, order.

Before any commitment you will receive a quote that breaks down the cost up to the warehouse into its components: the product price, shipping, the expected taxes and our fee, each as a separate line. You can also come with an existing supplier and hand over to us only the stages where you need help.

To learn more: the work steps in detail, the fields and products we import, or simply send us a purchasing request with a picture, a link or a specification, and we'll get back to you with options.

The information is general and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Check the current instructions on the authorities' websites.