Office and commercial relocation to China
Moving a business function to China — equipment, records, furniture and the people who use them — with the documentation that commercial goods require.
An office move to China is not a large household move. Commercial goods are imported by a company against its business registration, not by an individual against a residence permit, and the customs treatment, duty exposure and documentation are entirely different. New equipment attracts duty and VAT; IT hardware may face additional requirements.
The practical consequence is that the paperwork has to start before the packing does. Bring us in while you are still deciding what to send, not the week before it ships.
- Imported by
- Your Chinese company, against its business registration
- Goods treated as
- Commercial cargo, not used personal effects
- Duty and VAT
- Normally assessed — budget for it
- Gating factor
- The Chinese entity and its import rights
- Staff moves
- Quoted alongside, but kept separate for customs
- Handled in China by
- Our Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou office
What we handle
- Office furniture, workstations and storage.
- IT equipment, servers and network hardware, packed to protect against shock and humidity.
- Physical records and archives, inventoried to the box.
- Specialist and laboratory equipment, crated to requirement.
- Staff household moves running alongside the office move, coordinated so families and equipment do not compete for the same dates.
How a commercial move differs from a household one
| Household move | Office or commercial move | |
|---|---|---|
| Imported by | The individual, against a residence permit | The company, against its Chinese business registration |
| Goods treated as | Used personal effects | Commercial goods |
| Duty and VAT | Limited exposure on used effects | Normally assessed; budget for it |
| Documentation | Passport, permit, inventory | Commercial invoice, packing list, company documents |
| New equipment | Attracts questions | Expected, and dutiable |
| Lead time | Weeks | Longer — the entity paperwork gates everything |
You need the Chinese entity in place. Commercial goods are imported against a registered Chinese company with import rights, or through an agent acting for one. If the entity is still being established, that timeline governs the move — no amount of freight planning works around it. Tell us where you are in that process at the first conversation.
Coordinating staff moves with the office move
Where a business is relocating people as well as equipment, we quote the household moves alongside the commercial shipment but keep them entirely separate for customs purposes — each employee's effects are imported against their own residence permit. Combining them is the mistake that turns a routine clearance into a problem for everyone in the container. See household removals for what each employee's move involves.
Questions people ask before booking
Can we import office equipment as personal effects to avoid duty?
No, and it is not a grey area. Personal effects relief applies to a named individual's used household goods. Presenting company equipment that way risks the entire shipment, including the genuine personal effects travelling with it. We will not do it.
How far ahead should we start?
As soon as the Chinese entity and premises are being arranged. The freight is the predictable part; the documentation and the entity status are what set the date.
Do you handle the move at the China end too?
Yes. Asian Express International Movers runs company offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and Hong Kong is the head office. Delivery, placement and installation at the destination are handled by our own staff.
Discuss an office move to China
Five short questions, and a move consultant replies with a written estimate.