Buying from China to Pakistan comes with vocabulary from three worlds: the Chinese platforms (Tmall, 1688, Trade Assurance, Taobao code), shipping (CIF, DDP, LCL, volumetric weight) and Pakistan Customs (HS/PCT code, WeBOC, PSW, valuation ruling, CPFTA). This glossary defines thirty of them in one or two plain sentences each, with a table for quick lookup and short notes on the ones that trip up single-item buyers most.
Why learn the vocabulary?
Most confusion when buying from China is about words, not products. A seller writes "MOQ 2, FOB Shenzhen", a forwarder asks for the "chargeable weight", and a friend says you should have used "Trade Assurance". This glossary covers the terms a Pakistani buyer meets on the Chinese platforms, in shipping and at Pakistan Customs. Use the table for a quick lookup, then read the notes on the ones that matter most for one item.
The glossary
| Term | Area | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| MOQ | Platforms | Minimum order quantity, the smallest amount a seller will sell. On 1688 shown as 起批量; 1件起批 means from one piece. |
| Ready to Ship | Platforms | Alibaba.com section for in-stock items sold in small quantities with a fixed price and a shipping estimate. |
| Trade Assurance | Platforms | Alibaba.com's escrow-style protection. Payment is held until you confirm receipt or a dispute is settled. |
| 1688 | Platforms | Alibaba's Chinese-language domestic wholesale site. Chinese payment only, ships within China only. |
| Taobao / Tmall | Platforms | Taobao is China's consumer marketplace. Tmall (天猫) is its brand-store section with official and authorised shops. |
| Taobao code (淘口令) | Platforms | A text token Taobao generates when you share a product. Paste it into the Taobao app to open the listing. |
| Alipay / WeChat Pay | Payments | Chinese payment wallets required on Taobao, 1688 and Pinduoduo. Not available to Pakistani buyers without a Chinese account. |
| Sourcing agent | Sourcing | A person or company who buys from Chinese sellers on your behalf and forwards the goods to you. |
| Freight forwarder | Shipping | A company that books cargo space, consolidates parcels and moves them between countries. |
| Air freight | Shipping | Consolidated cargo by air, typically 7 to 15 days door to door to Pakistan including customs. Cheaper per kg than express. |
| Air express | Shipping | Courier services such as DHL, FedEx and UPS. Typically 5 to 10 days, high rates, duty billed by the courier. |
| Volumetric weight | Shipping | Length x width x height in cm divided by 6000 for air. You are billed on the higher of actual and volumetric weight, called the chargeable weight. |
| LCL | Shipping | Less than Container Load. Sea freight sharing a container, priced per cubic metre (CBM), typically 25 to 45 days, minimum about 1 CBM. |
| FCL | Shipping | Full Container Load. Your own 20 or 40 foot container, typically 20 to 35 days. Bulk only. |
| EXW | Shipping | Ex Works. Price at the factory door; the buyer arranges everything after. |
| FOB | Shipping | Free On Board. The seller loads the goods on the ship at a Chinese port; the buyer pays from there. |
| CIF | Shipping | Cost, Insurance and Freight. The seller pays freight and insurance to Karachi. Also the value Pakistan Customs uses for duty. |
| DDP | Shipping | Delivered Duty Paid. Delivered to your address with customs and taxes paid. The term a single-item buyer wants. |
| HS code / PCT code | Customs | Harmonised System code identifying the goods. Pakistan's version is the PCT code, which sets the duty rate. |
| Customs value | Customs | The value duty is calculated on: the CIF value, or a higher minimum set by a valuation ruling. |
| Valuation ruling | Customs | A Pakistan Customs notice fixing minimum values for specified goods, so a low invoice does not reduce the tax. |
| Customs duty | Customs | The main import tax by PCT code. Slabs commonly 0, 3, 11, 16 and 20 percent, higher on some goods. |
| ACD / RD | Customs | Additional Customs Duty, typically 2 to 7 percent, and Regulatory Duty on certain listed goods, both on top of customs duty. |
| Sales tax / advance income tax | Customs | 18 percent sales tax at the standard rate, and advance income tax at import, around 5.5 percent for commercial importers. |
| WeBOC / PSW | Customs | Web Based One Customs and Pakistan Single Window, the online systems where the Goods Declaration (GD) is filed. |
| NTN / STRN | Customs | National Tax Number and Sales Tax Registration Number, needed to import commercially in your own name. |
| CPFTA | Customs | China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement. Reduced or zero customs duty on listed goods with a valid Chinese Certificate of Origin. |
| PTA / DIRBS | Customs | Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and its device registration system. Imported phones must be registered and taxed. |
| DRAP | Customs | Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. Medicines and supplements need its approval; parcels are often held. |
| Landed price | Cost | The total cost of an item delivered to your door with all freight, duty, taxes and fees included. |
Platform terms worth a closer look
Tmall vs Taobao. Tmall listings sit inside the Taobao app with a 天猫 badge. They are official brand or authorised stores with stricter rules, so prices are higher and the risk of a fake is lower. For a branded item, a Tmall listing is the one to send.
Trade Assurance only applies to orders placed and paid inside Alibaba.com. It covers late shipment and goods that differ from the written order. It does not cover Pakistan duty or return shipping. Details in Alibaba Trade Assurance explained.
Shipping terms worth a closer look
Volumetric weight is where light but bulky items get expensive. A box of 40 x 30 x 25 cm is 30,000 cubic cm, and divided by 6000 that gives 5 kg volumetric. If the item weighs 1 kg, you pay for 5 kg.
LCL and FCL are for bulk. Sea freight has fixed port and documentation fees and a minimum of about one cubic metre, so a single item by sea costs more than by air in almost every case.
DDP is the term to look for. It is the only one where the price you are quoted is the price you pay. The others are compared in Incoterms for single-item buyers.
Customs terms worth a closer look
HS and PCT codes decide the duty rate. The first six digits are international; Pakistan adds digits to make the PCT code in its tariff.
Customs value and valuation rulings. Duty is charged on the CIF value, not the listing price, and for many common goods a valuation ruling sets a minimum value per unit or per kg. A cheap invoice does not help if a ruling applies.
WeBOC and PSW are for commercial importers who file their own declarations under an NTN and STRN. An individual receiving one parcel does not register; the courier or clearing agent files on their behalf against a CNIC.
CPFTA reduces customs duty on many Chinese-origin goods but only with a valid Certificate of Origin, which most single-item shipments do not carry. Sales tax and income tax apply regardless. The calculation is in customs duty from China to Pakistan.
Which terms matter most for one item?
- MOQ, because it decides whether you can buy one piece at all.
- Volumetric weight, because it decides what the air freight costs.
- PCT code and customs value, because together they decide the tax.
- DDP and landed price, because they are the difference between knowing the total and finding out at the door.
Everything else on the list is background. When we quote a single item, these four are already worked into the one price in rupees we send, with our fee stated upfront. You pay once before it ships and nothing on delivery. We quote one item per order, never bulk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an HS code and a PCT code?
The HS code is the international six-digit classification. Pakistan extends it to an eight-digit PCT code in its customs tariff, and the PCT code sets the duty rate.
What does MOQ 1 mean?
The seller will sell a single piece. On 1688 it appears as 1件起批. A higher MOQ means you must buy at least that many.
What is volumetric weight and why am I charged for it?
Length times width times height in centimetres divided by 6000 gives the volumetric weight for air. Carriers bill the higher of actual and volumetric weight because space costs as much as mass.
Do I need WeBOC registration to receive one parcel from China?
No. WeBOC and PSW registration are for commercial importers. An individual's parcel is cleared by the courier or agent against a CNIC.
Does CPFTA make my item duty free?
Only for listed goods with a valid Certificate of Origin from China, and only for customs duty. Sales tax and advance income tax still apply.
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