Buying Restaurant Chairs Wholesale from China: Lead Time, Cartons and US Shipping

Short answer: A wholesale order of commercial restaurant chairs typically takes 30-45 days to produce for standard designs and 45-60 days for custom work, counted from approved drawings and sample, then ocean transit and US customs on top. Chairs ship in export cartons, often with legs or backs knocked down to save space, by LCL for small orders or a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high cube container for larger ones. Get the carton spec and the Incoterm right and the rest is logistics.

Chair Foundry (a line by EASEN Commercial Furniture) makes wood, metal and upholstered chairs and stools in our own production base in Lecong, Foshan. Here is the plain version of how 40 to 400 chairs get from our floor to yours.

What sets the production lead time for chairs?

Lead time is not one number. It is the slowest of four queues:

The typical ranges above are confirmed in each quote. What moves your date most is not the factory: it is how fast drawings, finish samples and fabric decisions come back.

Joinery and finish are not places to rush. A mortise-and-tenon or dowelled joint with corner blocks, glued and clamped, holds up to daily dragging for years. The same joint rushed through a short cure is the chair that wobbles in month six. We do not shorten curing to hit a ship date.

How do chairs get packed?

Fully assembled vs knock-down

Wood dining chairs with glued joints ship assembled; the glue is what makes them strong, and we do not break that for freight. Metal chairs like the Crucible Stack Chair nest, so several share one carton. Bar stools often ship with footrest rings or legs detached. Upholstered seats on wood frames commonly ship as a separate drop-in pad, screwed on in minutes.

Carton spec

1. Each chair or stack is bagged in film against dust and moisture.
2. Legs, arms and backs get foam or corrugated corner guards.
3. Cartons are export-grade corrugated board, sized so chairs cannot shift.
4. Hardware is bagged inside each carton with a simple instruction sheet if assembly is needed.
5. Carton labels show model, color, quantity and, for multi-area jobs, the area or floor.

Any wooden pallets used are ISPM 15 treated and marked, as US rules require for wood packaging.

How many chairs fit a container?

It depends on the chair. A nesting steel chair packs far denser than a high-back upholstered armchair. Instead of guessing, we send a packing list with carton dimensions and volumes before you book freight, so you see exactly how full a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high cube will be. If a load is short, it is often worth filling it with stools or table bases you would otherwise buy later.

FOB, CIF or DDP: which term for a chair order?

• FOB (port in South China): we carton the chairs, handle export clearance and get them on the ship. You book ocean freight through your forwarder, then handle US customs, duty and delivery. Most control, usually used by dealers and repeat buyers.
• CIF (US port): we also pay ocean freight and insurance to your port. You pick it up from there, through your broker.
• DDP (your door): one price to your address, including customs and duties. Simplest for a first order.

All three are quoted on request.

What do US customs need for imported chairs?

1. ISF filing before the container is loaded in China; your broker or forwarder files it from our invoice and packing list.
2. Entry filed by a licensed customs broker, with a customs bond.
3. Duties. Seats are classified in the furniture chapter of the tariff schedule, and China-origin furniture currently carries additional Section 301 tariffs on top of normal duty. The treatment has changed several times, so have your broker confirm before you price the job.
4. Documents from us: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and on request fabric and foam specifications plus any test reports available for the specific item.

This is general information, not customs advice.

West Coast or East Coast?

Ships from South China reach West Coast ports by the more direct route. East Coast deliveries can go all-water to an East Coast port or land on the West Coast and continue by rail. Your forwarder should compare door-to-door options to your ZIP, not just the sailing.

Payment and pre-shipment check

Deposit to start production, balance before shipment. Before the balance, we send photos and video of finished chairs: joints, finish color, seat fabric, glides and packed cartons. Third-party inspection firms are welcome to inspect and count at the factory on your behalf.

What to look for in those photos, in order: a chair turned upside down to show corner blocks and glue lines; a close-up of the finish against your approved sample; the seat fabric pattern direction; the glides fitted; a stack of chairs to confirm stack height; and a carton opened to show how chairs sit inside. If something is off, it is cheap to fix in Foshan and expensive to fix in your dining room.

After delivery: the first week

Unbox in the room the chairs will live in, not on the sidewalk. Check counts against the packing list the same day and photograph anything damaged before you sign off with the trucker. Let lacquered chairs air for a day if they smell of finish. Tighten any bolted legs or stool footrests after the first week of service; fasteners settle as the chairs are used, and a quick round with a wrench prevents wobble later.

Numbers to check before you place the order

1. Seat height: 18 in (46 cm) dining, 24-26 in (61-66 cm) counter, 30 in (76 cm) bar.
2. Finish color approved on a physical sample, not a screen.
3. Fabric or vinyl chosen, or COM yardage shipped.
4. Glides chosen for your floor (felt for wood, nylon or rubber for tile and concrete).
5. Quantity including spares; a few extra chairs cost little now and a lot later.
6. Incoterm and customs broker agreed.
7. Receiving plan: a dock or liftgate, and people to carry cartons.

Common mistakes on wholesale chair orders

• No spares. Chairs break or walk out the door. Add a small overage to the first order.
• Approving finish from a photo. Screens lie. Approve a physical finish sample.
• Ignoring stack height. If staff stack chairs at night, confirm how many stack safely.
• Mixing glide types on one floor. Pick one per surface.
• Booking freight before inspection. Approve the photos first, then book.
• Leaving Section 301 out of the landed cost. Ask your broker early.

Browse the metal stacking chairs and bar and counter stools for formats that pack efficiently.

FAQ

How long does a wholesale restaurant chair order take?

Typically 30-45 days of production for standard designs and 45-60 days for custom work after drawings and sample are approved, plus transit and customs. The quote confirms your date.

Do wood chairs ship assembled?

Glued wood dining chairs normally ship assembled to keep joints strong. Metal chairs nest, and stools or upholstered seats are often packed knocked down.

Can I mix chairs and stools in one container?

Yes. Mixed-SKU container loads are welcome, and mixing models often fills the container better.

Who pays the import duty?

Under FOB or CIF you pay duties through your broker. Under DDP, duties are included in the delivered price.