China produces roughly 80% of the world’s toys, and most of the battery-operated and pretend-play lines come from one place: Chenghai district, Shantou. Here is the complete process for a first-time wholesale buyer in 2026, from finding a supplier to receiving cleared goods.
Decide category (battery-operated, educational, pretend-play, dolls, summer/outdoor), target retail price, and order size. Suppliers quote faster when you send a photo or reference product.
A usable toy quotation always contains: FOB price (usually FOB Shantou/Shenzhen), MOQ, units per carton, carton dimensions, CBM per carton, gross/net weight and lead time. Sea freight is billed by volume — without CBM you cannot calculate landed cost.
Check the certification your market requires before ordering: ASTM F963-23 + CPC (USA), CE/EN 71 (EU), CE under Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 (UK), INMETRO (Brazil, allow 3–6 months), NOM (Mexico). Ask the supplier for material specs and existing test reports.
Order samples (usually courier cost only). Typical toy production lead time is 25–40 days after deposit. Standard payment is 30% deposit / 70% before shipment, by T/T.
Book a pre-shipment inspection for first orders (about US$200–300 per man-day from major agencies). Choose LCL if your order is under ~15 CBM, FCL for a 20ft (~28 CBM) or 40ft HQ (~68 CBM) container. Transit: ~18–25 days to US West Coast, ~30–35 days to Europe, ~35–40 days to Brazil/Mexico.
Toys generally enter under HS heading 9503. Base duty is 0% in the US, but Chinese-origin toys currently carry additional tariffs (~17.5% combined as of mid-2026 — verify with your broker). The EU applies 0% duty on most toys plus VAT at import; Brazil and Mexico apply their own duty + tax schedules.
Landed cost ≈ FOB price + freight per unit (freight cost ÷ units per container) + duty/taxes + inspection/certification amortized. For lights-and-sound B/O toys, freight typically adds 8–15% and US tariffs another ~17.5% of FOB.
LeTin Toys is a Chenghai-based sourcing and trading partner for battery-operated, educational, summer and doll toys. One inquiry covers multiple product lines from different local workshops — we consolidate, track production and arrange inspection. Every product page shows full carton data for instant landed-cost math. Send an inquiry with your target product — we reply within 24 hours.