Certification: find out who actually holds it
The first question on a first order is not price. It is who the certificate holder is, because that decides whose name is on the paperwork when a customs officer or a retail chain auditor asks.
- On the manufacturer. Simplest. The certificate covers the model and the factory, and your name appears only on the label.
- On the importer. Some markets require the importer to hold the local approval. This is normal, but it means you own the approval process and its renewal.
- On a third party. Occasionally encountered. Ask directly, and ask for the certificate number so it can be verified.
Ask for certificate numbers, not certificate logos. A logo on a brochure costs nothing; a certificate number can be looked up. This is also the point at which to confirm which standard the model was tested to and at which climate class.
Electrical: voltage, frequency and plug
This is where first orders most often go wrong, and it goes wrong in a way that is expensive to fix after the container has sailed.
| Market | Voltage / frequency | Typical plug | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Europe | 220 - 240 V / 50 Hz | Schuko (CEE 7/7) | UK and Ireland differ |
| United Kingdom | 230 V / 50 Hz | Type G (13 A fused) | Ring main, fused plug |
| North America | 115 V / 60 Hz | NEMA 5-15 or 5-20 | Compressor must be 60 Hz rated |
| Middle East | 230 V / 50 Hz, or 400 V / 50 Hz | Type G or CEE | Mixed across the region |
| Australia / NZ | 230 V / 50 Hz | Type I | Insulated pin required |
| Japan | 100 V / 50 or 60 Hz | Type A | Two frequencies, region by region |
Never assume, always state
- Voltage and frequency must be stated on the purchase order, not inferred from the country
- Compressors and fans are frequency-specific — a 50 Hz unit on 60 Hz will not perform as labelled
- Ask for the cable length and where the plug exits the cabinet before you order
- If the cabinet will be built into a counter, agree the service access now, not on site
Packaging: the standard you are actually buying
Packaging is quoted as a line item and understood as an afterthought. On a full container it is what decides whether the cabinets arrive in the condition they left in, particularly on the last leg of the journey where the pallet may be handled twice more.
For export we normally use corner protection, edge boards, stretch film, and a pallet or base designed for forklift entry from at least two sides. If your market involves a long inland haul on poor roads, increase corner protection and discuss whether the units travel upright — some cabinet designs must never be laid flat because of the compressor mounting and refrigerant oil.
State clearly on the order whether the units must remain upright, and mark the cartons accordingly. This is a cheap instruction that prevents an expensive argument.
Spares and documentation on the same vessel
A container of cabinets with no spare parts is a container of cabinets with a support risk attached. The marginal cost of adding spares to a first order is small, because they travel in space you have already paid for.
- Controllers, door gaskets and hinges — the parts that fail first and are model-specific
- A spare condensing fan motor, and a spare evaporator fan or two
- Exploded parts diagrams with part numbers, in a language your service team reads
- Wiring diagram, controller manual and a commissioning sheet
Ask for the documentation as a PDF before shipment, not with the container. Reading the controller manual in advance is how you avoid discovering, on the day the cabinets arrive, that somebody has to translate it.
Terms, timeline and the first-order plan
| Item | What to agree in writing |
|---|---|
| Incoterm | FOB, CIF or DDP — and exactly which port or address |
| Payment | Deposit and balance trigger, tied to a document you will receive |
| Lead time | Working days from deposit and from drawing approval, stated separately |
| Inspection | Who inspects, at which stage, and against what checklist |
| Warranty | Duration, what it covers, and how a claim is actually processed |
| Spares | List, quantity, and whether they ship with the first container |
A well-run first order is not the one with the lowest price. It is the one where nobody has to make a decision on the quayside.
Send us the destination, the electrical standard and the retail format you are supplying, and we will put a first-order pack together with the certification position, the packaging standard and a spares list sized for your volume.
Chen has specified cabinets for markets in the Gulf, West Africa and South-East Asia since 2014, and handles hot-climate RFQs at Dixue.
