Yeah, "mind blower" is an understatement.
If you are shipping in wooden crates, Chinese Customs will hold the product for a lengthy period of time UNLESS you use treated (fumigated) wood. The concern here are the micro organisms which may habit the wood, then infest the country causing a biohazard. Be sure that all your crates are treated!
As far as the CCC mark, I had no problem except money payments to officials on the Chinese side who could not pay the duty imposed by customs for import. In essence you may end up paying for your own shipment. I can't recall the shipment weight, maybe 2500 lbf or something. It costed me $US 450 for Chinese Custom officials to release to a Chinese national agency. That is not a lot for us in North America, but it is pretty much the annual salary of a Professional Engineer working for their federal government.
The power grid is very different. Rather than 60 Hz phased power they run 50 Hz; another guy I was with had problems with his laptop, I was lucky and only experienced monitor changes in colour. We needed to get their standard plug converter since wall sockets are of different geometry. This isn't a big deal, they are worth pennies in hardware stores in Beijing, a little tougher to come by in the country side. I would recommend buying one there and trying it out in your hotel.
Other than loosing a lot of weight from dietary differences in cusine, I was very well treated, got a lot of respect because I am left-handed, picked up the business custom quickly (bow when presenting your business card, present your business card with two hands and not one, watch were you sit at the dinner table [the host always sits with his back to the door, if you are a guest, sit on the left hand side immediately beside the host, offering a cigarette is a big time complement so learn how to smoke...I did!], pleasure girls are not prostitutes but social male companions (i.e. no sex but social escorts), vehicle license plates are in order of priority: Military, Government (Party Boss), Business and then everyone else (pecking order important). Toasting at the dinner table is never ending, be sure to toast your host and also his other guests. In Beijing, don't drive, don't even think about it. Cabs are plentiful and very, very cheap.
I found the Chinese are not very safety conscious, probably because there are 3 billion people and fatalities are quickly replaced. I know, it sounds harsh right now, but some of your Chinese colleages will actually state this in a more diplomatic language.
Yup, mind blowing is actually mildly putting it!
Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
