How to import mobile phone parts from China wholesale: the complete guide

China, and Shenzhen in particular, is where the vast majority of the phone spare parts sold in Europe come from. Screens, batteries, back covers, charging boards, cameras, flex cables and accessories all leave the same factories and markets, whoever is buying them. The difference between a profitable business and a warehouse full of returns lies in who you buy from and how.

At R'S WARE we have spent 16 years as sourcing agents in China, and mobile phones are one of our strongest areas of expertise. We have been there, we know the suppliers in person and we have imported a large number of containers of phone parts for our wholesale clients. Screens, for example, are ordered every 15 days by air freight. What we explain in this guide is what we apply to every purchase.

Whether you are reading this because you want to start importing parts wholesale or because your current purchases keep causing problems, this guide will help you understand the process. And if you would rather not learn it the hard way, ask us for a quote and we will handle everything: supplier, quality, freight and customs.

Which mobile phone parts are imported from China

Practically every replacement part in a smartphone is made in China:

• Screens (LCD/OLED with digitizer, with or without frame): the best-selling part and the one that generates the most issues.
• Batteries for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and laptops.
• Back covers and housings, with or without camera lens.
• Charging boards and connectors (USB-C, Lightning).
• Rear and front cameras, camera lenses and bezels.
• Flex cables: power and volume, main flex, Face ID, proximity sensor, earpiece speaker, flash.
• Small parts: loudspeakers and buzzers, vibration motors, SIM trays, antennas, buttons, screws and adhesives.
• Tools and consumables for repair shops: microscopes, soldering stations, solder paste, screen separators, glues and OCA film.
• Accessories: cases, screen protectors, chargers, cables, earphones and power banks.

We work with all of these product families and with catalogues of thousands of SKUs. A single order can combine screens, batteries, small parts and accessories from different suppliers, consolidated into one shipment.

Screen grades: the hardest part to get right

The same iPhone or Samsung screen can cost ten times more or less depending on its grade. If the order does not specify the exact grade, the supplier will send whichever suits them. These are the most common:

• Incell / LTPS: LCD with integrated touch. This is the budget option. It works well, but has lower brightness and contrast, poorer viewing angles and often higher power consumption than the original.
• Soft OLED: OLED on a flexible substrate, very close to the original in colour, brightness and thickness. It is the most popular mid-range grade.
• Hard OLED: OLED on a rigid substrate. Cheaper than Soft, but slightly thicker and more fragile under impact.
• Original / Service Pack: genuine manufacturer or service-channel part. It is the most expensive and the most counterfeited.
• Pulled original (refurbished): original panel recovered from a device, sometimes with replaced glass. Good quality at a good price, but you need to check for marks, dead pixels and burn-in.

Besides the grade, you need to pin down the details that cause returns:

• With or without frame (and the frame colour on Samsung).
• Transferable IC: on recent iPhones it lets you move the chip from the original screen to keep True Tone, although iOS may still report that the part is not genuine.
• Refresh rate (60 or 120 Hz on Pro models).
• Exact model variant: an A52 4G and an A52 5G do not always share the same screen.

This is where first-time buyers lose the most money. We know which factories deliver in each grade because we have tested them over the years. We advise you on the grade that fits your selling price and fix it in writing on every order.

Have a list of part numbers and not sure where to start? Send it to us and we will help you define the grade of each part, find the right supplier and quote the complete import. Request a quote (choose the category "Mobile phones (spare parts & accessories)").

Batteries: real capacity, compatibility and safety

Batteries are the second best-selling part and the riskiest, both for the end user and in transit. When buying them, insist on:

• Real capacity, not just the figure printed on the label. Some "high-capacity" batteries do not even reach their rated capacity. It is worth testing a sample with a charge/discharge analyser.
• New cells, with a recent manufacturing date and no charge cycles.
• Compatible chip or flex: on iPhone it allows the system to show battery health, although on recent models it may still report that the battery is not genuine.
• Documentation: UN38.3 test summary, safety data sheet (SDS) and EU declaration of conformity.

In the European Union, the new Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 also applies. It introduces labelling and producer responsibility obligations (registration and waste management) for whoever places batteries on the market.

How lithium batteries are shipped from China

Lithium batteries are class 9 dangerous goods and do not travel like any other parcel:

• Loose batteries (UN3480): the most restricted. They are banned on passenger aircraft, and on cargo aircraft they require approved packaging, labels and a dangerous goods declaration.
• Batteries contained in or packed with equipment (UN3481): fewer restrictions, but documentation is still required.
• Sea and rail freight: allow large volumes of batteries at lower cost, in exchange for longer lead times.

Many express courier companies refuse loose batteries or only accept them under a specific contract. A wrongly declared package can end up held at the airport or returned to origin. We separate the batteries from the rest of the order and ship them through the appropriate channels, with all documentation in order.

Phone accessories: regulations you must comply with

Accessories look simpler, but they also have their requirements:

• Chargers: CE marking (low voltage and electromagnetic compatibility), RoHS and energy efficiency under Regulation (EU) 2019/1782.
• Cables, earphones and power banks: CE, RoHS and electronic waste management (WEEE).
• Cases and protectors: no electrical requirements, but attention to materials and trademarks.

For all of them, ask the supplier for the test reports and check that they correspond to the actual product, not a similar one.

Brands and logos: beware of customs

A common mistake is importing back covers, cases or boxes bearing the Apple, Samsung or other brand logos. Even as a spare part, an item carrying a third party's trademark without authorisation can be treated as counterfeit. Customs has the power to seize and destroy it, and the trademark owner can take action.

The prudent approach is to buy covers and accessories without logos, or to make sure they are genuine parts with traceability. Stating compatibility ("for iPhone 15") as a reference is permitted.

How to choose a wholesale mobile phone parts supplier in China

Most of the industry is in Shenzhen, around the Huaqiangbei electronics market, with thousands of distributors, screen factories and refurbishing workshops. If you are searching on your own, look at:

• Specialisation: a supplier that sells everything rarely controls quality well. Better one focused on screens, another on batteries and another on small parts.
• Warranty policy (RMA): ask what defect rate they accept, within what timeframe, and whether they refund or replace.
• Pre-shipment testing: good suppliers test every screen (touch, image, brightness) before packing it.
• Ability to handle broad catalogues: parts buying involves many SKUs in very different quantities.
• Batch-to-batch consistency: the Soft OLED in your second order should be the same as in your first.

Finding a supplier that ticks all these boxes takes time, travel and, almost always, a failed batch or two. We have already been down that road: we work with suppliers we have visited, verified and tested over the years, and from whom we buy on an ongoing basis. With R'S WARE you do not start from scratch.

Quality control before paying for the batch

With spare parts, quality control makes the difference between a healthy margin and a warehouse full of returns. Before the goods leave China, check:

• Screens: power-on, touch across the whole surface, dead pixels, blemishes, colour tone, brightness and frame fit.
• Batteries: resting voltage, capacity on a sample, manufacturing date and no swelling.
• Charging boards and flex cables: connector, fast charging and microphone.
• Packaging: anti-static bags, rigid foam for screens and boxes that can withstand stacking.

A pre-shipment inspection costs far less than returning an entire batch, especially when the supplier already has your money. That is why we carry it out before the final payment, while defects can still be claimed.

Customs, duties and VAT

Each product family falls under a different tariff heading. Screen modules are classified under 8524, other phone parts under 8517.79, lithium batteries under 8507.60 and chargers under 8504.40. Each heading has its own duty rate, to which the import VAT of the destination EU country is added (e.g. 21% in Spain). The final classification is confirmed item by item at customs clearance.

Since July 2021, low-value consignments are no longer exempt from VAT anywhere in the EU, so it pays to group purchases into consolidated shipments with professional customs clearance. A commercial invoice and a packing list detailing every SKU prevent holds and inspections. If you want to run the numbers before you start, we explain how to calculate import costs and which taxes you pay.

Why import your mobile phone parts with R'S WARE

• 16 years as sourcing agents in China, with mobile phones as one of our strongest areas of expertise: a large number of containers of parts imported and screens shipped by air every 15 days.
• Suppliers visited, verified and tested: we never propose anyone we have not worked with before.
• A single point of contact for everything: supplier sourcing, negotiation, quality control, freight (including lithium batteries) and customs.

How we work with you

1. You tell us what you need: part numbers, grades, volumes and purchase frequency.
2. We find and vet specialist suppliers for each product family.
3. We quote the complete import, with the grade of each SKU fixed in writing.
4. We inspect in China before the final payment.
5. We ship and clear customs, by air or sea depending on the product and urgency, all the way to your warehouse.

Do you distribute phone parts or accessories and want to buy directly in China? Request your quote with the part numbers you need and we will reply within 24-48 business hours.