China is a global manufacturing hub, and it stays ahead because of low rates, good quality, best infrastructure, top talent, and government support. If you're interested in direct sourcing from China, it's important to understand the process and have a basic understanding of how international trade works.
There is a lot of information out there on sourcing products in China. The difficulty is knowing where to start. Having a plan before pursuing a business in China is the key if you want to avoid confusion and save money. This article will help you prepare for your product sourcing journey in China.
Beginner's guide to help you directly source from China
1. Research and identify products
Start by researching the products you want to source from China. Identify the specific types of products and their specifications to narrow down your search.
The best way to start is by looking at your current market and identifying gaps in supply or demand that need filling. For example, if there isn't any good service provider in your area who sells high-quality office chairs at an affordable price then maybe this could become something worth exploring further down the line (and potentially profitably).
2. Find reliable suppliers
Look for reliable suppliers who can manufacture the products you need. You can use online platforms like Alibaba, Global Sources, or Made-in-China to search for suppliers. Check their company profiles, customer reviews, and ratings to gauge their reliability.
Finding verified suppliers in China can be a daunting task, especially if you’re new to sourcing. One way of making sure that you find a good supplier is by looking at their track record and reputation.
The best way to do this is by asking other businesses that have worked with them in the past. You can also look at reviews on any online marketplace sites, such as Alibaba or Amazon. If there are any negative comments about the company, consider whether these could be an issue for your business—and if so, perhaps consider another supplier instead of risking problems later down the line.
3. Verify supplier credentials
Before finalizing a supplier, verify their credentials. Request business licenses, certifications, and other relevant documents to ensure they are legitimate and have the necessary qualifications to produce your products.
4. Communicate and negotiate
Establish communication channels with potential suppliers. Clearly communicate your product requirements, quality standards, pricing expectations, and desired order quantities. Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and production timelines to reach mutually beneficial agreements.
If you're dealing with a company in China, they will likely have an English-speaking representative on staff who can help you communicate with the supplier. However, this person may not always be available or be able to interpret every message. If your communication is sensitive and requires quick responses, it's best to find someone else who speaks Chinese fluently so that they can act as an interpreter for both parties involved.
Another way is to find a procurement agents in China, who have no language barrier when communicating with factory and buyers. They can always help you to find manufacturers in China and sort things out smoothly.
5. Request samples
Request product samples from shortlisted suppliers to assess their quality. This step is crucial to ensure the products meet your expectations and requirements before proceeding with larger orders.
6. Place an order
Once you're satisfied with the product samples, place a trial order with your chosen supplier. This order will help you evaluate their production capabilities, reliability, and responsiveness. Monitor the entire process closely, including production, packaging, and shipment order monitoring.
Once you've selected a supplier, it's time to get down to business. To place an order:
- Review your selected suppliers' catalogues and product selections.
- Decide which products you want to purchase and how much you want to buy for each type of product (quantity). Make sure that the amount meets your budget!
- Specify whether you want samples from each supplier before placing an order for final production items (if so, select "Yes" next to the option asking if you'd like free samples).
7. Quality control
Implement a quality control process to ensure the products meet your standards. You can hire a China inspection agency to conduct inspections at different stages of production, such as incoming quality control and pre-shipment inspections.
8. Arrange shipping and logistics
Coordinate with your supplier to arrange shipping and logistics. You can choose between air freight or sea freight, depending on the urgency and volume of your order. Familiarize yourself with shipping terms and international trade regulations to ensure smooth transportation.
9. Manage customs and import regulations
Familiarize yourself with the customs regulations and import requirements of your country. Ensure that your supplier provides the necessary documentation, including commercial invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin, to facilitate smooth customs clearance.
10. Payment and intellectual property protection
Agree on payment terms with your supplier, considering factors like initial deposit, progress payments, and final payment. Protect your intellectual property rights by signing appropriate agreement, such as non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or manufacturing agreement.
11. Build long-term relationships
Once you find reliable suppliers, foster long-term relationships with them. Maintain open lines of communication, provide feedback, and nurture trust. Building strong relationships can lead to better pricing, priority in production, and smoother transactions in the future.
What are their terms of business?
Once you've narrowed down your list of potential suppliers, it's time to dig deeper. Look at their terms of business – what are their shipping policies? Do they have a minimum order quantity or value? What are their payment terms and delivery timescales? If any of these don't match up with what you're looking for, then it might be time to move on.
How do they ship?
Once you’ve found the items you want to sell, and the samples looks good. Then the next step is to buy product from China in bulk and find out the cost-effective way to arrange shipment.
Also, consider how long it takes for them to ship your goods once an order has been placed. You don’t want to wait too long for them if it means missing out on sales in the meantime!
When sending goods oversea, there are two main options: air freight or sea freight. Airfreight is typically faster than sea freight, but also more expensive due to the costs associated with transporting goods by plane rather than boat (or truck). If the ordering product quantity is not big enough for full container, LCL shipment is a good option to save money. Some companies may offer different rates depending on whether their products are shipped by air or sea: give us a call before placing an order so we can help make sure that what works best with your international shipment needs.
What’s the expected delivery time?
The first thing to look at when considering a supplier is the time it takes for them to deliver your products. It’s important to know whether you’re ordering something small and affordable, like a few keychains or t-shirts, or whether you need more than that—like tens of thousands of units of a whole range of items.
If it’s the former, then the delivery time won't be much different from what you'd expect if ordering from any other online store: 7-14 days depending on where in China they're located and how quickly your shipment can get through customs. If it's the latter though, then shipments can take up to six weeks or even longer for certain products (such as large machinery).
Is any import tax payable?
Once you order is shipped out, you may be required to pay import taxes. Import taxes are applied to goods as they enter a country, based on the value of the product. Many countries have different laws and regulations for importing products, so it’s important for importers to understand how these laws work.
Import taxes are typically paid by the importer directly when their goods are being cleared through customs at their destination port or airport.
What's their quality control like?
As you're sure to know, quality control is an important part of any manufacturing process. The supplier can have the best equipment and workers in the world, but if their quality control process is lax or non-existent, your product's quality will be compromised.
For example: If a supplier doesn't check their products with x-ray machines before, they ship them out, they could end up sending you faulty items that you'll have to throw away or return at a significant cost. It's also possible they'll send you something completely different than what you ordered—and that's never fun!
To ensure this doesn't happen with your China product sourcing business relationship, ask each potential supplier these questions:
How do they ensure quality control? What is their quality control process? How does it work? Can it provide examples of how it works? What are its standards for measuring success in achieving QC objectives? This information will help ensure that any problems are resolved before the goods leave China so there's less risk of delays, extra costs from returns/exchanges/etc., and more time spent focused on growing revenue instead of dealing with problems caused by poor suppliers' practices such as subpar products being shipped out without inspection first.
And you can always hire a local QC to conduct China inspection.
What’s their returns policy?
Many of these details can be found in an emailed quote or contract between you and your supplier. However, if you are working with multiple suppliers at once—as most businesses do—then it is important to keep track of where each one stands on this issue so that all parties involved know where they stand when dealing with returns.
What happens if something goes wrong?
- If your product is defective, you can contact the supplier to either replace or refund you. The time frame for this depends on the type of product and level of damage. For example, if you find a defect in an electronic device after using it for two months and the item is still under warranty (the supplier's period), they might be required by law to cover all or part of the shipping costs back to them.
- If your shipment arrives late or is damaged in transit, contact both your supplier and shipping company immediately so they can initiate a claim with the carrier responsible for delivering the goods—this means uploading photos as evidence before filing a dispute through PayPal or another payment platform where applicable.
If there are any discrepancies about what was ordered versus what arrived, reach out directly to both parties involved: manufacturer first; then suppliers who sourced materials from that manufacturer; finally, shipper who transported cargo across borders into China.
Conclusion
Remember, purchasing from China factories directly involves risks and challenges, such as language barriers, cultural differences, order follow-up, and quality control. Conduct thorough research, exercise due diligence, and take necessary precautions to mitigate these risks, or to simply hire a reliable product sourcing agent in China.
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