How To Import From China

China has become the destined source for numerous products in the past couple of decades. It is, however, important that you know what you have to do for ensuring successful procurement from the nation. The first thing you need to do is to find a trustworthy factory in China. Even though, it is necessary to reduce risks during sourcing, it is difficult to assess the integrity of a factory. Therefore, you need to be careful when making the decisions in the following ways. 1). Reducing risks with the help of a good sourcing agent Conduct research and homework before short listing supplier companies to collaborate with. You can also take the help of a purchasing agent, which sees to it that the business relationship you forge through them lasts for a long time. 2). Facilities in the factory Visit the factory and check the facilities available to the employees there and…

A Factory Audit is a comprehensive yet cost-effective way to make sure your vendor is reliable and offers quality products whether you’re just beginning to work with a factory or want to assess an existing supplier. A common factory audit includes many additional benchmarks, giving you robust insights to the way the factory is managed. Before you place any order, learn why a factoryaudit can save you from making a huge mistake by choosing the wrong factory. 1. Verify Supplier Legitimacy Working with suppliers in China comes with risk, but a factory audit from a reputable quality control firm minimizes uncertainties. It’s difficult to verify a supplier’s claims from a distance, in particular without having industry knowledge. A factory audit can ensure that the factory is legal and has all the necessary certification and licenses to be able to sell and export goods. 2. Confirm Supplier’s Product Expertise A factory audit gives you an inside look at the factory’s showroom…

China presents an excellent opportunity when it comes to sourcing products. In order to succeed, the most import thing is to find a good factory in China. However, this is uneasy. Below are some basic steps to follow: Step 1: Know your product If you don’t know the specifications (input materials, dimensions, components, packaging requirements), the compliance requirements to sell into your country, along with the quality demands of your market, then it is very hard to determine which manufacturer is right for you. Price should never be your only concern! Step 2: Research Trade websites are a great tool for finding factories. However, many professional manufacturers will not advertise through these portals and are instead found through Google, Baidu (the Chinese equivalent) or through industry specific trade shows. Keep up to date as to when and where specific trade shows are held, both in China and in your own country. Step…

With the existence of more and more serious competition in the market, many companies are looking to source in low-cost countries like China. However, many China trading companies fail to provide the clarity that firms need in order to monitor the process. The issues like cultural and language barriers are some that organizations rarely face in the homeland. The companies fall into the trap because they only think about pricing instead of realizing that sourcing can only be beneficial if it covers all the factors comprising cost, lead time, quality, and operational risks. What should you do for deriving benefits? In order to derive benefits from China procurement, the companies should learn to deal first with some of the crucial internal points that may affect the entire setup. To understand this broader picture, a prerequisite for success should be kept on the top priority list. As per the middle management, the…

Chinese economy presents lucrative business opportunities for entrepreneurs in United States and other foreign markets. While there are some risks to sourcing goods from China, you can manage and reduce these risks with a smart and methodical approach. Below are the common mistakes to avoid for sourcing from China: 1. Failing to define a sourcing strategy. When sourcing goods from China, you must have a well-defined sourcing strategy, this includes conducting proper due diligence about who you are dealing with, including intermediaries and manufacturers. You need to know what types of products you need, how much you can sell those products, how much you can afford to spend on those products, and by what date you need the products. You should also have a plan in place for quality control. An experienced China sourcing agent can help you put together a strategy for sourcing goods in China. 2. Failing to define quality…

Step 1 – Creating Engineer Drawings and a Prototype You need to get your idea made into engineer drawings and a prototype. It is crucial that you get both done; it can be difficult to manufacture a product without an engineer drawing that has tolerances, material, and finish requirements. You need a prototype, so you know your product is functional and looks good. You can do this in China, but it is not easy. Communicating with an engineer in China over different time zones can be difficult enough, if there is also a language barrier, the challenge is compounded as difficult ideas and concepts can be hard to translate. Progress is much slower because of this. It is recommended you hire a professional sourcing company in China. We can help you get started on this process if you need help finding an engineering company. Step 2 – Finding a supplier Okay,…

Here are some good step by step tips I learned from my experiences in import and export business. Step 1: Confirm the Products Before sourcing from China, you need to do your homework and decide the products you are after, then, you will need to focus on the main manufacturing areas in China. The supply chain at Yangtze River Delta area specializes on manufacturing small commodities, mechanical equipment, machining parts, auto parts, small tools, die casting parts, and sand-casting parts, however, manufacturers at Pearl River Delta area specializes on electronic products, plastic parts, stainless steel products and home appliances. A list of outsourcing products helps to find the right suppliers. Step 2: Get the Forecast of Volume Both the unit price and shipping cost depend on the volume. If you want to purchase products from China, you should match the requirement of Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ). Also, it is high cost per unit to ship the product…

From my 20-year experience in China sourcing business, I’ve learned that solid quality inspections are crucial to the success of sourcing from China. However, many new importers are not familiar with the types of inspections and do not know what they should choose. I’m glad to share with you the brief inspections as following. Step 1: Pre-production inspection Make sure your supplier uses the right material and components is concerned by some customers. For example, a tumbler should be made from 304 stainless steel, but some unreliable supplier make is instead of 201 stainless steel; A die casting auto parts should be made from A 380 aluminums alloy, but supplier makes it by using ADC 12; A bicycle hub should be used ceramic bearing, but your supplier uses a stainless-steel bearing for you. When you received these products but find that they were not the products you have ordered. If your supplier is a reliable, honesty, and trustworthiness manufacturer, you don’t…