supplier

One question nearly every importer will ask at some point is, “Is this the best price I can get?” Like most importers, you’ve probably questioned whether the price quoted by your supplier is “fair” and “reasonable”. You might have wondered if you could get a lower price from another supplier. And maybe you’ve had the foresight to balance other important factors against price, such as quality and supplier relationships. 1. Get quotes from multiple suppliers Anyone who’s bothered to shop around at multiple stores knows it’s not always wise to accept the first price you see for an item, especially if that item is costly. The same logic applies when it comes to suppliers. It’s essential to obtain quotes from different suppliers before purchasing an order. You’ll gain a better understanding of the overall market rate for certain items. If you accept the first quote a supplier offers, you might be…

On international trade forums, there are lots of stories shared about bad experience of working with a wrong supplier, they look daunting. However, you can avoid the majority by following right steps to successful sourcing in China: Step 1. Assess suppliers’ ability to communicate Many buyers begin the process of sourcing from China by trying to looking for suppliers based on whether they can offer the product they want at the right quality level and price. But a supplier’s ability to communicate is equally important. In fact, poor communication between customers and suppliers is one of the major causes for manufacturing troubles. Pay attention to the following when communicating with a potential supplier: • Responsiveness – How long does it take for your main contact to respond to your questions, comments and concerns? • Attention to detail – Are the responses you’re receiving thorough and complete? • Clarity – Does the supplier…

When you source from China, you need to find a good supplier, but it’s a big challenge. If you’ve found a supplier with all below five qualities, you can be confident you have found a relatively good one. 1. Accountability Admitting to a mistake can be difficult. But when your goods are on the line, it’s essential that you’re working with someone who can take responsibility for their half of a deal and actively work to fix any problems that occur. That’s why accountability tops the list of qualities of a good supplier. Imagine finding untrimmed threads in 25 percent of an order of garments you’re importing. Even though this might be considered a “minor defect”, the number of pieces affected makes it impossible to ignore. A supplier with accountability will take responsibility for the quality problem and work to address it quickly. They might offer to remove the untrimmed threads…

Do you want to source from China, and learn how to identify a legit supplier without visiting China? Pls remember below 6 things before your actions. 1. Check business licenses All legal companies in China must register with the Chinese government authorities and are given a unique company registration number. To verify this registration number, you just need to visit their local administrative government website or contact Bureau of Industry Commerce in China for verification. If the supplier is not willing to give you this registration number, it is not advisable to transact with it. 2. Use search engines Go to their website go through their policies and be sure that they have put their contact information and physical address on the site. Then use your search engine like Google, Bing or Yahoo, search “company name+ scam” or “company name+ dishonest,” If there are complaints from previous customers they leave a trace…

You can source almost anything and everything from China nowadays. With a population of 1.5 billion and one of the fastest booming economies, China offers a convenient one stop option for most of your manufacturing purposes. However, finding a suitable supplier who can meet your qualifications is the true challenge importers face. Below is some useful advice for importing from China. 1. Screen your potential suppliers When choosing a supplier, you should have a checklist of all the relevant criteria you are looking for. The criteria should include supplier’s references, the scope of their business, the system for quality management. Don’t be blinded by a lower price and ignore everything else: you usually get what you pay for. Afterwards, compare each supplier to your checklist and see how they measure up; you could give them a score. When you’re done, pick the top three or four companies and reach out to…

If you are planning to buy from China producers then you want to ensure that you get good product. The Chinese are notorious for placing quantity high above quality when manufacturing products. Although workers are normally committed to their tasks, they don’t receive much pay or incentive to meet quality guidelines, only quota expectations. Therefore, we are providing five steps that will help you to ensure that you locate good manufacturers to do business with and receive good product when you buy from China. Step 1 – Research Sources When you locate potential Chinese trading partners, don’t assume that they are legit or provide acceptable products off the bat. Request references and follow through with checking them out. Also, don’t rely on emails, but attempt to set up phone interviews to acquire reference information. If your supplier can’t or won’t supply you with at least a couple of references, or you can’t get…

When selecting an overseas supplier, you need to get the right price and quality, while making sure the supplier can be relied upon to meet high standards and delivery dates consistently. The reliability of your supplier is crucial. While a competitive price is also important, make sure that low prices don’t come with unacceptable compromises on quality or on the level of service you will receive. Selecting a supplier The main stages in the supplier-selection process are: Drawing up a shortlist of potential suppliers Comparing the shortlisted suppliers on the basis of value for money, reliability and creditworthiness Visiting the suppliers, if possible, to see their operations Deciding which of the suppliers to work with Value for money from suppliers Make sure that you’re happy with the price, quality and terms the supplier is offering. Get a written quotation. Any quotation should clearly state the terms of sale – i.e. how…

From time to time, some small importers find me, tell me the story that unacceptable Chinese products are received, and ask me how they can force a Chinese supplier to refund an order. My response is usually “forget it, and do things right on your next order (make sure you read about best practices).” There are four important things to keep in mind when you buy from China: 1. Preproduction samples are not indicative of average quality Your supplier might show you nice samples, and pretend that they come from a past production of that factory. Do not think that’s what you will receive. Even if that’s true, who knows if they were the nicest pieces out of a batch that counted 90% defectives? Don’t forget, most assembly and finishing operations are done by hand in low-labor-cost countries. 2. After you have paid, you have no more leverage with your supplier What will…