Frequently asked questions about importing from China
Everything a buyer wonders before sourcing in China, answered plainly, with no spin.
These are the questions importers ask us most: payment, quality, lead times, customs, who owns the moulds. Short, honest answers, each pointing to the page that goes deeper.
Who it is for, and getting started
- Do you work with small businesses and first-time importers?
- Yes. Many of the people we work with are importing from China for the first time, or formalising a supply chain that is still hands-on. Our role is precisely to build the framework, suppliers, control, logistics, that you do not have the time or the network to build alone.
- Is there a minimum volume or budget to work with you?
- We set no rigid threshold. What matters is that a project makes economic sense: a cost of support that stays small against the value of the orders. Below a certain volume, a one-off scoping engagement often beats a monthly retainer, and we say so plainly from the first conversation.
- What happens in the first conversation?
- You tell us about your product, your volumes and your constraints. We give you an honest first read, feasibility, ballpark pricing, the traps of your sector, and the next steps, within 24 working hours. The conversation carries no commitment.
- Do you only source in Guangzhou, or across China?
- Our base is in Guangzhou, in the heart of Guangdong, but we source across the whole of China depending on the product: Foshan for furniture, Keqiao for fabric, Shenzhen for electronics, Zhejiang for outdoor. The Canton Fair, in fact, gathers most of these clusters in one place twice a year.
Suppliers, samples & quality
- How do you confirm a factory is a real manufacturer, not a trader?
- On the ground. A trader resells someone else's output under its own name; a real manufacturer has lines, workers and a business licence consistent with the product. We visit the workshop and cross-check the business licence, the real capacity and the references. It is the first thing that separates a good price from a good delivery.
- Who pays for samples, and how long do they take?
- Samples are usually at your expense: that is the norm, and a sign of seriousness on both sides. Allow a few days to a few weeks depending on complexity and customisation. We approve a reference sample (sealed sample) that governs the whole run.
- Do you use third-party inspection bodies (SGS, Bureau Veritas, QIMA)?
- Yes, when the stakes justify it. We control production ourselves and inspect before loading; for sensitive projects we additionally appoint an independent third party that issues a standardised report. An inspection costs a fraction of a non-compliant container.
- What happens if the goods arrive defective?
- The point of our method is that it does not happen: nothing ships without a pre-shipment inspection. Because we underwrite the contracts and pay the suppliers from our own account, you have a single accountable counterpart in a dispute, us, rather than a distant factory you wired a deposit to.
Payment, contract & ownership
- How is my payment secured? Do I pay a deposit to the factory?
- No. You do not wire a deposit to a factory you have never seen. The house contracts in its own name and pays suppliers from its own account: the payment risk sits with us, not with you. You deal with a single counterpart, on stated fees.
- What currency are orders settled in?
- Chinese factories most often invoice in US dollars (USD), sometimes in yuan (RMB). On your side, we set up clear invoicing in euros. The exchange rate and its movement are among the parameters we fold into the landed cost.
- Do you sign a contract and a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)?
- Yes. The relationship is framed by a clear contract, and we sign a non-disclosure agreement as soon as your project calls for it: drawings, specifications, brand. Confidentiality also applies towards the suppliers we select.
- Who owns the moulds and tooling I pay for?
- You do, as long as it is in writing. An injection mould or dedicated tooling is paid for once and must remain your property, even if you change factory. We set this down in the specification and the contract, a point many buyers discover too late.
- Can the supplier copy my product?
- The risk is real and naivety will not fix it. It can be reduced: NDA, trademark or design registration where relevant, splitting up sensitive information, choosing suppliers with a reputation to lose. We help you calibrate what needs protecting, without paralysing the project.
Logistics, lead times & customs
- Should I ship by sea or by air?
- By sea in the vast majority of cases: three to five weeks to Europe, at a cost far below air freight. Air only makes sense for urgency, small high-value volumes or a launch. We weigh it up against your margin and your timeline.
- What is a full container load (FCL) versus groupage (LCL)?
- With FCL (Full Container Load) you book a whole container, 20 or 40 foot, to yourself; it is the most economical per unit of volume once the box is full. With LCL (Less than Container Load) your goods share a container with others: handy for small volumes, but dearer per cubic metre and slightly slower to clear customs.
- Does Chinese New Year affect lead times?
- Greatly. Factories close for one to two weeks around Chinese New Year (late January or February), and the restart is gradual, workforce and quality included. A production run straddling that period must be planned ahead; we set the schedule to avoid or absorb it.
- Do you handle customs clearance on arrival in Europe?
- We run the chain through to your warehouse and work with freight forwarders who handle import clearance. Depending on the Incoterm, these operations are in your hands (FOB) or built into the service (DDP). Either way, every line of cost is named for you.
Useful terms, in plain words
- What is a MOQ, and can it be reduced?
- The MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is the smallest quantity a manufacturer will produce for one reference. It protects their economics: set-up, materials, launch. It is negotiable: part of our job is to secure a reasonable first run, even at a slightly higher unit cost, before scaling up once the supplier is proven.
- What is landed cost?
- It is the real cost of a product delivered to your warehouse, not just the factory price: FOB price + freight + insurance + customs duty + VAT + ancillary fees (clearance, handling, final delivery). It is the only figure that lets you set a fair selling price; our calculator lays it out in two minutes.
- What is an Incoterm, in one sentence?
- An Incoterm (EXW, FOB, DDP and so on) is a code published by the International Chamber of Commerce that says, at each step, how far the seller carries the goods, who pays for what, and from when the risk passes to you. Picked at random, it surfaces costs on the dock.
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