Frequently asked questions about importing from China

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.

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.

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 one business day. The conversation carries no commitment.

Our base is in Guangzhou, in 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The risk is real and naivety will not fix it. It can be reduced: a written confidentiality and no-manufacturing-for-third-parties undertaking signed by the factory, splitting up sensitive information, choosing suppliers with a reputation to lose and, where relevant, protection of your trademarks and designs by your intellectual property counsel. We organise confidentiality on the factory side; the strategy for protecting your rights is a matter for your counsel.

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.

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.

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.