1. How to be a great buyer?
First of all, check the information of the supplier. Try to know the capital, registry date & expiry date, third-party professional qualification certification of audit, etc. Anything which can prove the supplier is reliable and trustworthy is important.
Second, according to the supplier's scale, date of found, productive capacity, number of employees, sales, mechanical equipment, annual turnover, main clients, major markets, you can well know the strength of enterprises.
Third, make sure the supplier understand what you are saying and what you need. It should have good communication skills and enough experience on international trading.
Fourth, make sure the supplier could offer you good services. Find out whether the supplier has a professional team to help you solving technical problem, give you professional comments on your product promotion and market, and whether it has a professional after-sale service team or overseas repair centers.
Finally, price is not the most important thing. Be wary of a supplier who offers an especially high or low price. Buyer is easy to be tempted by such offers, but they are often attempted by scammer. In business, there is word of "you get what you pay for" is often painfully true.
2. How to source online?
Educate yourself about how to source online by reading resources offered from Made-in-china.com. Every day new suppliers register on B2B websites such as Made-in-china.com.
When sending an inquiry to a supplier, make sure you state your request in detail. Let the supplier know: exactly what you are looking for, the quantity you require, your location, expected price range, delivery time requirements, and etc.
3.How to find reliable suppliers online?
Provide clear requirements regarding product quality, material specification, and dimensions etc. Obtain quality certificates including material composition reports, independent quality reports and other evidence of testing and inspection. Obtain samples for assessment. If possible visit the factory. Provide suppliers with detailed feedback about the product and how they can improve their service.
4.What's the difference between a trader and an original manufacture?
Price: Sometimes factory can offer competitive price. Sometimes trading company can offer competitive prices due to its ability of brokering larger quantity of products, hence obtaining a lower cost of goods from the factory. Quality: Sometimes factory can control the quality first hand. Sometimes trading company is able to understand and apply better quality control management to ensure products meet world-class standards. Knowledge of technology and products: Factories have expert knowledge of the technology and products. When you want to develop new technology or customize your products, factories can understand your needs better than trading companies.
Communication: Sometimes factory staffs are not familiar with other cultures and their associated ways of doing business. An established trading company may already have talents that understand and practice international business conducts and can better connect with overseas clients.
So if you are thinking about whether to choose factories instead of trading companies, the answer is "it depends".
5. How to confirm a China supplier is a manufacturer not a trading company?
You can look at the supplier's brochure to tell trading company from factory. If a supplier offers products from lighting to floor mat then electronics, it is probably trading company. You can also check out the introduction of the supplier, if it has very good research and development capacity, maybe it's a factory. Factories normally locate in suburb area or rural area, if your supplier is in Hong Kong or Taiwan without any Mainland address, it's probably a trading company.
6. How to make sure my supplier is an authorized reseller?
Contact the owner of the brand to confirm if they are an authorized reseller.
7. How to buy small quantity from China when China factories set high MOQ?
Factories will ignore your inquiry if your quantity is too small, which can't reach their minimum order quantity. You are suggested to buy from wholesaler whose price is also very competitive, in some cases, will be even cheaper than buying directly from factory.
8. Is price the most important thing when I select suppliers?
There is an old saying in China: "Cheap things are not so good." If you are hoping to find products that are "Italian designed, German quality, and Chinese price." It must be a joke. When it comes to international trading, everything boils down to a factory's competitive advantage: can it compete on quality and price? If the price is right and the quality is good, then you can move on to consider other factors such as delivery terms and warranty terms.
9. Should I buy from a China supplier with little experience of international trading but whose price is lower?
You'd better deal with suppliers that have already done exports before, which would save your time and energy to communicate about export terms and related export procedures.
10. Internet resources to help you source in China
Ministry of Commerce
Ministry of Commerce of People's Republic of China's mission is to formulate development strategies, guidelines and policies of domestic and foreign trade and international economic cooperation, draft laws and regulations governing domestic and foreign trade, economic cooperation and foreign investment, devise implementation rules and regulations and so on.
On the website, you can find bilateral and multilateral agreements between Chinese government and foreign governments/organization, the dumping and anti dumping news, quota information, regulations and policy of different industries, regulations and policy of different regions, industry association list, etc.
Homepage: http://english.mofcom.gov.cn
China Customs
You can check the policy and regulation, IPR enforcement, import and export statistics and guide to formalities on china customs' website.
Homepage: http://english.customs.gov.cn/Default.aspx?tabid=3972
Invest in China (FDI)
FDI is a good resource for foreign investors, and it's the best place to nd both English version and Chinese version laws and regulations. You can also get information of opportunities, economy, investment statistics, national development zone, and other services from the website.
Homepage: http://www.fdi.gov.cn
11.Recommend trade shows in China
China Import and Export Fair
China Import and Export Fair (also renowned as the Canton Fair) has become "China's No. 1 Fair" and a well-known exhibition in the world. The Canton Fair is a comprehensive tradeshow of international trade, boasting: the longest history, the highest of exhibits, the largest buyer attendance, the broadest distribution of buyers' origin and the greatest business turnover in China.
Gifts & Home China Autumn
October 20-23, 2011, Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen
Reed Huabo's China Gifts and Home Fair is the largest trade show of its kind in Mainland China. Held in Shenzhen during the best buying seasons in April and October every year, the fair offers the widest selection of business gifts, premiums and consumer products, and attracts tens of thousands of buyers from across the country.
China Yiwu International Commodities Fair
October 20-23, 2011, Yiwu International Expo Centre, Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province With 5,000 booths in an exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, the fair will attract more than 2,600 domestic and foreign enterprises. Yiwu Fair has become one of the largest, most influential and productive commodities fairs in China. It is estimated that over 120,000 professional traders will visit the fair, including 18,000 foreign traders and 80 trade groups from overseas.
PTC ASIA 2011
October 25-28, 2011, Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai
The PTC ASIA and CeMAT ASIA 2010 again triumphed as one of the leading exhibition platforms for the international power transmission/fluid power and materials handling industry, helping to build new momentum for the industry.
China International Building Decorations and Building Materials Exposition
March 5-8, 2012, China International Exhibition
Center (New Venue), Beijing
As the leading trade event for the building industry, Build+Decor has always been an ideal platform for the exhibitors to present their latest products, innovations and solutions to the professionals, including the contractors, wholesalers, dealers, architects, etc.
China Electronics Fair
April 11-13, 2012, Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen
China Electronics Fair (CEF) is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of electronics and information industry in China. With its debut in 1964, CEF has grown up with China's fast-growing economy and witnessed the transition and development of China's electronics and information industry from planned economy to market economy.
Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition
June 9-12, 2012, China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou
Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition is Asia's largest in uential lighting event. Organized by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, the show is attracting 2,600 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions, including nine new countries, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Kenya, Latvia, Malaysia, Syria, Thailand and Turkey.
Shanghai Int'l Printing & Packaging Products Trading Fair
July 6-9, 2012, Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai
Shanghai Int'l Printing & Packaging Products Trading Fair aims to building six platforms for China's printing industry to exchange the services trading, information, talents, science & technology and enterprise image. It was the first specialized printing and packaging products fair in China.
The China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE)
September, 2012, Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen
CIOE is a worldwide renowned exhibition, which presents the most advanced optoelectronic technologies and innovations. CIOE was established in 1999 in Shenzhen. This event has been held annually for the past twelve years at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. As the world's largest Optoelectronic expo, it has been an UFI-approved event since 2007.
China International Furniture Expo
September, 2012, Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai
As the leading furniture trade exhibition in Asia and one of the Top 3 international furniture exhibitions of the world, Furniture China is held annually in September in Shanghai including a comprehensive set of popular themes: Home Furniture, O ce Furniture, Furnishings, Kitchen & Cabinet, and Furniture Manufacturing & Supply.
12. How to source on Made-in-China.com?
Search products and suppliers by keywords, or send inquiries to suppliers. You can post offers as well. Registration is free.
