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A door or window bought in China can be of very good quality, provided it is ordered with a precise specification. The mistakes we see most often do not come from the factory: they come from an order that is too vague. Here is what we check with buyers before launching a production run. 1. … Read more

The Foshan region is also a major center for furniture and bedding. That is one more reason to buy with a method: a mattress is judged on the inside, and you cannot see the inside in a photo. Here is what we ask before recommending an order. 1. Which type of mattress do you want? … Read more

We live in Foshan, one of China’s major ceramics centers. Every week, buyers ask us the price of a tile. It is almost never the right first question. A tile is not only a size and a price: it is a shade, a caliber, a weight and a package. Here is what we check before … Read more

Many importers compare product prices and only look at freight at the end. For a heavy or bulky product, shipping can completely change your margin. Here is how it is calculated, what to ask for, and where the forgotten costs hide. 1. Air or sea: two different logics The right choice depends on the value … Read more

Once the goods are loaded and the balance is paid, it is almost too late to fix anything. A defect found on arrival in Canada means emails across a 12-hour time difference, evidence to gather and a supplier with no reason to hurry. A pre-shipment inspection done in China moves the discovery of the problem … Read more

Before placing a large order, you want to know whether your supplier is real, able to make what you ask for and reliable over time. That is what an audit is for. It is not reserved for large companies: it can be done in four levels, from the simplest to the most complete, stopping when … Read more

You want to buy from China and you are choosing between two routes: ordering yourself on Alibaba, or working with a sourcing agent on the ground. There is no single right answer. It depends on what you buy, how much money is at stake and how much time you can spend. Here is how to … Read more

Pressure, personal bank accounts, factories you cannot see: 7 warning signs before paying a Chinese supplier, and the habits that protect your money.

There is a precise moment in every first import when you stop. The quotation has arrived, the photographs look good, your contact replies quickly and well. All that remains is to wire the deposit — thirty percent, sometimes more — to a company you have never seen, in a country you have never set foot … Read more