Want to import product from China?
Want to import product from China? Great. Do it. It isn’t that scary. But make sure you are careful when starting out.
When we looked at our eBay business and how we could make the most profit we came to one conclusion pretty quickly : we had to buy from the cheapest source, preferably the factory that made the item, or at least an agent of the factory.
So how do you start?
We used a few websites to get going, and to send some email enquiries:
These two sites have a HUGE number of wholesalers, trading companies and manufacturers listing their products for sale. To get started you will need to register an account, and start looking for suppliers that have your products. If you have a niche product it will be easier as there will be less competition to get your business (and less scammers and trading companies pretending to be manufacturers).
There is a lot to learn about safe trade and establishing contact, and I recommend doing some browsing in Google.
This article, ‘Essentials to import-export’ is a good one, and you can find many more good articles in the Resources section on alibaba.com too.
I have been burnt once, but not to the tune of lots of money. This only happened because I didn’t take the right precautions.
Be vigilant in your communications. If prices sound too good to be true, then they probably are. And remember a Chinese seller’s favourite word… ‘Yes!’
Are you the manufacturer? ‘Yes!’ (The ‘factory’ turns out to be run by a ‘friend’).
If the answer of ‘yes’ will lead to more business, then they will often use it! When it comes to payment terms, discounts and other negotiation, you may start to hear the word ‘no’ a little more often. They sure can be tough businessmen…
Looking for a quality sourcing agent? Mine is looking for some more business. Fill out the form below with some info on the products you are interested in importing (serious enquiries only please).
cforms contact form by delicious:days
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Comments
Hi there Jon,
No sorry, I don’t know any exporters of this product. I can tell you this though, any factory that offers you brand name product directly is guaranteed to be selling fakes!
For brand name products, go to a distributor or wholesaler (maybe from another country - you might get better pricing…)
Cheers,
Nathan
Hi,
Excellent tips & links…thank you!
You wouldn’t happen to know any Chinese exporters of Star wars figures would you??
Thanks
Jon