China Sourcing Agent FAQ

A sourcing agent in China finds reliable factories, negotiates prices and payment terms, conducts factory audits, supervises production, performs quality inspections and arranges international shipping on your behalf. You get a local team in Guangzhou working to protect your interests — without having to travel or speak Chinese.

We charge 5-8% commission on the factory invoice price. You see every factory invoice directly (full transparency). There are no hidden fees and no markup on shipping or QC services. For large volume projects we can also discuss a flat project fee.

A trading company buys from factories and resells to you — adding their own margin on top. A sourcing agent works for you, negotiates with factories on your behalf, and only earns commission from you. The agent's interest is aligned with yours: lower prices, better quality, fewer problems.

We run a multi-step verification: check business license and factory registration, conduct on-site factory audits (equipment, staff, capacity, real production lines), cross-check export records and client references, and test product samples independently. For serious suppliers we also verify their actual production capacity against claimed volumes.

No, it's optional. If you visit, we provide full business escort and translation. If not, we conduct all factory tours, negotiations and inspections on your behalf — sending you photo and video reports throughout the process. Most of our clients have never been to China.

At minimum: product description (photos or links help greatly), target quantity, target price range and your destination country. More details = more accurate supplier matching and quotes. You can also send us a sample product if you have one.

Sourcing and quoting takes 3-5 business days. Factory visits and sampling take 1-2 weeks. Production takes 15-45 days depending on order size. Shipping: sea freight 15-40 days, air freight 3-7 days. Most clients receive their first order within 6-8 weeks from start.

MOQ depends on the product category. Standard products (electronics, hardware, packaging) typically start from 100-500 pieces. Custom molded products (plastics, injection molding) may require 1000+ pieces. We negotiate the lowest possible MOQ for your specific product and budget.

We only work with factories that respect IP. We sign NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreements) with suppliers before sharing your designs, avoid sending full product documentation until agreements are signed, and never share your product with competing clients. For registered designs we also advise on China IP registration.

Standard inspections use AQL 2.5 (general inspection level II) for critical and major defects — the industry benchmark for consumer goods. For electronics and safety-critical products we can use AQL 1.0 or 1.5. We follow the ISO 2859-1 sampling standard.

Our QC process catches most issues before shipment. If defects are found, we immediately notify you with photos and options: request factory rework, negotiate a discount, or reject the batch. We manage the rework and re-inspection until the goods pass — at no extra cost to you.

Sea freight (FCL or LCL) is cheapest for large/heavy orders — 15-40 days. Air freight suits medium orders needing speed — 3-7 days. Express (DHL/FedEx/UPS) works best for samples and small parcels — 2-5 days. We quote all three options with real-time rates so you can decide by cost vs. speed.

We handle China export customs clearance as part of our service. For destination country import customs, we provide complete documentation (commercial invoice, packing list, certificates of origin) and coordinate with your freight forwarder or customs broker. For DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipments we can manage full import clearance to your door.

Yes. We frequently ship directly to Amazon FBA warehouses in the US, EU and UK. We handle: poly bagging and FBA-compliant packaging, barcode labels (FNSKU), prep services, and consolidated shipping to avoid split deliveries. We know each marketplace's current packaging requirements.

Yes, when done correctly. Standard terms are 30% deposit / 70% balance before shipment. We mitigate risk by: verifying the factory's real business license and production capability first, using a formal Chinese purchase contract, and supervising production so the deposit is never at risk. Never pay 100% upfront — and never pay to a personal account.