Businesses often depend on being able to keep costs down to invest more in materials, staff, and to be able to expand. One of the ways that businesses do this is by using Chinese suppliers to offer the goods. Do you want to learn how to find suppliers from China? Then congratulations, because you’ve come to the right place.
Allow this post to enlighten you on the benefits of manufacturing in China and our top seven ways of finding the best supplier. If you are ready, then let’s dive in!
Why Do You Need to Look for a Supplier in China?
You will find a plethora of benefits of looking for a supplier in China. One of them is the low production cost. While working with a manufacturing facility in China, you can lower your production cost without decreasing your volume output. That’s by far the major reason many American entrepreneurs and companies put up with the drawbacks of supplying other parts of the globe.
Furthermore, a few domestic factories in America are limited in time and capacity. However, that’s not the case with their Chinese counterparts. Affordable labor costs play an integral role in this part. You can employ more individuals to finish volume-demanding production while needing less cash compared to domestic facilities.
So, in short, here are few reasons why you should order the goods in China:
- Low unit cost.
- A large list of suppliers.
- Manufacturing from several units to large consignments.
- Production of serial goods and products according to individual parameters.
- Availability of different materials to produce exactly what you need.
- Well-established production of goods of any category (from kitchen utensils to large household appliances).
7 Ways to Find A Reliable Supplier in China
You can use several search options to find a reliable supplier in China. In the end, you should look for the most favorable terms of cooperation for yourself, because the success of your business depends on it. But remember that there is always a risk of meeting scammers. And therefore, you should be aware of the specifics of each of the Chinese supplier search options.
Check the top ways on how to find manufacturers from China.
- Google, Yahoo, Bing Search
If you are only looking for a dependable supplier in China, Google is the best place. Searching with Google will help you to find suppliers and manufacturers who are always active on the Internet.
To get started on this platform, all you need to do is visiting Google, looking for the name of the products you like to order, and then adding keywords such as supplier, manufacturer, or wholesale.
This procedure resembles a search for information when you are looking for products or companies performing services in your region. Use more specific queries to narrow down your search results. Otherwise, you will spend too much time on it.
Pros
- It’s 100% free.
- View supplier’s online reviews.
- Search by region, province, product type, etc.
- Simple to get started, and no sign up needed.
- No special skills required.
Cons
- Needs a huge amount of energy and time.
- Suppliers don't always have a website or advertise their company.
- More retailers represented than direct manufacturers.
If the manufacturer is a well-known company on the market that produces a fairly large volume of goods, then it should have its own website. And you can find it through a simple search. However, most small manufacturing companies don’t use Google ads or a website to present themselves. They prefer to work with retailers. And if you really need a manufacturer, then a Google search may be useless.
2. Online Free Wholesale Marketplace
It will help as well if you consider different online free wholesale marketplaces. This includes Alibaba, AliExpress, Made-in-China.com, Global-sources.com, Dhgate.com, eTradeAsia.com, MFG.com, 1688.com so much more. All these are good wholesale marketplaces you can visit to find the best supplier from China.
You won’t only find products like what you want on these websites, but you’ll also see every manufacturer’s ability. You will get information like their address, business categories, business licenses, and more if you dig deeper.
Don’t use questionable resources and supplier bases that are sold to you by third parties. You will not be able to verify the veracity of this data, just as you will not be able to verify the reliability of the suppliers listed there. Look for Chinese suppliers on trusted sites that specialize in B2B customer interactions.
Pros
- Low-cost manufacturers.
- A big number of suppliers to choose from.
- Suppliers are listed in one place.
- Search by filters.
- More reliable supplier may be selected by special options (e.g. Trade Assurance on Alibaba).
- Up-to-date contact details or communication with the supplier via the platform.
Cons
- More low-quality products
- Lots of scammers and agents (Alibaba)
- MOQ can be very large
3. Trade Fairs
Some of the good fair trades to check out when finding reliable suppliers from China includes Canton Fair, Global Sources Tradeshow, Yiwu Wholesale Marketplace, and so much more. Keep in mind that trade shows are valuable, as you may discover several suppliers who have products not yet available in the market.
Further, it allows you to establish relationships immediately by meeting with manufacturers, FBA inspectors, freight forwarders, and more.
Vendors not yet listed on Alibaba or SaleHoo often offer new or exclusive items here. Either no one sells them yet, or very few manufacturers sell them. If you are looking for something similar, be sure to consider attending such events.
Pros
- Get access to new products.
- Face-to-face ordering.
- Build a connection instantly.
- Meeting with dozens of manufacturers in person in 2-3 days.
- You are unlikely find scammers here.
Cons
- Cost of attendance
- You will face language and cultural barriers
- It takes time and effort to attend fairs
4. Industry Network
You can also depend on industry networks to get recommendations from trade bodies, business contacts in the industry, friends, relatives, or partners. Ask them if they can introduce you to an international country, middleman, or contact. Take note that most clients are as a result of introductions made by one customer to another customer.
Pros
- You will save money on searching.
- Reach more people.
- You’ll save time.
- High supplier reliability.
Cons
- Lack of information about the supplier.
- The list of suppliers can be very small due to limited personal contact network.
5. Social Networks
Did you know that social media networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook Groups are a good way of finding Chinese suppliers as well? Many Chinese suppliers are realizing that creating a company profile could help them to get access to international buyers. All you need to do is searching for a supplier on these platforms. When you’ll get results, you’ll be able to send a message to a manufacturer to contact him.
You can opt for this option rather than doing the first screening. Utilizing social media to double-check your potential candidate is a good choice.
Pros
- Plenty of options.
- Ease of communication.
- Constant expansion of the supplier base.
Cons
- Take a huge amount of time.
- Not all manufacturers are represented on Facebook or LinkedIn.
- These platforms are not designed to close deals or make payments for this type of business.
6. Sourcing Companies and Agents
Searching for a dependable and professional supplier to support you with your importing business is typical. That’s especially true since the local professionals know how to assess the supplier’s legitimacy in their local away.
These sourcing agents and companies can help you to make sure the best supplier in your industry and offer you some local business tips.
Pros
- Save a huge amount of time in searching.
- Can offer you many business tips.
- Discover the best supplier in your industry.
Cons
- They may change suppliers on you without you realizing
- Additional costs for payment of services
- It is difficult to verify the qualifications of a sourcing agent
7. Verified Supplier Directories
SaleHoo, Jungle Scout Supplier Database are a good example of these directories. These platforms check and confirm every supplier before they add them to their directory. You can also find other useful information here: actual address, contacts, types of goods, the products which the factory is specialized in.
Pros
- Verified
- Avoid scam suppliers
- Simple to use
- Useful supplier search system
- Various information about suppliers is available, incl. Contact details
Cons
- Take a lot of time
- You may need to pay for use the data in the database
- Not all reliable suppliers can be entered into the database
What Difficulties May Appear When Searching for Suppliers in China?
You can face different issues when looking for the best suppliers in China. Some of them involve:
Misunderstanding Due to the Language Barrier. Of course, most of the suppliers are fluent in English, because it is necessary to conduct business. However, this doesn’t mean that they understand everything exactly as you say or write (in the second case, however, the risk of being misunderstood is much less). So, when you are negotiating (it doesn't matter if you meet in person or correspond), make sure that the supplier understands you exactly the way you wanted it.
Expect differences in business culture as well. For example, the signing of an agreement does not mean that the conditions are fixed unambiguously and will no longer change. The supplier may contact you in a week and inform you that the cost of the goods is increasing due to the increase the price of materials. Or even worse: the supplier may say that he will not be engaged in the production of your goods (there is no necessary equipment, too time-consuming process of modernization, etc.).
Don't expect the manufacturer to figure out exactly what you want from him and what you are talking about. Always ask direct questions, clarify all the details, do not hesitate to ask again what you doubt. Why do you need extra problems on this matter?
Illegal Use of Intellectual Property. This is the most pressing question for sellers who are creating a new product or improving an old product. After all, you give the manufacturer all the information about the specifications, features of your product, and wait for compliance with the terms of the agreement. But the truth is that even if you sign the papers, there is no guarantee of deception in this case. You must be the owner of a patent confirming the right to possess intellectual property. Then you can prove (in the case of an unscrupulous manufacturer) that he is a fraud and prohibit him from releasing goods similar to yours.
Faulty Products. Manufacturing scrap is a part of the process that can’t be circumvented. It is normal for a batch to contain 3-5% of defective goods. And for this reason, you should always order slightly more items than you intend to sell. This is necessary to reimburse buyers for losses (some ask to send a replacement; others require a refund). In any case, you must compensate the buyer for the damage, and it is better if you have another product.
One more thing is that there can be much more marriage at the party (15-20%, and sometimes even 30%). And in order to avoid this, it is important to carry out quality control inspections before shipment.
Postponement in Production. Timing is critical in any business. Chinese suppliers don’t always comply with the accepted agreements. And if deliveries of new shipments of goods are constantly delayed, you risk losing too much. Therefore, don’t wait until your product is completely sold out. Order a new batch of goods a little earlier so that it can arrive on time.
Non-responsiveness. Sometimes, when you first contact with suppliers, they are reluctant to respond quickly. It is also not uncommon for you to remain completely unanswered if the manufacturer considers you a hopeless buyer. Take it for granted and think about this. If a manufacturer at the beginning of your journey doesn’t strive to be useful, to answer all questions and answer them on time, then why do you need such a manufacturer? What happens if you need to make any changes to the product package or get additional information? The supplier may simply not answer, or the answer will come too late. You don't want that, do you?
Conclusion
There you have it! These are the important things you need to remember when finding a manufacturer in China. Remember that there’s no perfect strategy to help you choosing who is the best supplier. We wish you good luck in your journey!
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