5 Resources To Find A Trusted Supplier In China

How can you find a supplier in China that you can trust? When you enter online B2B marketplaces, peruse online supplier directories or visit trade shows, you’ll want to be wary of the few suppliers who might not be all that trustworthy.

After all, if you’re looking for private label and branded products, you only want the best. Here, we provide resources through which you can find trusted suppliers in China.

Canton Fair

The Canton Fair is the nation’s largest import/export convention. It is held biannually, and you can find nearly every industry that produces physical products here. It is vast enough to necessitate three phases: one for electronics, building materials, chemical products, and machinery; another for consumer goods, gifts, and home décor; and the last for recreational products, textiles, shoes, medical devices, and health products, as well as office supplies.

If you’re looking to attend the Canton Fair, our East West Basics Team can attend with you to provide the language skills necessary to communicate with vendors at the show. Or, if you decide to attend alone, you will want to hire the service of an interpreter, which can be costly when adding in a plane ticket to China and hotel bill. You should also anticipate the possibility that the goods you purchase could be of low quality. Our best recommendation is to reach out to our team and work with us to determine whether attending this show makes sense for your business, so our team can be there to assist you the entire way.

Yiwu Market

Open all year around in Zhejiang, Yiwu Market comprises over 40,000 shops. It is skewed towards buyers in the Middle East, Africa and India and is only for sourcing textiles, bags, shoes, watches, and other accessories at low prices.

If you want other products, you might need to seek them out elsewhere. You should also note that these products do not align with safety standards and regulations in the United States and the European Union. The quality of products you will find here also fluctuates with their prices.

B2B Marketplaces

B2B marketplaces make it easy for you to connect with suppliers and manufacturers in China. Be warned that the online marketplace can be difficult to navigate, so it is important that you do thorough research before agreeing to anything. This is also a much riskier option to purchase goods in bulk online without in-person vetting.

Industry Networks

If you have business contacts in China, they might be able to connect you with suppliers based there – or at the very least, someone who can help you out. You might also want to take a look at Chambers of Commerce as well as local trade bodies.

If you have local industry networks, you have already crossed multiple hurdles. However, embarking on such relationships will require you to have some fluency in the Chinese language, as well as business practices and travel and customs regulations.

Outsourcing Agents

China sourcing agents or organizations are your best bet if you require products that have been manufactured to precise technical specifications. These agents can help you ensure quality control at each step of the manufacturing process.

If you are worried about engaging with suppliers in China due to a lack of language proficiency, sourcing agents can also provide the solution: they provide agents who are fluent in your native language to help you navigate the language barrier and ensure clear and direct communication.

Sourcing agents provide you with thorough support through every step of the process; even if you have no prior experience, they will be able to guide you along the way. That said, always make sure you thoroughly vet your sourcing agent to understand their experience and capabilities.

If you don’t know where to start looking for sourcing agents, East West Basics is a great place to start. Here, your direct interaction with our US and China (who are fluent in English) staff will ensure a smooth transition from design to delivery.

Over 40 sourcing and product development specialists from East West Basics are based in Asia. We can meet all of your needs from product design to manufacturing and quality control.

Our clients may build, develop, and source products in their preferred categories at one location thanks to our crew of skilled merchants in the US and a well-trained sourcing team in China.