China sourcing guides for small buyers.
Practical, no-fluff guides on how to source from China without getting burned — written for overseas Chinese and global small buyers, not freight forwarders. New pieces publish regularly.
Ask a sourcing questionGuides in the pipeline
How to import from China — step by step
From product idea to a booked shipment: brief, verify, stage the money, inspect, export. Our flagship walkthrough.
Factory audit checklist
The exact points we check before you send a deposit — license, capacity, references, red flags. Now published.
Export agency vs. buyout
Two legal routes for a small order to leave China — cost transparency vs. one-counterparty simplicity, and how to choose. Now published.
Avoiding scams: the staged-payment rule
Why you should never pay 100% upfront, and how to structure payment so your money follows the evidence. Now published.
Small MOQ: what's really possible
The five levers that lower a minimum order, what each one costs you, and the markup trap to avoid. Now published.
Import duty & paperwork basics
The four documents that clear customs, the HS-code detail that decides your duty, and who pays what — explained without jargon. Now published.
Why these guides
Most "how to source from China" content is written to sell you a course or a container. Ours is written by a team that actually does the buying, inspecting, and shipping from Shanghai — and it's free, because an informed buyer is a safer buyer. Each guide links back to the sourcing service and the safeguards that back it.
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