Many importers source products from China and sell them in their local markets. But getting suppliers to truly cooperate, accept small trial orders, and maintain consistent quality takes real skill. In this guide, I’ll share practical strategies to help you make sourcing from China easier, more efficient, and risk-free.
- Figure out what you really need to source.
- How to get suppliers to work with you even on a small budget?
- Alibaba or JingSourcing: which works better for you?
- The right mindset when dealing with Chinese suppliers.
- How to make sure your products leave China in good quality?
- How to plan international shipping smartly and save money.
- FAQ: 4 common questions about sourcing from China.
Figure out what you really need to source.
Before you start looking for suppliers, make sure you know exactly what you want — no supplier wants to waste time on unclear product requirements.
If this is your first attempt and you only know the general category you want to sell, but not the specific products, you can ask suppliers for a product catalog to see what styles catch your interest. This process can help you learn a lot about product variations and even spark new sourcing ideas.
When your goal is clear and you just want to add your logo or change the packaging, that’s considered light customization — the most common and easiest option to start with.
In case you’re planning to upgrade an existing product or develop a brand-new one from scratch, that’s a much more complex process — involving prototyping, molding, and other stages.
And if your order is small, like a few hundred pieces, with many customization requirements, most factories won’t take it. The reason is simple: they won’t make any real profit from this process. And if they think your product won’t sell well or just isn’t worth the effort, they won’t be motivated to work on it.
So never start by saying to a supplier, “I’m planning to start a XX business, what products should I buy?”
And don’t just throw them a long list of hundreds of items asking for quotes — these unclear approaches only make you look unprepared and casual.
How to get suppliers to work with you, even on a small budget?
Be honest about your situation — for example, if your business is just getting started and your trial order is small, maybe only a few hundred pieces.
From the supplier’s perspective, they don’t make much profit, so it’s natural that they’re not very motivated. That’s just the reality — something you can’t completely avoid.
The key is to make them see that you’re serious, reliable, and have real potential for long-term cooperation.
Never overpromise — instead, be honest, professional, and plan ahead.
1. Understand the product in detail
Start by providing product reference images, sizes, quantities, etc., and inquire about product details thoroughly.
Prices for the same product can vary greatly based on materials, specifications, and production methods. For example, a T-shirt’s price can differ significantly depending on cotton content, fabric thickness, and printing methods.
This step is crucial — if you don’t understand the product well, comparing quotes from multiple suppliers won’t mean much. You won’t know what a reasonable price for a decent-quality product should be.
2. Share your sales timeline and estimated order volume
It’s a good idea to share your target market, sales schedule, budget, and expected order size with your suppliers. This shows suppliers you’re not making a one-time purchase but have a clear plan and long-term potential.
Make sure your expectations are realistic — if you only plan for 500 pieces, don’t claim you’ll order 10,000, or the discussion will quickly fall apart.
3. Price is the least important factor
You might think that sounds crazy — if price doesn’t matter, what does?
When your order is small — say 300 to 500 pieces — you won’t get the lowest price. With a limited budget, your expectations also need to stay reasonable — no supplier wants to make little or no profit and still meet every demand.
Chasing the cheapest quote often leads to poor quality — many “low prices” come from suppliers cutting corners.
4. Start cooperating, not perfecting
Don’t aim for perfection — there’s no perfect supplier, just like there’s no perfect partner. It takes time and communication to build trust and a smooth partnership.
When picking suppliers, apart from good quality, two things really matter — how well they communicate and how they handle problems when something unexpected happens. Anyone who’s done this long enough knows that’s what keeps your supply chain steady over time.
Read More:Alibaba or JingSourcing: which works better for you?
Alibaba is the go-to place for international buyers to find Chinese suppliers. Since it’s an open marketplace, you have to handle everything — from screening reliable suppliers in the right industrial clusters to handling samples, mass production, QC, and shipping.
Getting through these steps takes time and real experience — not easy for beginners.
Even experienced buyers face challenges in managing suppliers effectively to keep product quality stable and supply consistent, or discover that many suppliers are unwilling or unhelpful when it comes to custom requests or new product development.
That’s why JingSourcing exists — to solve these problems and make sourcing from China easier for global buyers.
Provide one-stop sourcing services, guiding beginners through the entire sourcing process and offering professional, timely support whenever needed.
This way, you can skip newbie mistakes and pick up real China sourcing skills along the way — learning by doing.
Understand your vision, MOQ-friendly, and support small-batch customization to test products and markets.
Provide proven and effective solutions to bring your private label products and new product development to life.
Assist fast-growing eCommerce, supermarkets, and other large businesses in improving sourcing efficiency, controlling quality, and optimizing supply chains.
For best-selling products, JingSourcing helps you bulk purchase at factory-direct prices. You can store two to four weeks (or more) of inventory in their warehouse. They’ll ship in batches or dropship directly from China — saving you logistics and storage costs.
Source and consolidate hundreds or even thousands of products, improving overall efficiency and acting as your reliable sourcing office in China.
The right mindset when dealing with Chinese suppliers
Many startups struggle because they overlook these two simple but important points.
1. Know your scale, think win-win, and don’t push too hard on price.
The essence of cooperation is simple — when your supplier makes money, they’ll be more willing to help you make money too.
Your order volume determines your bargaining power. If you’re buying in small quantities but expect big-customer prices or special treatment, that’s just unrealistic.
Price and quality always go hand in hand. Constantly pushing for the lowest price only forces suppliers to cut corners, and in the end, you’ll be the one who suffers — with complaints, returns, and bad reviews.
2. Be real, easy to work with, and grow together.
Be honest about your current business stage. Don’t make empty promises like “we’ll have big orders later”. Suppliers deal with many inquiries every day — they know who’s serious and who’s not.
They’re not unwilling to help; they just need to prioritize where to spend their time and effort. The more professional and reliable you appear, the more seriously they’ll treat you.
This isn’t about trying to please suppliers — it’s just how business works. Mutual benefit is the foundation of any relationship, not just in business. Every startup begins with limited leverage, but as your business grows, so will your choices and bargaining power.
How to make sure your products leave China in good quality?
For orders of any size, buyers usually use third-party inspection companies or sourcing agents like JingSourcing to inspect finished products in China before shipping.
Once defective products are found, buyers would ask the supplier to rework or compensate. Still, in reality, some suppliers may make excuses or try to avoid responsibility. This just shows again why it’s so important to work with suppliers who are responsible and proactive when issues happen.
In addition, some products need to be checked throughout production, not just after everything is done. For example, items like handbags or electronics should be inspected from raw materials to semi-finished and final products, as well as packaging. This not only tests the factory’s production capability and quality control system, but also its sense of responsibility.
That’s also why sourcing agents like JingSourcing are often a better option — they don’t just do strict QC before shipment but follow up the whole process, keeping every stage under control.
How to plan international shipping smartly and save money?
For beginners, the easiest way is to let your supplier arrange the freight forwarder for international shipping.
- Most suppliers already work with reliable forwarders, which is much easier than finding one yourself.
- You don’t need to worry about them making extra profit — they value long-term cooperation and won’t risk losing your order over small margins.
- If anything goes wrong during shipping, they can also take responsibility or help coordinate with the forwarder to fix the issue, making it safer for beginners.
If you prefer, you can also find a local forwarder in your own country — just make sure you have enough time and energy to manage the process yourself.
FAQ: 4 common questions about sourcing from China
1. How to do sourcing from China?
Sourcing from China is to find the right suppliers for the products you want, control quality, and make sure the goods are shipped safely to your place.
2. Who is the best sourcing agent in China?
The best China sourcing agent is JingSourcing — the top choice for small and medium-sized businesses.
- They’re transparent in sourcing, provide clear reports, and maintain open communication.
- With over 10 years of experience in product sourcing and customization, they specialize in varied daily consumer products and are flexible with MOQ.
3. How much does a sourcing agent charge in China?
Medium-to-large sourcing agencies like JingSourcing usually charge a 5%–10% commission of the order value.
- Be careful with those offering 2% or even 0% — they’ll likely make up the difference somewhere else.
Smaller agents often charge a fixed fee per package or project.
The key is to look at the total sourcing cost (product prices + shipping costs + service fees) and see whether the agent truly helps you save time, control quality, and improve efficiency.
4. What are the best B2B platforms to use?
The top three B2B sites are Alibaba, Made-in-China (mainly machinery & industrial products), and Global Sources. For ready-to-ship products, you can usually buy a few hundred pieces, but for customized orders, the MOQs are typically higher — around $1,000 per style.
If you’re only buying a dozen pieces per style and spending just a few hundred dollars, you can browse DHgate, where it’s easy to find suppliers with clear pricing for different small-quantity ranges.
In case you plan to start with dropshipping, AliExpress is often the first choice.
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