China sourcing
Finding a factory is the easy part.
Specification, selection, qualification, samples, quality control and shipping — the full path, and the places it usually breaks.
Factory or trading company
A trading company is not a problem in itself — some are excellent and give you reach you could not get alone. The problem is not knowing which one you are talking to, because it changes the price, the lead time and who fixes a defect.
The business licence states the permitted scope of activity, and it is public. Reading it takes minutes and settles the question.
MOQ is a negotiation, not a law
A minimum order quantity usually comes from one of three things: a material purchase lot, a machine setup, or the factory's judgement about whether you are serious. Only the first two are physics. The third moves once the relationship does.
The sample loop is where time is really spent
Expect several rounds. The goal of the last one is a golden sample: a physical reference both sides sign off on, kept by both, and the thing production is measured against. Skipping it moves the argument to after the container arrives.
Quality control has three moments
- Before — the specification and the golden sample define what correct means.
- During — an inspection while the line is running can still change the outcome.
- After — a pre-shipment check confirms what is in the boxes before they leave.
A pre-shipment inspection tells you what is in the container. It does not tell you the product was well designed for manufacture — that question is settled months earlier.
Questions we get often.
Do I need to visit China to source there?
Not for every project. But for a first supplier, a complex product, or a large commitment, a visit changes what you learn and how you are treated afterwards. We can go on your behalf when you cannot.
How do I protect my product from being copied?
Partly with agreements written to be enforceable in China rather than translated from a European template, partly by how you split the work between suppliers, and partly by registering what can be registered before you show it.
What about Vietnam or India instead?
Worth comparing honestly rather than by reputation. For some categories the supply chain around the factory still sits in China, which changes the real cost even when the unit price looks lower elsewhere.
When does the Chinese New Year matter?
Earlier than most planning assumes. Capacity tightens before the break and ramps back slowly after it, so the effect on a delivery date is wider than the holiday itself.
Send the drawing, the volume and the target landed cost. We will tell you what is realistic before anyone quotes.