FAQs 

Answers to China Sourcing Questions: Fees, Quality, Logistics, Payment & More

Frequently Asked Questions on China's International Logistics in Global Trade

  • Core Mission: We provide end-to-end procurement solutions—from supplier onboarding and order fulfillment to door-to-door delivery—with a focus on helping clients achieve profitability, rather than merely completing procurement transactions.
  • Service Model: We tailor exclusive, one-stop procurement solutions based on your business development needs. Service Guarantee:
  • No hidden fees throughout the process; we do not accept any kickbacks from suppliers, ensuring a risk-free trial period.
  • Core Commitment: Leveraging professional resources and efficient service, we deliver tangible savings in both time and financial costs for our clients.
  • Requirement Matching: We deeply understand client needs and utilize our comprehensive supplier database to precisely screen and match suitable, high-quality manufacturers.
  • Price Negotiation: We conduct face-to-face price comparisons and professional business negotiations with potential suppliers to secure the best market procurement quotes for our clients.
  • Order Tracking: Assist clients in placing purchase orders, monitor the entire production process, and provide real-time progress updates.
  • Logistics Optimization: Provide one-stop logistics services including warehousing, consolidation, and shipping; scientifically plan logistics routes to effectively reduce overall transportation costs.

Once the client confirms their procurement needs, we provide a professional preliminary response within 8 business hours to efficiently facilitate procurement coordination.

  • In-Depth Insight: We go beyond superficial requirements to gain a deep understanding of your business model and actual procurement needs.
  • Core Philosophy: We firmly believe that the essence of procurement is to pursue profit growth, not merely to acquire products.
  • Core Competencies: We have deep industry resources and excel at identifying high-quality factories, conducting efficient price negotiations, and ensuring end-to-end quality control.
  • Local Support: As the client’s dedicated local agent, we provide localized, personalized, and customized procurement services.
  • Transaction Transparency: The entire procurement process is open and transparent, with traceable operations; we never accept any form of kickbacks from factories.
  • Service Commitment: We are accountable for service quality and offer a 100% service satisfaction guarantee.
  • Requirements Consultation: We communicate and clarify core requirements such as product specifications, budget, purchase volume, and delivery timeline to ensure a high degree of alignment between both parties.
  • Supplier and Factory Audit: We conduct detailed on-site audits of factories based on criteria such as qualifications, production capacity, quality systems, and long-term reliability to precisely match clients with high-quality suppliers.
  • Contract Signing: After confirming the optimal cooperation plan, both parties sign a formal contract or pro forma invoice to finalize all cooperation details.
  • Sample Confirmation: Coordinate with the factory to expedite sample production, provide high-resolution images and detailed parameter reports, and continue until the client confirms the samples meet requirements.
  • Mass Production and Quality Control: Initiate mass production while strictly adhering to AQL standards for multi-stage quality monitoring, ensuring comprehensive product quality assurance.
  • Shipping Arrangements: Complete standardized product packaging, prepare a full set of shipping documents, handle customs clearance procedures, and coordinate all aspects of shipment logistics.
  • Logistics, Customs Clearance, and After-Sales Service: Optimize door-to-door logistics solutions via sea, air, or express shipping, with real-time tracking throughout the process; assist with export documentation, customs clearance, and tariff consultation; provide comprehensive after-sales support including ongoing follow-up, rapid issue resolution, and support for repeat purchases after delivery.
  • Risk-Free Refund Guarantee: We implement a “full refund if unsatisfied” after-sales guarantee policy to alleviate any concerns clients may have about partnering with us.
  • Refund Rules: If a client is dissatisfied with the service quality, they may submit a refund request within 30 days of service commencement. We will unconditionally refund the full service fee without any additional inquiries or conditions.
  • Service Confidence: We are fully confident in our professional service capabilities and are committed to ensuring your entire procurement process is safe, hassle-free, and worry-free.
  • Provide us with basic information about the products you wish to procure, including dimensions, target minimum order quantity (MOQ), and target purchase price. Providing product images or reference links can significantly improve our efficiency in matching you with suppliers.
  • Based on your requirements, we will carefully screen and match manufacturers, conduct factory inspections, perform cost calculations, and negotiate terms to secure the best possible price for your products.
Note: The typical procurement cycle, from initial communication to final order execution, is approximately 1–2 months, though this may vary depending on the complexity of product customization.

We offer comprehensive services covering both product procurement and international logistics. Our pricing follows a tiered, customized model, with service costs adjusted according to the complexity of your procurement requirements and logistics solutions. For an accurate quote tailored to your specific procurement or logistics needs, please contact us directly.

We do not impose a mandatory minimum order quantity. Regardless of order size, we provide clients with the same high standards and professional procurement services, maintaining consistent service quality and support.

Our procurement consulting services have no category restrictions. We provide one-stop procurement consulting and implementation services for all categories of general-purpose products and customized goods, meeting clients’ diverse procurement needs.

Our client base is extensive, ranging from small businesses seeking to source products from the Chinese market or requiring local operational support, to large multinational corporations with large-scale cross-border procurement needs. We are able to establish deep partnerships with all of them.

We strictly adhere to a policy of supplier independence. We have never charged any supplier commissions, kickbacks, or other fees. All procurement consulting, supplier screening, and recommendations are based on objective records and the client’s actual needs, ensuring neutrality and fairness.

The supplier evaluation cycle depends on the product type: for standard, simple products or those with existing specifications, a full evaluation can be completed in a matter of weeks; for customized products designed and developed by the client or products with complex manufacturing processes, the evaluation cycle may take several months.

We prioritize product quality above all else in our procurement services. Our product inspection rate far exceeds that of third-party inspection companies, and this quality control service is provided free of charge. Furthermore, we are the only procurement company in the industry that offers item-by-item product inspection services, committed to reducing the product defect rate to zero.

Helping clients secure procurement prices that provide a core competitive edge in the market is one of our key service objectives. Many procurement firms attract clients with low service fees but secretly inflate product prices; in contrast, we maintain complete price transparency and actively encourage clients to compare prices from multiple sources, ensuring they always receive genuine, competitive factory quotes.

We consistently adhere to the principle of equal treatment, taking every client seriously. Regardless of order size, our core objective is to establish long-term, stable partnerships. Unlike other Chinese suppliers and procurement agents, if a client receives defective products, we will make every effort to assist them in seeking compensation to minimize their losses as much as possible.

The core criteria for evaluating an excellent procurement agent primarily include the following four points:
  • High levels of transparency and trust—the foundation of all partnerships and the core trait of an excellent procurement agent;
  • Access to a global network of high-quality, reliable suppliers and the establishment of long-term, stable partnerships;
  • The ability to precisely match client needs, supporting e-commerce businesses and enterprises of all types in procuring raw materials or finished goods at a high cost-performance ratio;
  • The ability to play a key supporting role in stabilizing supply chains and bridging profit gaps, thereby driving client business growth.

We always stand in our clients’ shoes and represent their core interests 100%: we do not charge suppliers any fees and do not accept kickbacks of any kind; the entire procurement process is 100% transparent. We gain a deep understanding of our clients and their genuine needs, manage every procurement detail, and provide comprehensive support for their procurement activities, leaving no detail overlooked.

We firmly believe that problems and bad news during the procurement process are not inherently frightening; the worst outcome is concealing issues, which ultimately leads to clients suffering massive losses—or even deliberately deceiving them. We ourselves detest the feeling of being deceived or kept in the dark, so we consistently adopt a dedicated and honest approach, communicating all aspects of the procurement process to clients in a timely manner and never hiding any bad news.

We are fully confident in our professional procurement services, which is why we offer all clients a 100% satisfaction guarantee: If you are dissatisfied with our services, simply submit a refund request within 30 days of service commencement to receive a full refund of the service fee—no questions asked. We aim to provide exceptional service so that you can feel secure about your procurement orders and have complete confidence in our services.

Our corporate mission: To enable the world to enjoy high-value-for-money products made in China.
Our core values: Trustworthiness, honesty and integrity, accountability, transparency, empathy, and efficiency.
We sincerely look forward to a pleasant procurement partnership with you and hope you will share your positive experience with other partners.

Payment-Related FAQs: We Only Accept Business-to-Business Payments

We support formal business-to-business payment methods such as **bank wire transfer (T/T), PingPong, XT, and Letter of Credit (L/C)**.

Yes, we only accept business-to-business payments and do not accept personal transfers. All fund transfers are processed through formal corporate accounts, ensuring legality, compliance, and traceability.

  • Bulk orders: 30% deposit upfront to initiate production, with the remaining 70% paid in full before shipment.
  • Sample orders / small-value orders: 100% prepayment required.

Yes, we accept irrevocable sight letters of credit for large-value orders and long-term clients.

We do not support 100% cash on delivery. A deposit is required to arrange raw material procurement and production. Before shipment, we provide inspection reports, product photos, and videos. Final payment is due upon your confirmation of no issues.

  • Yes. We complete inspections before shipment and provide inspection reports, production photos, and product videos. Payment is due after your confirmation.
  • Primarily USD. We also accept EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, etc., based on real-time exchange rates.
  • Bank Wire Transfer: 1–5 business days
  • PingPong / XT: Typically same-day or next-day clearance
  • Letter of Credit: Processed according to bank regulations

There are absolutely no hidden fees. All costs—including product price, logistics fees, inspection fees, documentation fees, and service charges—are clearly itemized on the Proforma Invoice (PI).

  • After payment, please send us the corporate transfer receipt. We will promptly verify and confirm receipt.

Once the deposit is paid and production/raw material procurement begins, it is non-refundable for order cancellations not caused by us. If we cannot deliver due to our issues, the deposit will be fully refunded.

Credit terms and payment extensions are currently unavailable. All orders follow the agreed prepayment + balance payment method.

As a formally registered foreign trade company, we exclusively use corporate-to-corporate accounts. We support secure, compliant channels including bank wire transfers, PingPong, XT, etc., ensuring full transparency and security throughout the process.

International Logistics FAQ

The core transportation methods for China’s international logistics include sea freight, air freight, international express delivery, and rail intermodal transport (such as China-Europe freight trains), each suited to specific scenarios:

Sea Freight: Full Container Load (FCL) / Less than Container Load (LCL)
Suitable for bulk general cargo with low time sensitivity and limited freight budgets. The most prevalent method in international trade, covering major global ports.
Air Freight:
Ideal for high-value, lightweight, small parcels requiring urgent delivery (e.g., electronic components, perishables, samples). Direct flights to major global airports, though freight costs exceed sea freight.
International Express: DHL/FedEx/UPS/SF Express International, etc., suitable for small parcels and samples. Offers door-to-door delivery with the fastest transit times (3-7 days) but the highest freight costs;
Rail Multimodal Transport: Centered on the China-Europe Railway Express, suitable for routes to Europe, Central Asia, etc., with moderate cargo volumes. Transit times fall between sea and air freight, offering high stability and suitability for land transport coverage areas.

Core logistics-related trade terms follow INCOTERMS 2020, clearly defining logistics/freight/risk allocation between buyer and seller:

FOB (Free on Board): Seller delivers goods to the vessel at the designated Chinese port of shipment, bearing all costs and risks prior to loading. Buyer covers ocean/air freight, subsequent insurance, and customs clearance.
CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight): Seller covers freight and insurance to the destination port, delivers goods on board, and transfers risk to the buyer upon loading. Buyer handles destination port customs clearance and pickup.
CNF/CFR (Cost and Freight): Similar to CIF, seller covers freight but excludes insurance, which the buyer must arrange.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): Seller handles full logistics (domestic pickup + transport + destination port customs clearance + tax payment), delivers goods to buyer’s designated location, with risk transferring last—the term imposing greatest seller responsibility;
EXW (Ex Works): Buyer bears full logistics and all costs/risks; seller only needs to deliver goods at factory/warehouse.

  • Customs Declaration: All export goods must be declared to Chinese customs. Basic documents such as customs declaration forms, invoices, packing lists, and contracts are required. Goods requiring permits (e.g., cosmetics, medical devices) must provide corresponding licenses. Professional logistics/freight forwarders can handle customs declaration services. Businesses must ensure the accuracy of declared information (goods description, quantity, value, HS code).
  • Inspection Declaration: China has implemented “integrated customs and inspection declaration,” eliminating the need for separate inspection procedures. Goods requiring inspection (e.g., food, agricultural products, hazardous materials) undergo simultaneous inspection declaration during customs declaration. Release is granted only after customs approval.

Consider five core dimensions, balancing expertise and suitability:

Complete Credentials: Possess customs registration, NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) certification, and valid business license;
Channel Alignment: Select forwarders with channel advantages based on destination country, cargo type (general cargo/dangerous goods/special cargo), and time requirements (e.g., ocean freight forwarders, China-Europe Railway Express forwarders);
Service Capability: Offers door-to-door one-stop services (pickup, customs declaration, transportation, destination port clearance), maintains a professional documentation team and overseas agents, and provides timely logistics tracking updates;
Reputation & Track Record: Demonstrated shipping experience in relevant industries/destination countries with no persistent complaints; past collaboration references available upon request;
Transparent Pricing: Quotes include all fees (freight, customs clearance, handling charges, etc.) with no hidden costs; clear breakdown of expenses and payment methods provided.

All can be transported, provided cargo attributes are confirmed in advance and meet corresponding transport regulations. Core requirements are as follows:

Dangerous Goods: Require MSDS reports and dangerous goods certification. Classify by UN number and select freight forwarders with hazardous materials transport qualifications. Sea/air shipments must use dedicated dangerous goods channels with packaging compliant to international standards.
Oversized Cargo: For overweight (e.g., >20 tons) or oversized (e.g., excess length/width/height) shipments, ocean freight requires bulk carriers or flat rack containers. Air freight necessitates confirmation of airport loading capacity, advance booking of cargo space, and calculation of oversize/overweight surcharges.
Sensitive Goods: Liquids, powders, batteries, and other restricted items require channels authorized for sensitive cargo (e.g., select international express lines, LCL sea freight for sensitive goods). Certain goods necessitate compliance documentation (e.g., UN38.3 report for batteries).

  • Tracking: Freight forwarders/logistics providers supply dedicated waybill/bill of lading numbers. Track via shipping lines’/airlines’ official websites, forwarder systems, or third-party logistics platforms. Reputable forwarders also provide real-time shipment updates (e.g., loading, port arrival, customs clearance, delivery).
  • Lost Item Handling: First verify the cause of loss with the freight forwarder. If attributable to the logistics provider, file a claim against them using the transport contract, packing list, and invoice. The claim amount follows contractual terms (typically multiples of freight charges or declared goods value). If cargo insurance was purchased, file a claim with the insurer concurrently.
  • Delay Handling: Promptly request the freight forwarder to investigate delay causes (e.g., port congestion, customs inspection, weather factors). For non-human factors, await the logistics provider’s resolution. For human factors (e.g., forwarder operational errors), demand the forwarder cover corresponding losses and expedite processing.
  • Packaging Requirements: Customize packaging based on the mode of transport. For sea freight, ensure moisture and impact protection (e.g., reinforced wooden/cardboard boxes). For air freight, comply with airport packaging standards (no sharp edges, moderate weight). Fragile items must be labeled as such and filled with cushioning materials. Packaging must withstand long-distance transport and handling to prevent damage.
  • Marking Requirements: Divided into main and side markings. Main markings must include destination port, consignee information, goods description, number of pieces/gross weight/net weight/volume. Side markings provide supplementary details. Markings must be clearly printed/affixed to the packaging surface for customs inspection and destination port pickup. Missing markings may cause misdelivery or delays.

The China-Europe Railway Express serves as the core rail transport link between China and Europe/Central Asia, offering significant advantages over sea and air freight:

  • Core Advantages: Faster transit times than sea freight (approx. 12-20 days to Europe vs. 30-45 days for sea freight), with freight costs 60%-70% lower than air freight; High stability unaffected by port congestion or maritime strikes; Strong land transport reach covering over 30 European countries and 100+ cities;
  • Suitable Scenarios: General cargo, cross-border e-commerce goods, industrial components, automotive parts, etc., for China-Europe/Central Asia routes. Suitable for moderate volumes (FCL/LCL), businesses requiring reasonable transit times but unwilling to bear high air freight costs.

Cross-border e-commerce logistics focuses on small batches, high frequency, and door-to-door delivery. Dedicated channels include:

  • Dedicated Lines: Such as China-US or China-Europe dedicated lines, integrating air/sea freight with overseas warehouse delivery. Offers better cost-effectiveness than international express, suitable for small e-commerce parcels;
  • Overseas Warehouses: Goods pre-shipped to destination country warehouses, with local delivery upon customer order placement. Delivery times align with local couriers, ideal for sellers on platforms like Amazon and eBay;
  • Postal Small Packets: Such as China Post EMS or International Surface Mail. Low shipping costs, suitable for ultra-small parcels, but with slower delivery times;
    Differences: Traditional international trade logistics focuses on bulk full container loads (FCL) / less than container loads (LCL), primarily delivering at ports/airports, predominantly B2B. Cross-border e-commerce logistics targets small parcels, emphasizing door-to-door delivery, aligning with B2C models, offering more flexible channels, and prioritizing last-mile delivery services.
  • Cost Calculation: Total cost = Base freight (sea/air/rail) + Surcharges (customs clearance, handling, terminal fees, fuel surcharges, destination port clearance fees, etc.) + Other expenses (insurance, pickup fees, delivery charges). Surcharge details vary by transport mode; freight forwarders provide detailed quotations.
  • Factors Affecting Freight Fluctuations: International oil prices (impacting fuel surcharges), Port congestion (generating demurrage/storage fees), Cargo capacity supply and demand (peak season shortages drive up rates), Destination country policies (customs clearance fees/tax adjustments), Cargo characteristics (dangerous goods/oversized items incur additional charges), Exchange rate fluctuations (for freight settled in foreign currencies).

Have any questions or sourcing needs? Feel free to contact us anytime.

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