China Sourcing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As one of the premier sourcing and manufacturing companies in China, there are many common questions we get asked on a regular basis about how our industry works and what sets us apart from the competition. Check out our FAQs on sourcing and manufacturing in China to learn more about our world and our services .

  • Sourcing is our middle name, LITERALLY!
  • CSI is a disruptor with one single focus in mind: finding the best possible manufacturers in China for our clients overseas. This results in our teams in China and Hong Kong spending days, weeks, and sometimes longer researching the best-suited suppliers that will meet our clients’ needs. We account for everything: price, MOQs, exclusive materials, quality, production turnaround, etc. We leave no stone unturned. We believe in Corporate Responsibility. It’s only after this extensive process that we contact 10+ factories to vet for your project.
  • We have a hands-on approach. Our on-the-ground presence in China means our team will verify “who is who” and get to know the actual people in the field. We differentiate excellent factories from those that are subpar and only work with factories that utilize the most ethical, upstanding practices. Our stringent auditing processes are what will enable your business to make the most intelligent and informed decisions when it comes to sourcing and manufacturing in China.
  • We source factories you can’t find elsewhere. 70% of the products we export are not listed on Alibaba.com or other common English-speaking websites. That’s because of the strong relationships we have built with exclusive factories in the industry. Some factories also only attend trade shows in China for their specific industry, so the only way you would get access to them would be through in-person meetings. We don’t want you to be limited by your location. Our expertise, connections, and experience makes everything we have accessible to you.
  • We thrive on teamwork! The team behind China Sourcing International encopasses qualified, passionate individuals, all of whom are experts in their given fields. We have an inhouse engineer, logistics specialist, creative director, senior sourcing agent, head of inspections, and so many other professionals at your disposal. It is through collaboration and strategy that our team is able to achieve greatness for you.
  • We’re multilingual. Not only are we fluent in English, but all of our sourcing, inspection, and logistics team members are also 100% fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin. You’ll never have to worry about language barriers or miscommunication with us.
  • We have experience. China Sourcing International has been operating for over 20 years, during which we have manufactured an extremely wide range of products. Additionally, each of our team members come with their own experience in the industry. We’re able to provide key insights into your field, including information on how your competitors are engineering and manufacturing their products and what we can do to give you a competitive edge. Our goal isn’t just to give you the best 1st generation product – rather, we want you to succeed with future launches as well. We think ahead to help strengthen your brand, increase product awareness, and build you a business of which you will be proud. 
  • We operate from a place of 100% transparency. Some sourcing and manufacturing companies in China claim to be able to do it all; we’re not one of them. We know that we excel in certain areas but may not have the capacity to do so in others. That’s why we will always be completely transparent with you when it comes to what we can provide. For example, one product category we don’t manufacture is apparel. We want to be able to take a product from beginner to buzzworthy; if we are not 100% confident that we can do so, we’ll be honest about it and refer you to another company that may be a better fit. Our goal is to give you the best possible end product. That’s why we always vow to keep clients updated, involved, and informed about our processes and capabilities. This ensures that production stays on track and that quality remains top-of-the-line.
  • $150 Million USD worth of products successfully sourced and exported from China by China Sourcing International.

Yes! China Sourcing International has a team of in-house engineers, all of whom are creative, experienced, and ready to take your idea from concept to creation. From CAD design assistance and 3D modeling to product engineering recommendations and so much more, our team will bring your product to life.

Our multilingual team is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. This makes communication with us significantly easier and helps reduce errors due to language barriers that some other companies experience.

That is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? We know that cost is a major factor for all businesses looking to source and manufacture products overseas. In fact, the primary reason most people turn to overseas sourcing is to save on cost. We fully understand this and want to provide you with the most cost-effective solution. Keep in mind, however, that the most cost-effective sourcing agent may not be the least expensive at the onset. It all depends on the engagement, project requirements, and scope of the project.

Here at China Sourcing International, we won’t claim to be the cheapest option, but that’s a good thing. We provide our clients with all-encompassing solutions that will deliver quality results for the long haul. 

How do we structure the cost of our projects? Each one is unique. We operate in a few ways:

  1. Provide you with the cost for your product with our cost built-in
  2. For larger projects, we charge an upfront fee that covers all services prior to manufacturing such as R&D, CAD Design, product engineering assistance, auditing, etc. Upfront costs also cover the usual 1-3+ months of sourcing, which includes daily communication, dedicated project management in Hong Kong, 60+ hours of work completed by our professional team, finding the best factories, etc. 

However if you choose to work with us, you can trust that it will pay for itself tenfold…if not more. Think about the number of flights, accommodations in China, and knowledge you’ll be relieved of when partnering with a company that can take care of all this for you. As if that’s not enough, think about the amount of money you’ll save by doing it right the first time. 

We encourage you to think of it this way: If you grew your business to the point where you hired your own procurement team and logistics team, how much would that cost in wages alone? We provide that entire service at 5X the value for a fraction of the cost.

If you’re looking for a more concrete answer to how much it will cost to work with a sourcing and manufacturing company in China like ours, we encourage you to contact us. We’ll ask for some information about your goals and your requirements so we can provide a proposal that outlines costs, strategy, and recommendations. We will be more than happy to review the options we present to you over the phone and customize a solution to meet your needs. 

Great question. Once we’ve scoured Hong Kong and China to find you the perfect suppliers, helped you order your samples/prototypes, negotiated you the best pricing, and helped you save money on freight and international payments, the next step is to keep everything well-managed. We charge an ongoing management fee of 10% on the value of your orders with the suppliers we introduce you to. Please note that this gets capped at different brackets, so we’ll never let it get out of control.  

For more hard numbers, consider it as paying 10% to save 30%. Use this scenario: Let’s say you found a supplier quote for $10 USD/unit on your own. With our expert overseas team, we could get you that same product (probably of higher quality) for $7 USD/unit. Add 10% and you’ll be paying $7.70 USD/unit, which still saves you 23% NET. That sounds like a win-win to us! If you plan on spending over $50,000 USD per annum on products or materials, these cost savings are no-brainers. 

When you partner with China Sourcing International, your success is ours. We take your products seriously and will do everything in our power to help you maximize profits. 

Yes – all of them! Our sourcing process applies to over 300+ product categories, just some of which can be found on our website. We have experience with product fields including consumer electronics, homewares, construction/building supplies, ceramics, stationery, toys and games, home decor, sports equipment, seasonal decorations, promotional gifts and souvenirs, pet products, tote bags, watches and clocks, PPE and medical supplies, packaging, custom molded plastics, and so much more. 

Have a product in mind that you want to create? Let us know about it! Chances are that we’ve had some exposure to it in some capacity and can provide you with valuable advice on how to get it to market.

Our factory sourcing process is based off several factors, some of which include:

  • How suitable is the factory to our clients’ exact requirements? We consider the product itself, MOQs, price, quality, certifications, and so much more when evaluating a factory’s suitability.
  • How communicative is the factory in China? Are they responsive? Have they shown competence in the areas we need? Do they have exporting experience?
  • What is their factory size?
  • What do other customers say about working with this factory?
  • What is their production timeline like?
  • What is the state of their factory’s facilities? Ethical working conditions in factories are paramount when we’re assessing who to work with.
  • What are their CSR standards?
  • Lastly, but probably most importantly, how do we feel about working with them? We want to trust every factory we work with and will never recommend a factory to our clients that we wouldn’t wholeheartedly stand behind

If that is important to you, then yes we certainly can! If you require the factory you work with to have certain certifications (i.e., Green Factory Certification, China Compulsory Certificate or CCC/3C, certain ISO certifications, etc.), we’ll make it happen. Let us know your business, product, and ethical needs and we will make it a priority to find a factory that fits the bill. If there is a specific standard you want the factory to meet, (i.e. organic materials certification, ISO 9001), we ask that you specify this before we begin looking for suppliers so we can find you just what you’re looking for.

Absolutely! In fact, we encourage our clients to visit their chosen factories if they have the time and travel capabilities. We love having clients on site to meet the people who will be working on their products because it helps strengthen bonds and may even expedite processes. It’s always great to put a face to a name and see operations as they occur in real time.

Great question! Quality control is of great importance here at China Sourcing International. Our factory auditing process is exceptionally stringent to ensure that our clients are never subject to substandard quality factories. This is the whole reason you hire a procurement team like ours!

We take photos and videos of everything you’d want to see in your factory to make sure that you’re fully aware of how operations are run. Unlike other companies that may do an initial inspection and then leave you to fend for yourself, we perform regular QC inspections at various stages of production to assess your products each time you make an order. We do this before you pay the balance to your supplier so you can be sure that you’re getting top-notch quality with every single order.

If there are issues with your goods, delays in production, or problems that arise, we’ll be sure to address them with the manufacturer and get them rectified before they dispatch your products. 

  • It is very important that our clients feel taken care of when working with us. That’s why we put together sales contracts for both you and your suppliers to sign prior to agreeing to an engagement. These contracts outline QCA defects, penalties for delays, production time, and everything else you need to protect your investment.

    China Sourcing International is committed to corporate responsibility in all respects. Our standards and systems are put in place so that we only work with reputable factories that promote CSR. We regularly audit our suppliers to ensure ethical labor practices and environmental control for health, safety, legal working age, working hours, compensation, benefits, and environmental protection.

    In an effort to further mitigate risk, we also maintain high standards of compliance across various subsets, including Labor Standard, Health & Safety of Working Environment, Environmental Standard, C-TPAT & ETI Requirement, and others. The questions we ask and the ways in which we assess factories are specifically designed to reduce the amount of risk our clients and their products stand to face. 

While other sourcing and manufacturing companies may simply send you several quotes from a few suppliers, China Sourcing International goes a step further. We start by approaching 10+ factories, narrowing down the selection to 5-6 from which we get reliable quotations, and then present you with quotes from the top 2-3 performing manufacturers. Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with a summary of sample/prototype costs, MOQs, manufacturing costs, materials, production time, landed costs (including our fees, freight, customs, duties and taxes), and other specific details so you can get a true sense of what everything will really cost. We know that manufacturing and navigating quotes can be overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time doing it. We’re here to simplify the process for you so you can make the most informed decision.

We take Intellectual Property (IP) protection very seriously here at China Sourcing International. We send out customized Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Non-Disclosure, Non-use, and Non-Circumvention (NNNs) agreements in both English and Chinese to manufacturers we are in talks with. We do this prior to sending them any information to protect our clients’ innovations. 

If you have a patented product or a product that is patent-pending, speak with us directly. We can advise on the best ways to communicate with overseas manufacturers to prevent your concepts from getting ripped off. 

Our standard agreement stipulates that we will never share your product information or disclose any information about your business with other factories, competitors, or entities that could damage your company, product, or reputation.