Online sourcing of products in bulk is often a crucial cost-cutting tactic for companies. One of the reasons foreign B2B buyers go to Alibaba is because here they can access the biggest marketplace for wholesale suppliers on the planet.
There are various factors to bear in mind, though, as with many other facets of product procurement.
- Does buying in bulk make sense for your company, to begin with?
- What qualities should you consider while assessing wholesale product suppliers?
- Finally, how can you successfully negotiate this somewhat complicated market
- Finally, what advice can you offer to other buyers?
Let us learn how can we do sourcing products from China online by following a few steps in this post.
- Define your role in the whole process
Whenever you import anything from China. Just tell the supplier your address, and they will take care of everything else. The shipment will most likely arrive by air or sea.
Smaller or lower-value products will be sent to your door. Consequently, you need not pick up your items at the neighbourhood shipping facility.
- Find good products
There are many Chinese suppliers who offer inexpensive, low-quality products. You must better avoid such products, and more so, if you are planning to resale them to your own country clients.
Hence, you must differentiate between good and bad products by comparing between China and Western countries:
Compared to Western countries, China has different quality requirements.
- China has different intellectual property laws, and there are many fake goods available.
- Check the import rules of your country
Every country has certain list of products that they may not allow into their country.
Before you buy any product from China, you must ensure that you have got the necessary permission to import those products into your own country.
- Find the HS code of the product
Each imported item will have a unique ten-digit HS Code or tariff classification number.
To determine the rate of duty, which is an import duty to pay, you need this tariff classification number and the Certificate of Origin.
Also, the total cost of landing must be calculated while sourcing products from China online.
- Locating your Chinese supplier
Finding a supplier who can fill your order is the next step, if you already know which products you want to purchase in bulk from China.
Make sure you comprehend their shipping policies, particularly those relating to delivery schedules. When you have located a potential supplier, ask them for a proforma invoice.
The following details are provided in this documentation:
- Weight
- Packed dimensions
- Value
- Description of each product.
- Calculate your total shipping costs
Shipping anything internationally will need a lot of expenses. In addition to the regular shipping charges, there are additional expenses that you must pay:
- Container fees
- Broker fees
- Packaging fees
- Terminal handling fees.
Add up the total price of all these fees so you can estimate your delivery costs.
- Track your shipment
International shipments will take some time to arrive. Save the following documentations, such as:
The bill of lading
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list.
This material will help you understand the customs clearance procedure your shipment will experience once it reaches your country.
When the shipment arrives at the customs facility, request that your customs broker accept it. Your package will be delivered to the address you first specified for smaller orders.
Conclusion
There is no better place to start if you decide to buy in bulk online for your company than sourcing products from China online. But before you start sourcing, you must learn all the relevant trade secrets.
