Buying directly from Chinese manufacturers often saves a lot compared with buying from wholesalers or intermediaries in Europe. At the same time the effort goes up: you need reliable suppliers, have to secure quality from a distance and must handle customs correctly. This guide walks through the ten steps every project involves and the places where beginners most often go wrong.
1. Is importing from China right for you?
Direct import pays off above all if you buy regularly or in meaningful quantities, want to build your own products (private label) or are looking for something that is not available in Europe or only at inflated prices. For very small one-off quantities, freight, duties and effort quickly eat up the price advantage. So calculate the delivered price early (see step 10), not just the factory price.
2. Define your product and target price
The more precise your request, the better the quotations. Put in writing: material, dimensions, colour, intended use, desired quantity, target price, packaging and required certificates. Photos, sketches or a reference product help enormously. Vague requests lead to vague quotations – and to surprises on delivery.
3. Find and verify suppliers
Sources include platforms such as Alibaba or 1688, trade fairs (for example the Canton Fair), recommendations and sourcing agents. What matters is less where you find a supplier than how you verify them: is it a factory or a trading company? Does the production capacity fit? Are there references? A detailed checklist is in our guide How to identify reliable suppliers in China.
4. Samples and negotiation
Always order samples before series production – ideally from two or three suppliers for comparison. Negotiate only once quality is right. Good levers are quantity, payment terms, follow-up orders and standardisation (for example standard colours instead of custom ones). Negotiating in the local language and with an understanding of the factory's cost structure usually achieves noticeably better terms.
5. Order, payment and Incoterms
Put all details into a written contract or order confirmation: specification, tolerances, delivery date, packaging, inspection criteria and what happens in case of defects. A deposit when the order is placed and the balance before shipping is common. Pay only to a company account in the name of your contractual partner.
Incoterms define who bears which costs and risks and when. With EXW you collect the goods at the factory and organise everything yourself, with FOB the manufacturer delivers on board the vessel, with CIF they also pay freight and insurance to the destination port. For beginners a clearly defined package is usually safer than a patchwork of individual services.
6. Production and quality control
Production often takes 30 to 45 days, depending on the product. Quality can only be judged to a limited extent from a distance. On-site inspections therefore make sense: one during production and a final inspection before shipping against criteria agreed beforehand (sample check, function test, dimensions, packaging, labels). Once goods are loaded, complaints are hard to pursue.
7. Transport: sea, air or rail
The choice depends on volume, urgency and budget. Transit times are rough guides and vary with route, season and capacity:
- Sea freight: cheapest per kilogram and cubic metre, ideal for larger quantities; allow several weeks including pre- and on-carriage.
- Air freight: fastest (often a few days) but much more expensive – sensible for samples, urgent or high-value, light goods.
- Rail freight: a middle way between price and speed, usually faster than sea and cheaper than air.
8. Customs and import VAT
For commercial imports you need an EORI number. Depending on the product category, customs duty is levied on the customs value, and import VAT always is. How the two are made up and which documents you need is explained in our guide Customs duties and import VAT when importing from China.
9. Legal obligations in the EU
By importing you generally become the "placer on the market" and are responsible for the conformity of the goods. Typical points are:
- CE marking and declaration of conformity for regulated products (such as electronics, toys, machinery),
- Product safety (GPSR): labelling, instructions for use and a responsible economic operator in the EU,
- Packaging law (Germany): registration with the Central Agency Packaging Register (LUCID) and participation in a take-back system for sales packaging,
- Electrical and battery regulations for devices and batteries,
- Labelling requirements for textiles, cosmetics or food supplements.
Important: Requirements depend heavily on the product. Clarify them before ordering, not at customs.
10. Calculate costs realistically
The factory price is only one building block. Calculate the landed cost per unit with every item: goods value, agent commission (if you work with an agent), quality control, freight and insurance, duty, import VAT (usually recoverable as input VAT for businesses), port and forwarding costs in the destination country, plus storage and last-mile delivery. Only then can you tell whether your margin works.
Import with an agent or on your own?
If you have the experience and time, you can go through every step yourself. A sourcing agent pays off if you want to minimise risk, bridge language and cultural barriers and focus on your actual business. With us you pay a transparent commission on the value of the goods – no base fee and no hidden costs. You can see how it works in detail under How it works.