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Yiwu Wholesale Market: 14 Facts Importers Must Know

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The Yiwu Wholesale Market is the largest in the world. Here, you’ll find thousands of Wholesaler offering all sorts of products at rock bottom prices.

In this article, I will explain the 13 things that every buyer must know before visiting the Yiwu Wholesale Markets, in Zhejiang province.

This is covered

  • What is the Yiwu Wholesale Market?
  • Why Yiwu makes sense for small buyers
  • How to get to the Yiwu International Trade City
  • Do I need a visa to visit Yiwu?
  • Do I need to find an agent?
  • Are Yiwu Wholesalers manufacturers or traders?
  • How do I know that the products are not fake?
  • How do I pay the wholesalers in Yiwu?
  • How do I coordinate the shipment?
  • Do I need a translator to talk to the Wholesalers?

In addition, we also added Part II: Yiwu Fair Guide

  • When is the Yiwu Fair held?
  • How do I get to the Yiwu Fair?
  • What kind of products can I find at the Yiwu Fair?
  • How do I get an invitation letter?
  • How do I get a trade badge?
  • What is the difference between the Yiwu Fair and the Yiwu Wholesale Market?

1. What is the Yiwu Wholesale Market?

There are in fact many wholesale markets in Yiwu city. Yiwu International Trade City is, however, the largest market – and often referred to when talking about the Yiwu Wholesale Market.

Unlike the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, the Yiwu International Trade City is permanent, and open the whole year, apart from national holidays.

The Yiwu Wholesale Market is gigantic, and mainly catering to buyers from India, Africa, and the Middle East.

Many e-commerce businesses also procure products from Yiwu wholesalers.

It’s famous for really low prices. Then again, you get what you pay for. Continue Reading →

Top 7 Fulfillment Centers in China and Hong Kong 2019

HK Fulfillment Centres

A Hong Kong or Mainland China-based fulfillment center can help you distribute products directly from the factory to customers all over the world.

In this article, we list the leading China-based fulfillment centers, including Floship, Easyship, Exchain, Shipwire, and others.

In addition, we also cover the following:

1. Potential tax issues with cross border e-commerce fulfillment

2. When does it make sense to use a fulfillment center in Hong Kong or Mainland China?

3. Should you select a fulfillment center in Hong Kong or Mainland China?

What is a fulfillment center?

Fulfillment center offers e-commerce merchants warehousing (storage) and shipping services, that allows online businesses to operate without owning their own warehouse or physical storage space.

Sellers or e-commerce merchants can directly send their inventory to the fulfillment center from where it is shipped to their customers.

Most fulfillment centers are integrated with e-commerce marketplaces and platforms like Amazon (which also operate their own fulfillment centers, Shopify, and eBay, making it easier for merchants to manage inventory and delivery products. Continue Reading →

Importing from China and Selling on Amazon.com: A Complete Guide

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Amazon.com is the major league of eCommerce. One late shipment or product compliance issue and your seller’s account might be history. Before you even think about selling imported items on Amazon.com, you need a well-oiled supply chain in place that actively prevents quality issues, compliance issues, and delays.

In this 3-Part guide for Amazon sellers importing from China, you will learn what it truly takes to bring your business to the top marketplace.

This is covered

  • Part 1: FBA, Shipping & Logistics
  • Part 2: Amazon Seller Performance Targets
  • Part 3: Amazon Product Guidelines

Part 1: FBA, Shipping & Logistics

It’s the gold rush of our time (or at least the decade). Seemingly, everyone wants to get their products out on Amazon.com. I’m no stranger to e-commerce myself, as that’s how I started doing business with Chinese suppliers in the first place. However, up until quite recently, E-commerce in Europe and America has been dominated by independent online stores, rather than market platforms. This is about to change.

About Amazon.com

What makes Amazon.com different is that they are not only offering an online platform, but also an integrated logistics system. Ship your bulk cargo to one of Amazon’s warehouses and they take care of the rest, sending your items to your final customers. But that’s only the easy part. Assuming you are buying from China, or any other country outside the United States, you need to get your cargo from a factory floor far away, to an Amazon warehouse. That is often easier said than done, and much can go terribly wrong. Continue Reading →

List of Product Testing Labs in China: An Overview

accredited laboratories

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Lab testing is the only way to verify that your imported product is compliant with all applicable safety standards and substance regulations. However, not all test reports are equal, as only those issued by accredited testing companies are actually valid.

For example, the CPSC in the United States lists testing labs around the world that are accredited, meaning that they only accept test reports issued by the listed companies.

In this article, we list some of the world’s leading testing labs in Mainland China and Hong Kong:

  • QIMA (Formerly Asiainspection)
  • CMA Testing
  • SGS
  • TUV
  • Bureau Veritas
  • Intertek

In addition, you’ll also get these questions answered:

  • Why do I neeed an accredited testing laboratory to check my products?
  • FCC Accredited Labs in Asia
  • FDA (USA) Accredited Labs in Asia

Continue Reading →

Factory Inspections & Audits in China: A Complete Guide

factory inspection

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Found a supplier online but not sure if they’re everything they claim to be? Factory inspections, which can easily be booked online, can quickly put boots on the ground and verify what’s actually going on behind the factory gates.

In this article, you will learn everything importers and Amazon sellers should know about factory inspections:

  • What is a factory inspection?
  • What is not covered in a factory inspection?
  • How can a factory inspection or audit help my business?
  • At what stage should we book a factory audit?
  • How much does a factory audit cost?
  • Can we visit the factory ourselves?
  • How long in advance do we need to book the inspection?
  • What is the difference between a quality inspection and a factory inspection?
  • Should we always book a factory inspection before deciding on a supplier?
Bonus Content
  • List of Factory Audit Companies
  • Factory Inspection Sample Report (PDF)

Continue Reading →

Product Testing Costs When Buying from Asia – A Complete Guide

lab test costs

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Today, one or more safety standards and substance regulations apply to most consumer products imported to the European Union, the United States, Australia, and other markets. As product compliance is rather an exception than the rule among Chinese manufacturers, third-party compliance testing is often the only way to be sure that you are not importing non-compliant products.

In this article, we guide you through the different types of compliance test and their each respective cost structure and explain what you can do to reduce said costs.

advanced materials

Chemicals and heavy metals testing (REACH, EN 71 and CA Prop 65)

Substance regulations, such as REACH in the European Union and California Proposition 65, restricts substances in some, or all consumer goods. Such substances often include lead, cadmium, formaldehyde, and phthalates. While batch testing is not always mandatory, compliance is.

Therefore, an importer may choose to which extent its products shall be tested.

Testing companies set the cost based on the number of substances (as requested by a certain regulation or standard) and the number of materials or variations, of said material. The following may count as a variation: Continue Reading →

Canton Fair 2019: The Ultimate Guide

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The Canton Fair is the longest running and the largest trade show in China. Think of it as the ‘offline version’ of Alibaba.com, and you’re getting close. In this guide, you will learn everything importers must know about the Canton Fair:

  • Why should I visit the Canton Fair?
  • Canton Fair Products and Phases
  • Canton Fair Dates 2019
  • Traveling to the Canton Fair
  • Visitor Registration
  • Visa Requirements
  • How to get an invitation letter

As a bonus, I also explain how to prepare and attend the Canton Fair, and manage follow-ups.

  • Why you must prepare a product specification before your visit
  • The questions you must ask each supplier at the trade show
  • How to follow-up with the suppliers after the trade show

Continue Reading →

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) – Why It’s Required by Chinese Suppliers

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The Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) requirement specifies the lowest quantity of a certain product that a supplier is willing to sell. If the importer cannot reach the MOQ requirement, then the supplier is not willing to enter production.

Suppliers in China and other low-cost manufacturing countries tend to have fairly high quantity requirements. In this article, I explain why so is the case and what you can do to reduce the MOQ requirement.

1. Low-profit margins require larger volumes

Most Chinese manufacturers tend to operate on razor-thin profit margins. Often as low as 3 to 4%. Low-profit margins require the supplier to produce a large number of products in order to break even. Continue Reading →

What is a Purchase Order and Proforma Invoice?

purchase order

Importers issue Purchase Orders (PO) as a formal procedure to state their intention to buy certain products, according to the terms specified in the PO. The supplier should then counter by issuing a Proforma Invoice (PI), stating their intention to sell the products to you according to the terms stated in the PI.

While this may sound like an outdated formality, understanding the Purchase Order and Proforma Invoice issuing process can help avoid severe misunderstandings – leading to quality issues, receiving the wrong product or delays.

In this guide, you will learn what every importer should know about the following:

  • What is a Purchase Order?
  • What do I need to include in my Purchase Order?
  • How do I submit the purchase order to the factory?
  • Do I need to submit a Purchase Order before each production run?
  • Why do I need a Proforma Invoice from the factory?
  • What kind of information should the Proforma Invoice include?
  • How do I avoid payment fraud?
  • What is the difference between a Proforma Invoice and a Commercial Invoice?
  • Can I use the Proforma Invoice as proof of importation value?

In addition, we also provide sample invoice documents:

  • Purchase Order Sample
  • Proforma Invoice Sample
  • Commercial Invoice Sample

Continue Reading →

Importing from China to Australia: A Complete Guide

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About to import products from China to Australia? This guide is a comprehensive introduction to everything that Australian importers must know, before getting started.

Keep reading, and learn more about Australian product safety standards, mandatory labeling requirements, GST, customs duties, and other import taxes.

As a bonus, this guide also includes an exclusive Import Cost Calculation Case Study, providing you with a tool for calculating all relevant taxes and fees in Australia.

Australian Product Safety Standards

Australia regulates products in many industries, including Children’s products, furniture, vehicles and chemicals in consumer products.

When importing from China to Australia, the buyer is responsible for ensuring compliance with all mandatory product safety standards, and compliance procedures.

As such, you must keep track of the following:

a. Product safety standards (i.e., AS/NZS standards)
b. Substance restrictions (i.e., AZO dyes) Continue Reading →