10 Tips for Quality Sourcing from Asia

Whatever the type of goods, there are some tips that each Importer should keep in mind while importing from China or greater Asia.

At AsiaInspection, we visit 25,000 factories every year. This enables us to formulate these “10 tips for Quality Sourcing from Asia”, that we believe can prove particularly valuable should you deal with Asian vendors:

1. To find suppliers in Asia, do use the Internet (Alibaba.com, Made-in-China.com, GlobalSources.com etc…) and attend Sourcing Tradeshows involving Asian exhibitors..
2. Perform an Audit before making your final choice of vendor in order to validate manufacturing capabilities.
3. Ask the factory for a reference sample along with the quotation (the sample is usually free and you pay for the courier fee between the country of origin and the destination country).
4. Make sure your needs and specifications are well understood, using written comments, pictures and drawings.
5. Provide your vendor with detailed specifications and clarify your expected level of quality by giving acceptance levels for possible defects.
6. Perform an on-site Quality Inspection systematically before shipment (PSI). It is recommended to perform an earlier Inspection to avoid last-minute surprises (DUPRO).
7. Make sure you comply with the standards / directives applicable to your product (REACH, RoHS, CPSIA etc…), by asking your supplier to have a sample of the product tested and certified by an accredited laboratory.
8. Plan things well in advance and take at least 1 week buffer on the Expected Time Arrival (ETA).
9. It is good to physically meet with your vendor and spend time with them, in order to strengthen the business relationship through personal bridges.
10. Never take the explanation for a “no / impossible” without challenging it…

Comments

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I would add 1 tip...
make sure all the payment terms are fully understood and accepted before the final price agreement.

[Andy]

I was recommended alibaba by my business associate who happen to use them for a long time and he is fully satisfied with the services of alibaba but if you have low budget and you are looking at value for money then also try Bizedia. A friend of mine tipped me about Bizedia (bizedia.com).