How to Buy from China: a Step-by-Step Guide for First-Time Importers

Buying from China comes down to a repeatable sequence: find suppliers, get quotes and samples, vet whoever you choose, agree the Incoterm, pay safely, inspect before shipping, then hand the freight and customs to a forwarder. Do those seven steps in order and your first import is far less likely to go wrong. This guide walks through each one in plain English, with the pitfalls that catch first-timers — and shows exactly where a freight forwarder takes the job off your hands.

Key takeaways

Buying from China is a seven-step process — sourcing, quoting, vetting, Incoterms, payment, QC, and freight — best done in that order.
Vet the supplier before you pay. A few checks on the business license, company type and references prevent most bad outcomes.
Agree the Incoterm in writing before you order; for beginners, FOB keeps cost and control balanced, while DDP hands the whole shipment to one party.
Pay safely with a T/T deposit-plus-balance split, or use Alibaba Trade Assurance; never wire to a personal account.
Run QC or a third-party inspection before the goods ship, not after they land.
Once the goods are ready, the freight, export customs, import clearance and door delivery are our job — that is the part we handle to Latin America.
This is general planning information, not legal or financial advice; verify current platform terms and your own country’s import rules.

Step 1: Where do you find suppliers in China?

You find Chinese suppliers mainly through a handful of B2B marketplaces and trade fairs, each suited to a different stage. The right starting point depends on your order size and how hands-on you want to be.

Alibaba — the largest international B2B marketplace, built for cross-border buyers and the usual starting point for a first import.
Made-in-China and Global Sources — two more international platforms; Global Sources skews toward electronics and vetted larger suppliers.
1688 — Alibaba’s China-domestic platform, often cheaper, but listed in Chinese, priced for the local market, and not set up to export or accept foreign payment. You typically need a sourcing agent to buy from 1688. For a full comparison, see Alibaba vs Made-in-China vs 1688.
Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair) — the giant twice-yearly trade show in Guangzhou where you can meet manufacturers face to face.

For a first order, Alibaba is usually the simplest place to start. Treat the others as ways to compare prices and widen your shortlist.

Step 2: How do you request quotes and samples?

You request quotes by sending each shortlisted supplier the same clear specification, then you order samples before committing to a bulk run. Sending identical details to everyone makes the quotes comparable.

Write a short spec: product, materials, dimensions, quantity, packaging, and any certification you need.
Send it to several suppliers and ask for a quote, the MOQ (minimum order quantity), lead time, and accepted payment terms.
Order samples from your top two or three. Pay for them — a supplier that gives away samples to everyone is not always a good sign.
Compare the samples against your spec, not just against each other.

A sample is your cheapest insurance. It confirms the supplier can actually make what they advertise before any real money is on the table.

Step 3: How do you vet a Chinese supplier?

You vet a supplier by confirming the company is real, exports legally, and has a track record — before you send a deposit. This is the single step that prevents the most expensive mistakes.

At minimum, check the business license, confirm whether you are dealing with a factory or a trading company, ask for references and export records, and get on a video call to see the operation. Because this step is so important, we cover it in full in our companion guide: how to verify a Chinese supplier on Alibaba. Read it before you pay anyone.

Step 4: Which Incoterm should a first-time importer choose?

You should agree the Incoterm in writing before ordering, because it defines who pays and who is responsible for each leg of the journey. For most beginners the choice is between FOB and DDP.

FOB (Free On Board) means the supplier delivers your goods, cleared for export, onto the ship at a Chinese port. From there, you (through your forwarder) control the ocean freight, insurance and import. FOB keeps costs transparent and lets your forwarder manage the main journey — a sensible default for a first import.
A DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) all-in price can be assessed with a named eligible importer of record and clearance by a licensed partner broker. Scope, applicable taxes, exclusions, delivery address and feasibility must be confirmed per shipment on WhatsApp; the Incoterm does not transfer the importer or broker identity to the forwarder.

Avoid EXW (Ex Works) as a beginner unless your forwarder is arranging China-side pickup — it puts the export formalities on you. For a fuller comparison, see Incoterms 2020 explained and DDP vs DAP vs FOB.

Step 5: How do you pay a Chinese supplier safely?

You pay safely by splitting the payment, using the platform’s protection where you can, and only ever paying a verified company account. The goal is to never have your full order value unprotected at once. Our full guide to paying Chinese suppliers safely covers each method and the fraud red flags.

Common, sensible structures:

T/T deposit plus balance. A bank wire (telegraphic transfer) with, say, 30% up front and 70% before shipping — so the balance is tied to the goods being ready.
Alibaba Trade Assurance. Alibaba’s order-protection programme can hold funds and offer recourse if the supplier does not deliver as agreed. Terms and coverage change, so read the current conditions before relying on it.
Letter of Credit (L/C). For large orders, a bank-backed instrument that releases payment only against compliant shipping documents.

Two non-negotiable rules: pay into the company’s bank account, where the account name matches the business license, and never wire to a personal account or to a name that differs from the supplier you vetted. Verify the current terms of any payment platform yourself before you transact.

Step 6: Should you inspect goods before they ship?

Yes — you should run quality control before the goods leave China, because fixing problems after they land is slow and expensive. Inspection while the cargo is still at the factory keeps your leverage intact.

Your options scale with order size:

Ask for photos and video of the finished goods and packaging.
Book a third-party inspection — an independent inspector checks a sample of the batch against your spec at the factory.
For larger or repeat orders, consider a pre-shipment inspection (PSI) as standard practice.

If something is wrong, it is far easier to have it corrected before the container is sealed than to argue about it once the goods are overseas.

Step 7: Who arranges the freight, customs and delivery?

This is where a freight forwarder coordinates the move. Once your goods are made and inspected, the forwarder can arrange transport from the Chinese factory to your door, including China export formalities and destination clearance through the named eligible importer of record and licensed customs broker.

In practice, we book the ocean or air freight, coordinate China export clearance, arrange destination import clearance through the confirmed importer and broker, and arrange inland delivery. If you bought FOB, we can take the cargo from the Chinese port onward. If you request DDP, the destination, product, parties, legal structure, inclusions and price must be confirmed shipment by shipment on WhatsApp; it is not a way to bypass destination importer requirements. Not sure what a forwarder actually does? Start with what is a freight forwarder, and for the bigger picture of moving goods out of China see our air and ocean freight from China guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy directly from a factory in China? Often yes, but many listings you find are trading companies that resell from factories. Both can work — a trading company may handle smaller orders and export paperwork more smoothly — but you should know which one you are dealing with, because it affects price and flexibility. We explain how to tell them apart in our supplier-verification guide.

What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ)? The MOQ is the smallest quantity a supplier will produce for one order. It varies by product and factory, and it is usually negotiable, especially for a first order or if you pay a slightly higher unit price. Always confirm the MOQ in the quote before you fall in love with a product.

Is it safe to pay with a bank transfer (T/T)? A T/T is standard for China trade and is safe when you split it into a deposit and balance and only pay the verified company account. The risk comes from paying the full amount up front, or wiring to a personal account — both are avoidable.

Do I need an import licence in my country? It depends on your country and product. Some markets, such as Mexico, require an eligible registered importer before goods can clear. If you do not hold that registration, DDP does not bypass it: a shipment-specific assessment must identify the eligible importer and licensed partner customs broker, while scope, feasibility and exclusions are confirmed for each shipment on WhatsApp. Check your own country’s current rules, or ask us how the import side works for your destination.

Buying well is only half the job. Once you have a supplier and a confirmed sample, send the product, quantity, origin and destination. For an all-in DDP assessment, the shipment must use a named eligible importer and licensed partner broker; scope, applicable taxes, exclusions, delivery address and feasibility are confirmed per shipment on WhatsApp. Message us on WhatsApp to map the route.