China Product Sourcing Services Explained

Copy the comparison fields first

A same-spec table is the first artifact. Copy the columns into your order file and leave a cell blank until that supplier answers it. Names in the diagram on this page are placeholders, not quotations.

If one row is EXW and another is FOB, do not adjust the numbers yourself. Ask for a requote on the same rule and the same named place. A blank cell stays open. A low price with open cells is not comparable yet.

A supplier search should end with a decision you can explain. A factory that quotes EXW without a carton specification cannot be compared with a trader quoting FOB with export packing. One price may look lower simply because half the work is missing.

Start with a brief the supplier can price

A photo or marketplace link is useful, but it is not a purchase specification. A good sourcing provider turns the starting material into questions about size, material, finish, packaging, quantity, destination, and required date. If the destination needs a test report or a particular label, that belongs in the request before the first deposit.

The wholesale RFQ template shows the fields to include. Every supplier should receive the same version so the answers can sit in one comparison table. When a supplier skips a field, mark it as open rather than filling the gap with an assumption.

If you already found a supplier on Alibaba or 1688

Finding a supplier yourself does not mean the search has to start again. If you hire an agent, ask whether it can take over a supplier you already chose, and give it what it needs to answer: the supplier link or contact, the listing or quote you received, your quantity, and your destination. If you are deciding between two or three listings, send all of them.

Then confirm in writing which checks are included for that supplier:

• Identity. Will the agent ask for the Chinese legal name and compare the names on the license, the quotation, and the payment instruction? A marketplace storefront name alone is not enough.
• Specification. Will your specification be sent to the supplier for written confirmation of each field? A listing photo and title are a starting point, not a specification.
• Quote basis. Will the price be restated on the same Incoterm, packaging, and carton assumption as your other options, or on the basis you will actually buy on?
• Open items. How will unanswered questions be shown in the file, so you can see them before a deposit?
• Payment. Who pays the supplier, through which channel, and who authorizes each payment?

Whether to order from that supplier stays your decision. Agree in advance what happens if a check raises a problem, for example a search for alternatives or a hold until the supplier answers.

Read the shortlist, not only the unit price

The shortlist identifies whether each counterparty appears to be a factory or trader. It also records the quoted Incoterm, sample position, lead time, packaging assumption, and any unanswered compliance question. A trader may be the sensible choice for a mixed order. A factory may suit a stable single SKU. The label matters because it tells you what the supplier controls.

How the quote table stays comparable

Each row in the quote table is one supplier. Each column is one fixed condition: the specification version, the Incoterm and place, the packaging and carton assumption, the quantity, and the sample position. When a supplier quotes on a different basis, ask for a requote on the fixed conditions rather than adjusting its number by hand. Mark any cell the supplier has not confirmed as open, so a low price with three open cells does not look complete.

Before money moves, use the supplier verification guide to check the legal entity and payment details. The company name on the license, quotation, invoice, stamp, and bank instruction should tell one consistent story.

Use the sample to close the specification

The first sample often exposes details that the RFQ missed. Record those details instead of relying on memory. Measurements, approved color, packaging, accessories, and visible finish should be written into the file for the production order.

Once the sample and quote are clear, the buyer chooses whether to proceed. Product sourcing does not remove that decision. It gives the buyer enough evidence to make it without guessing. The longer China sourcing guide explains what happens after the shortlist, including verification, inspection, and shipping.

What a provider should deliver

• A shortlist with each counterparty labeled factory or trader
• A side-by-side quote table on one specification and Incoterm
• The open questions the specification still does not answer
• A recommended next sample, with the reasons for rejects

How the work usually runs

1. Brief. The buyer writes down the product, quantity, destination, and any 1688 or factory link, and keeps it as the reference for every quote.
2. Search. The provider contacts known and new suppliers and drops any that will not state a legal name.
3. Compare. Quotes are restated on the same specification, Incoterm, and carton assumption, with unanswered fields marked open.
4. Recommend. The buyer receives a written pick plus the rejects and reasons, not a single best-factory slide.

Frequently asked questions

How do I compare quotes that use different Incoterms?

Ask each supplier to requote on the same Incoterm and named place, for example FOB at the same port, rather than adjusting the numbers yourself. An EXW price leaves out export handling that an FOB price includes.

What if a supplier leaves fields in the RFQ blank?

Mark the field as open in the comparison table and ask for a written answer before a deposit. A low price with several open fields is not yet comparable with a complete quote.