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A sourcing agent is a full-time employee of a company or an independent contractor who obtains goods from China for foreign companies, as well as offering some additional China sourcing agent services such as packaging, customization, ODM, OEM, drop shipping, and fast service.
What Does SourceMean to you?
A Chinese sourcing agent can provide you with the following benefits:
- Source new products and suppliers
- Analyze existing suppliers
- Develop contracts with existing suppliers
- Analyze market trends and design trends
- Conduct quality checks at enterprises
- to reduce the risk of Chinese goods being imported
- Organize shipments and logistics
- Additional customization
What Is a Sourcing Agent 2.0 in China?
Now it is SOURCING AGENT 2.0 time
A sourcing agent 2.0 is ideal for small and medium businesses as well as for E-commerce companies like eBay, Shopify, and Amazon FBA.
Are you looking for a Sourcing Agent 2.0 from China?
China is becoming the leading manufacturer of industrial products due to its low price and high quality that most businesses require a sourcing agent when importing from a big country like China.
As a result, if you are an Amazon or online seller, you may want to import products from Alibaba, 1688, or anywhere else in China. You can find thousands of suppliers on the Internet.
However, identifying which supplier can provide top quality at the lowest price would be challenging because most factory manufacturers do not speak English, and they are unable to market their goods directly to foreign importers. This is why high minimum orders are required.
How Much Does a Sourcing Agent in China Cost?
It is common to pay the sourcing fee between 5% and 10% of the order cost, since there is no standard. However, the percentage will depend on the order amount and the type of product. You can negotiate the sourcing fee with the sourcing agent if your order is larger.
Are You in Need of a Sourcing Agent?
In order to import from China and reach so many processes like sourcing various suppliers, factory audit, cut-price, product inspection, and shipping, you need a China sourcing agent.
There is no need to hire a China sourcing agent for a few products, if you only have a few products to sell.
The agency can provide you with common products only. The majority of Chinese sourcing agents are unable to help with imports of industry products. If you want to find suppliers in China, you’ll have to find them on your own or travel to China.
China Sourcing Options
If you are looking to source from China, let’s further analyze which cooperation model is best for you.
- Purchase Directly:
according to 82% of importers. It is important for them to control the process and avoid paying commissions to any agents or intermediaries.
You may prefer this option if your organization has the capacity to manage suppliers (see above), and you can meet the vendor’s minimum order quantity (MOQ).
- Hire A China Sourcing Agent:
There are thousands of people in China who provide this service for a living. When they are in the right industry, you can use their network and save a lot of time. You can also use them as your Chinese representative.
- Invest In a Trading Company:
It is a good choice if you cannot meet the MOQ, perhaps as a start-up or entrepreneur who has been an early target.
Trading companies can place their products in small workshops that accept small orders. Other than this particular case, I do not recommend working with intermediaries.
- Hire a Service Company:
Purchase agents in China provide services and charge fees. There is transparency (supplier name, process, etc.). If you predict a lot of production in the future, it’s a good investment for your company.
It used to be very rare to find China agents, but I believe they will become more common in the future.