Meeting a sourcing agent

[Ghazi]

Hi Guys,

I'm meeting a sourcing agent in the UK who travels to China regularly. Our aim is to get our product developed in China and shipped to the UK.

What kind of questions should I put forward to the sourcing agent? Would it affect us with Duty if we get the product fully made in China or part made in China and the rest in the UK?

 

[Wavecrest Ltd]

Is the sourcing agent based in the UK or China? Is he British or Chinese?

I can recommend a sourcing agent used by a number of our clients. They are based in Shanghai but owned by an expat Aussie. The staff are all multilingual. They deal in a wide range of product types.

What type of product are you planning to import? If you let me know I'll be able to give you an idea of the duty rate that would apply.

 

[MOIC]

Questions you should ask;

1. What experience do they have in sourcing?

2. How long have they been sourcing for?

3. What specific products have they sourced related to your product requirements?

4. What is the process of finding the best factory suited to your product?

5. How many factories will they contact to ascertain the best factory?

6. What is the process of finding suitable factories?

7. How many samples will they request from different factories to ascertain the best price and best quality?

8. What will be their responsibilities with regards to confirming the sample, quality control, certification, order processing, export documentation, shipping, UK forwarding & delivery to your door?

9. Who will be your contact throughout the processes of point 8?

10. What bank account will payments be made to?

11. Request a contract to detail the processes and all costs that are likely to be incurred from A to Z.

12. Will they provide an after sales service?

13. Is English their first language?

14. Are they licenced?

15. What are their fees & are there any other related costs?

16. Who specifically will be doing the sourcing, identifying the best factory, requesting, amending & approving the sample, performing the quality control inspections & will you be able to contact the person when required for updates?

17. What is the timeline from receiving your instructions to getting a sample as well as the production run?

18. Will they arrange all the packaging, labeling, branding and any required certification?

19. Do they have testimonials or references you can request?

20. Do they have physical offices in China, with a landline, mobile or other means of instant communication?

After you receive all their answers, ask yourself how confident you are to give them your product to handle.

(I could have included many more questions to ask, but what I have included should be the bare minimum).

My advice is to contact 3 different agents and choose who ticks most, or all of your boxes.

Good luck