Blog
Importing from China, explained by a sourcing team in Yiwu
Guides and articles on buying from China, written by Liam Cai and our sourcing team in Yiwu. Each one answers a question buyers ask us before they pay a supplier. New to importing? Start with the guide to importing from China.
Start importing
New to buying from China? These cover the whole route and the terms you meet first.
- GuideHow to import from China, step by stepThe whole route from finding a supplier to goods at your door, with the checks to run before you pay.
- ArticleWhat is MOQ? MOQ meaning and minimum order quantity for buying from ChinaWhat minimum order quantity means, why suppliers set one and how to get it lowered.Updated 2026-09-28
- GuideIncoterms 2020 explainedWho pays for each leg of the shipment under EXW, FOB, DDP and the other rules, with a picker for your order.
- GuideHow to negotiate with Chinese suppliersThe questions that get a real price at your real quantity, and the terms worth pushing on.
Check a supplier
Checks to run on the company before you pay, and on the goods before they ship.
- GuideIs Alibaba legit?Alibaba is a real marketplace. The risk is in the seller and how you pay. What Trade Assurance covers and where buyers lose money.
- GuideAlibaba scams: the 7 patterns that actually happenThe scam patterns we see most, each with the warning sign that shows up before you pay.
- GuideChinese company verificationHow to read a Chinese business license and look the company up for free on the official registry, gsxt.gov.cn.
- ArticleAQL inspection explained: sample sizes, defect limits and a QC checklistHow AQL sampling works, which limits to pick and what to do when a batch fails.Updated 2026-09-28
Shipping and costs
What an order really costs once it reaches you, and how to pick the freight mode.
- ArticleLanded cost: what it includes and how to calculate it for goods from ChinaThe landed cost formula with one worked example, plus the US and EU checks that change your duty.Updated 2026-09-28
- GuideAir vs sea freight from ChinaWhen express or air is worth paying for, and when sea freight wins on cost per unit.
Sourcing in China
Where to buy. The big platforms compared, the Yiwu market, and what our 1688 data shows.
- ArticleAlibaba vs 1688: prices, MOQ, payment and when to use an agentPrices, MOQ and payment on both sites, and when buying from 1688 through an agent makes sense.Updated 2026-09-28
- Guide1688 vs AliExpressCompare the full cost of moving from AliExpress to 1688, with MOQ and shipping counted in.
- GuideYiwu market guideWhat each district of Yiwu International Trade City sells, and how to plan a visit or source remotely.
- ResearchResearch on 1688 listingsOur studies of public 1688 listing data, published with their methods and limits.