How to Vet a Chinese Supplier (Before You Lose Money)

Most sourcing disasters trace back to one thing: trusting a supplier you didn’t properly vet. Here’s the checklist that prevents it.

Factory or trading company?

Neither is automatically better. Factories give the best price and control for a specific product line. Trading companies are more flexible across categories and can be easier to communicate with. What matters is transparency — a good supplier tells you which they are.

The vetting checklist

• Track record — how long active, monthly sold volume, repeat-buyer signals.
• Specialization — do they actually make this product, or list everything?
• Responsiveness — slow or vague pre-sale answers predict slow post-sale support.
• Samples — always order one before a bulk order. Check it against your spec.
• Certifications — for regulated goods, ask for the real documents (and verify them).

Red flags

• Prices far below the market — usually a quality or bait-and-switch risk.
• Refusal to provide samples or factory details.
• Pressure to pay outside the platform’s protected channels.

Don’t vet alone

Verifying a factory from another country, in another language, is hard. A sourcing partner already knows reliable suppliers and negotiates on your behalf — and backs it with quality control so defects are caught in China.

This is part of sourcing well — see the full guide to sourcing from China, or read why 1688 gives the best pricing.

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