US Importers
Practical guides on China sourcing, Amazon FBA shipping, ocean freight, quality control, and US customs clearance. Written by our team with 5 or more years on the ground in Shenzhen.
If you are an Amazon seller sourcing from China, getting your first shipment right is critical. One mistake in labeling, packaging, or documentation can result in your inventory being refused at the fulfillment center. This guide walks you through every single step from factory to FBA, with real costs and timelines.
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The exact vetting process our Shenzhen team uses to separate trustworthy factories from risky ones, going far beyond Alibaba badges.
Full container load or shared space? This breakdown covers costs, transit times, and the exact shipment size where each option starts making financial sense.
What QC inspectors actually check, how to read an inspection report, and how one inspection prevented $40,000 in defective inventory for one of our clients.
HS codes, ISF filing, CBP requirements, import duties and anti-dumping. The complete customs guide for any US importer sourcing from China.
FNSKU barcodes, poly-bagging rules, suffocation warnings, master carton specs. Everything your China factory needs to know to prep your goods correctly.
A real cost comparison between air and sea freight from China to the USA. Including the break-even point most importers do not know about.
Most importers blindly accept FOB without understanding what it really means for their risk and costs. This plain-English breakdown changes that.
Business licenses, production capacity, export history and worker conditions. The 25-point checklist our team uses on every new supplier visit in China.
From idea to your first sale on Amazon. A step-by-step guide covering product research, finding a supplier in China, first order, and getting FBA ready.
Using the wrong HS code is the single biggest cause of customs delays for US importers. This guide shows how to find the right one and avoid costly mistakes.
What is AQL 2.5 or AQL 4.0 and which one should you use for your products? Understanding acceptance quality limits prevents over-inspection or under-inspection.
Shenzhen to LA, Shanghai to New York, Ningbo to Houston. Actual transit days, seasonal variations and why port of entry matters more than most importers realize.
1688 is Alibaba's domestic Chinese platform with prices 30 to 60% lower. Here is how US importers can access it and what you need to know before ordering.
Small changes to your product dimensions made at the factory can move you from oversized to standard size and save hundreds per month in FBA storage and fulfillment fees.
Selling products in the USA has strict compliance requirements that vary by category. Importing without the right certifications can get your products seized at the border.
Importer Security Filing must be submitted 24 hours before your cargo is loaded in China. Missing it means a $5,000 CBP penalty and a very delayed shipment.
Tactics that work in Chinese business culture, including the leverage points most Western buyers never use. Based on 5 years of factory negotiations in Mandarin.
Calculating reorder points based on China lead times, sea freight transit, and FBA processing time. The formula that keeps Amazon sellers fully stocked year-round.
A product-by-product breakdown of current US tariff rates on Chinese goods, plus legal strategies importers use to reduce their duty burden without violating customs law.
Pre-shipment catches problems after the fact. During-production catches them while corrections are still cheap. Here is when each inspection type makes sense for your order.
Hundreds of Chinese product categories carry additional anti-dumping and countervailing duties on top of normal tariffs. How to check, what it costs, and how to plan for it.
The Canton Fair is the world's largest trade show and a goldmine for product sourcing. How to prepare, what to bring, how to evaluate suppliers, and follow-up steps that matter.
Every year US importers get caught out by Chinese factory holidays. Here is the exact timeline to reorder before Chinese New Year and avoid the stockouts that follow.