China sourcing agent
We find the right factory for your product, negotiate the real factory price and run the entire order from Shenzhen. You approve the sample; we do the rest.
Respuesta rápida
What does a China sourcing agent do?
A China sourcing agent is your local procurement department: it identifies and verifies factories, negotiates the price in RMB, orders samples, places and pays for the order, inspects the goods before they leave the country and arranges the international freight. MeliPrep operates from Shenzhen on a commission of 5% to 8% of the purchase value, and hands over the factory invoice with no hidden mark-up.
Service facts
- Commission
- 5% – 8% of purchase value
- Efficient minimum
- ≈ USD 2,000 of goods
- Operating base
- Shenzhen, Guangdong
- Sourcing platforms
- 1688, Taobao, Yiwu and direct from factory
- Negotiation languages
- Mandarin, Spanish, English and Portuguese
- Typical sourcing time
- 3 – 10 business days
- Factory visit
- Included in Shenzhen and the surrounding area
What we actually do
You send us a brief — a 1688 link, a photo, a physical sample or simply a description of the product — and we return a shortlist of manufacturers with unit price, minimum order quantity (MOQ), production lead time and payment terms. Every candidate on that list has been checked before we put it in front of you.
From there we handle the whole operation: we order and receive samples at our Shenzhen warehouse, negotiate volume pricing, place the order, advance the payment to the factory, coordinate the quality inspection and prepare the cargo for shipment. You see every step through photos and video, and you approve at the three points that matter: sample, inspection and freight.
Why the price you see carries no mark-up
The usual model among Chinese trading companies is to buy cheap and resell to you at a margin you never see. We work the other way round: we show you the factory invoice exactly as we receive it and charge a declared commission on top. If the product costs USD 2.40 at the factory, your invoice shows USD 2.40 plus the agreed commission.
This matters more than it looks. A hidden 15% margin on a USD 50,000 order is USD 7,500 you do not know you are paying, and it repeats on every order. The commission is paid once per operation and is negotiated down as your monthly volume rises.
What we do not do
We do not handle counterfeit goods, branded replicas or products that infringe patents. We also decline orders whose import is prohibited in the destination country, and products that require special licences we cannot verify. If your product falls into any of these categories, we will tell you in the first conversation instead of taking the order.
We are not a trading company either: we do not buy stock on our own account to resell to you. We work against your order, with your approval and in your name.
How we verify that it is a real factory
The difference between a manufacturer and a trader who subcontracts production is the difference between controlling your quality and not controlling it. We request the Chinese business licence and check that the registered scope covers the manufacture of the product in question. In categories where the licence is not enough — food, infant products, cosmetics, electricals — we also request the production permit specific to that category.
When the order justifies it, we go to the plant. In Shenzhen and its metropolitan area that is a one-day visit; in other provinces we organise it as a trip. The visit is documented with photos of the line, the warehouse and the quality control process, and we send it to you before you confirm the order.
| MeliPrep (agent) | Trading company | Buying direct on Alibaba | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you see of the price | Factory invoice with no mark-up + a declared 5%–8% commission | One final price with an undisclosed margin inside it | Listed price, usually the highest one for a first-time buyer |
| Supplier verification | Licence, production permit and a plant visit where warranted | Usually a trader who subcontracts production | On you, and in another language |
| Price negotiation | In Mandarin, in RMB, with a market benchmark for your volume | Internal: their margin depends on you not negotiating | Limited by language and by not knowing the benchmark price |
| If a defect appears | We claim against the factory while the goods are still in China | The middleman handles it, with their own interest at stake | You claim remotely, with no leverage over the supplier |
How we handle your order
Seven stages with three approval points of your own. Nothing moves forward without your sign-off, and you can stop the process at any time.
- 01
Brief
You send us the product, the estimated volume and your target price if you have one.
- 02
Shortlisting
We check licences, visit the plant where warranted and present a shortlist with price, MOQ and lead time.
- 03
Sample
We receive the sample in Shenzhen and send you photos, video, real measurements and weight.
- 04
Negotiation
We settle price, MOQ, lead time and payment terms with the chosen manufacturer.
- 05
Order and payment
We pay into the supplier company's account inside China and send you the receipt.
- 06
Follow-up and inspection
We follow production and inspect to AQL criteria before the balance is paid, then send you the report.
- 07
Shipment
We consolidate, prepare the documentation and coordinate the shipment or collection by your own freight forwarder.
Frequently asked questions about the sourcing agent
How much does a sourcing agent in China charge to find suppliers?
Supplier sourcing and verification are normally included in the general commission of 5% to 8% of the purchase value, provided the order is placed through us. If you only want us to find and verify factories without managing the purchase, we charge a flat fee per product researched, which is credited back if you go on to place the order.
How do you find the actual manufacturer rather than a middleman?
Separating a manufacturer from a middleman means cross-checking several sources: 1688 listings and trade fair catalogues, public registries of Chinese business licences, and on-site visits when the product warrants them. A real factory is asked for three things a trader cannot provide: a licence whose registered scope covers manufacturing, a production permit for the specific category, and the ability to show the line where your item is made.
Do you negotiate the price on my behalf?
Negotiating the price on your behalf is part of the service, and it is one of the main reasons to hire an agent. We negotiate in Mandarin, in RMB, and with knowledge of the market benchmark price for that product at that volume. The factory invoice is handed to you with no mark-up: our income is the declared commission, never a margin hidden inside the unit price.
What happens if the supplier you find is not suitable?
The supplier is discarded and the search continues. A sourcing project is not closed until you approve a sample, or until we jointly decide that the product has no supplier worth working with at your volume. A small purchase budget combined with a high MOQ is one of the most common reasons a search fails, and we will tell you before we spend time on it.
Do you work with my own supplier list?
Working with your own supplier list is supported. If you already have suppliers identified on 1688 or Alibaba, we can verify that they are real manufacturers, negotiate the price, place the order, inspect and consolidate. It is one of the fastest ways to start, because it removes the sourcing phase.
Related services
Factory verification
We confirm your supplier is a real factory, not a reseller in disguise.
Quality inspection
AQL factory inspection with a photo report before you release the balance payment.
1688 sourcing
We buy on China's domestic marketplace, where the price is the real factory price.
Cargo consolidation
We merge orders from several factories into one shipment to cut your freight cost.
Tell us what you need to buy
Send us a 1688 link, a photo or a sample of the product, plus your estimated volume. You get back a shortlist of vetted suppliers, a landed price to your warehouse and a realistic production lead time.
We reply within 24 business hours. See how the process works