Service

Product Sourcing from China

We find verified Chinese suppliers, negotiate price and MOQ, and pass through the original supplier invoice. You see what they charged us.

What's included

The sourcing fee covers the full pre-production workflow, not just supplier introduction.

  • Supplier search across 1688, Alibaba, Made-in-China, and Yiwu market
  • Three competing quotes per SKU with side-by-side comparison
  • Business license and export rights verification
  • Sample procurement and consolidated courier to your address
  • Price and MOQ negotiation in Mandarin
  • Contract drafting in English and Chinese with payment milestones
  • Production follow-up and weekly status updates

How it works

  1. You send a product brief with target price, MOQ, and any specs.
  2. We shortlist 8-12 factories and verify their export records.
  3. We deliver 3 quotes in a comparison sheet within 5-7 days.
  4. You pick a supplier and we order samples to our Guangzhou office.
  5. Samples ship to you by DHL or UPS within 3-5 days.
  6. On approval, we draft a bilingual PI and collect a 30% deposit.
  7. Production runs 15-45 days depending on category.
  8. QC at factory, then balance payment, then export.

Pricing

The sourcing fee is the only fee Cargix charges for this service. Sample shipping, factory audits, and inspections are billed separately at cost.

Order value (FOB)Sourcing feeMinimum
Up to $20,0005%$300
$20,000 - $100,0005%-
$100,000+Negotiable, typically 3-4%-

What you get

  • Original supplier invoice and bank transfer receipt for every payment
  • Bilingual contract with penalty clauses for late delivery
  • Weekly production update with photos from the factory floor
  • Direct WhatsApp line to your dedicated sourcing agent
  • Full transfer of supplier contacts after the first order if you want to buy direct later

When to use this vs. alternatives

Use Cargix sourcing when you are buying $5,000+ of goods or any product that needs negotiation, sampling, or custom packaging. For sub-$1,000 orders of generic items, Alibaba Trade Assurance with a credit card is faster and you do not need an agent. For repeat orders of the same SKU at high volume, consider buying direct after the first run; we hand over the supplier file at no extra cost.

Frequently asked questions

How is your sourcing fee calculated? +
Our fee is a flat 5% of the supplier invoice (FOB value of the goods). It is shown as a separate line item, not added to the unit price. If a supplier quotes $10,000, you pay $10,000 to them and $500 to us.
Why source from 1688 instead of Alibaba? +
1688 is the domestic Chinese platform and prices are typically 20-40% lower than Alibaba for the same product. The trade-off is no English support, no escrow for foreigners, and MOQs aimed at the Chinese market. We bridge that gap by acting as the buyer of record on 1688 and exporting in our name.
How long does it take to receive quotes? +
Standard items: 5-7 days. Items needing factory drawings or sample modifications: 10-15 days. We send 3 vetted supplier quotes in a single comparison sheet so you can pick on price, lead time, or MOQ.
What is the minimum order I can place? +
There is no minimum on our side. The MOQ is set by each factory and is usually 50-500 pieces on 1688 and 500-3000 pieces on Alibaba. For Yiwu wholesale market goods you can buy as few as one carton.
Do you take commission from suppliers? +
No. We sign a simple disclosure with every supplier confirming we receive zero kickbacks. You see the original supplier invoice and the bank transfer details. This is the main reason our sourcing fee is structured the way it is.
Can you handle private label or OEM? +
Yes. We coordinate logo printing, custom packaging, barcoding, and manual assembly. OEM tooling and full custom moulds are also possible but lead times move to 30-60 days and a tooling deposit is required.
What happens if a sample is bad? +
We replace it from another supplier on our shortlist at no extra sourcing fee. You only pay sample cost and courier again. See our quality inspection service for how we prevent bad batches at scale.

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