China sourcing FAQ, short answers for B2B

B2B sourcing from China: factory shortlist and verification, talks (price, MOQ), samples, quality-control coordination, papers and, when agreed in a sourcing-execution scope, freight, customs and delivery. We are registered as a Hong Kong Limited, with a team on the ground in China.

Buying from China for a firm: brief, shortlist, factory check, sample, purchase order, deposit, QC and shipment. Alibaba is a catalogue, not a guarantee. The full guide is Buying from China. Import (duty, FTA, landed cost) is a separate guide.

Sourcing discovery gives a first project estimate. Supplier selection picks a factory and RFQ. Sourcing execution runs sourcing to goods ready to ship. Freight and customs are agreed separately when needed. Other services (private label launch, OEM, trip, brand, ecommerce) have their own pages.

The full price at your address: goods, freight, duty, VAT and fees. The Papillon fee is a separate line. We give a sheet before you confirm the order.

From 1 July 2024. Preferential rates need a matching HS code and a correct certificate of origin (COO). Without a COO, standard duty stays.

It depends on HS and on the certificate of origin. There is no promised saving in advance. The exact amount is calculated in the quote, in two scenarios: with preference and without it.

LCL (per CBM) for smaller quantities and consolidation. FCL when volume fills a 20' or 40', often a better unit price. We compare them in landed cost.

Often 8–16 weeks from brief to warehouse. Sea about 35–52 days transit. Production and QC add time before shipment. Air shortens the date.

On sourcing execution orders above 2,000 USD independent quality control is standard. For smaller amounts we agree the scope.

No. The team on the ground does visits and talks. If you wish, we organise a China business trip and fair accompaniment.

Send a brief: product, quantity, target price, date, any certificates. We propose a service model and an outline landed cost. Contact takes the brief.

We do not share fake logos or unverified quotes. Project examples are anonymised working records: what is checked before the deposit, what QC closes before shipment and how landed cost is built.

Yiwu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai, joining several suppliers into one LCL, charged on your CBM.

The best agent has a team on the ground in China (not only a mailbox), verifies factories and QC before shipment, and gives landed cost with duty and FTA assumptions before you confirm. Papillon works as a Hong Kong Limited with a team in China and delivery to Serbia when agreed. Compare references, scope and fee transparency, not only the lowest offer.

Alibaba and Made-in-China are good for research and a first shortlist. For serious B2B import it is better to confirm the supplier is a real factory (by visit or check), agree MOQ and payment in writing, and do QC before shipment. Papillon uses platforms for research, then verification on the ground.

It depends on HS, typically in a 0–20% range before the FTA. From 1 July 2024 the FTA can give a lower or zero rate with a correct COO. VAT is typically 20% on the tax base. The exact amount is calculated in the landed-cost quote.

Papillon is focused on B2B (companies and entrepreneurs). Commercial quantities and the customs procedure need a suitable legal status and a licensed customs broker. For personal small parcels other channels may be more suitable.

Brief, shortlist and factory check, sample, purchase order, QC before shipment, then freight, customs and delivery. Step by step is in Import from China and Import process from China. Papillon runs operations in the agreed sourcing-execution scope.

When quantity and margin cover freight, duty and QC, and when you know landed cost in advance. For a few pieces often not. For cartons and repeat usually yes. More depth is in Is import from China worth it.

Ordering is buying: who you pay, MOQ, deposit, sample. It is not customs. The guide is Buying from China. Import (papers, freight, FTA) is Import from China.

For commercial import yes. Freight moves cargo and helps at customs, it does not check the factory. Papillon can coordinate freight when agreed. Transport is in Shipping from China to Serbia.

LCL is groupage: a shared container, you pay your CBM. Useful when you do not have a full 20'. Several suppliers can be joined through consolidation.

Papillon (Hong Kong Limited) is a B2B sourcing company, with a team on the ground in China. For Serbia and the Balkans it offers sourcing, QC, papers and delivery with a transparent landed cost when scoped. The site is papillon.hk. A brief goes to Contact. It does not give legal or tax advice and does not manufacture goods.