China sourcing / Knowledge
Build your understanding, from the first supplier quote to the final shipment.
01 / Learn step by step
Start with a goal. Learn the concepts in order, then try a practical tool.
Start at the beginning or go straight to a concept.
Put it into practice
Use the quote comparison templateStart at the beginning or go straight to a concept.
Put it into practice
Open the supplier risk & QC plannerStart at the beginning or go straight to a concept.
Put it into practice
Prepare an RFQ with the brief builderStart at the beginning or go straight to a concept.
Put it into practice
Use the packing list templates02 / Build your understanding
Explore one subject at a time. Start with the fundamentals, then follow a question into the detail.
Understand the brief, order quantities and the route from a product idea to a first order.
Explore sourcing basicsCheck who you are buying from and agree what acceptable quality looks like.
Explore suppliers & qualityUnderstand OEM, ODM and private label before choosing a development route.
Explore product developmentCompare the complete buying cost and understand the terms before releasing payment.
Explore payments & costsMake sense of freight, Incoterms and the paperwork behind a shipment.
Explore logistics & documentsFind the practical steps and destination requirements for your import market.
Explore import markets & compliance03 / Keep the essentials close
The minimum quantity a supplier will accept for a specified product or order.
Full explanationA request that sets out what you want to buy, allowing suppliers to quote against the same requirements.
Full explanationThe combined cost of goods, transport and applicable import charges through delivery to the chosen destination.
Full explanationA parameter used in acceptance sampling to assess a production lot. It does not guarantee that every item is free of defects.
Full explanationA sea or inland waterway trade rule in which delivery and risk transfer occur when goods are on board the vessel at the named port of shipment.
Full explanationA transport document acknowledging receipt of cargo and recording carriage terms. Certain forms also function as negotiable documents of title.
Full explanationLooking for a specific guide? Search the complete library below, or narrow it to a subject.
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66 guides · Latest first
Logistics & documents
A telex release lets the destination agent release cargo after required original bills are surrendered at origin. Compare original B/L, sea waybill, express release, and payment controls.
Read the guideLogistics & documents
Verified Gross Mass includes cargo, packaging, securing material, and container tare. Learn SOLAS methods, shipper responsibility, submission cutoffs, and reconciliation controls.
Read the guideLogistics & documents
CBM measures shipment volume in cubic metres. Use worked carton calculations, then check weight-or-measure, dimensional weight, pallets, rounding, and usable container space.
Read the guidePayments & costs
D/P releases controlled documents against payment; D/A releases them against acceptance of a future payment obligation. Compare bank roles, cargo control, refusal, and credit risk.
Read the guidePayments & costs
T/T identifies an international bank transfer, not the commercial risk. Learn how deposit timing, balance evidence, fees, and beneficiary verification shape a workable payment term.
Read the guideSuppliers & quality
AQL indexes an acceptance-sampling plan; it is not a simple permitted defect percentage. Learn how the lot, sample, defect classes, and Ac/Re thresholds produce a decision.
Read the guidePayments & costs
A Letter of Credit is a bank undertaking to pay against a complying document presentation. Learn the party roles, document flow, timing, discrepancies, and limitations.
Read the guideLogistics & documents
Demurrage usually tracks container time inside a terminal; detention usually tracks time outside. Learn how free time, storage, milestones, and evidence affect the bill.
Read the guideLogistics & documents
A Certificate of Origin supports an origin claim for customs or trade-policy purposes. Learn when proof may be needed and how to check its data against the shipment.
Read the guideLogistics & documents
FCA transfers risk when the seller delivers the goods to the buyer-nominated carrier at the exact named place. Learn how location changes loading, cost, and document responsibilities.
Read the guidePayments & costs
The cheapest supplier quote is often incomplete. Use this quote comparison framework before choosing a Chinese supplier.
Read the guideSuppliers & quality
Pre-shipment inspection is not just asking for photos. Learn what inspectors check, what they cannot guarantee, and how to use inspection before paying the balance.
Read the guideShowing 1–12 of 66
Use the link beside a topic or definition to save or share that section. Follow the full explanation for context and sources; requirements can vary by product, supplier and destination.