Field-tested advice for importing from China — from first contact to delivered goods.
Sep 21, 2026
Cut-resistant gloves are the easiest PPE category to buy badly. Here is what EN 388 actually measures, why a cut level means nothing without the coating, and where Chinese glove factories really clust
Sep 21, 2026
Injection moulding quotes from China can vary by a factor of three for the same part. Here is where the money actually sits — tooling steel, cavity count, resin grade and who owns the mould.
Sep 21, 2026
ISO 9001, CE, UL, RoHS, REACH — which ones are real gateways, which are marketing, and who should own the certificate when your name is on the box.
Sep 20, 2026
Safety footwear looks simple until a batch fails impact testing and you eat the cost. Here is how to buy EN ISO 20345 compliant work shoes from China without getting burned.
Sep 20, 2026
Custom boxes and protective packaging from China are cheap until a pallet collapses. Here is how to spec corrugated, cartons and branded packaging so the box survives the trip.
Sep 20, 2026
Flat-pack furniture from China lives or dies on panel quality, hinge hardware and packaging compression. Here is what to check before you commit to a container.
Sep 19, 2026
Toilets, basins and bathroom fittings from China are cheap for a reason and expensive for a reason. Here is what experienced buyers check before placing a container order: vitreous china quality, flus
Sep 19, 2026
Solar cable and MC4 connectors are the cheapest line on a PV bill of materials and the most common source of fires. Here is how to specify, verify and source DC cable and connectors from China without