Finding a supplier in China is the foundation of any import business. Who you choose determines your cost of goods, the stability of your supply chain, and the number of nerves spent on claims. In our experience supporting hundreds of sourcing projects, the price difference for the same product between the first Alibaba seller you come across and a factory found via 1688 or a trade fair reaches 25–40%. Below are seven proven sourcing channels, their strengths and weaknesses, plus practical advice on comparing prices without costly mistakes.
1. 1688.com — domestic wholesale
1688.com is Alibaba Group's "domestic" wholesale platform, built for Chinese buyers. The same factories that sell on Alibaba trade here, but prices are 20–40% lower because sellers do not build in an "export" margin or pay for international marketing.
Nuances you need to know upfront:
- The interface is Chinese-only — you will need a translator or an agent.
- Payment is in yuan only, via Alipay or to a Chinese bank account — you cannot pay directly from Ukraine.
- Sellers rarely ship abroad and do not communicate in English.
- MOQs are often lower than on Alibaba: from 2–10 units in many categories.
That is why 1688 is usually accessed through an intermediary with a yuan account: they buy the goods, inspect them at a warehouse in China, and consolidate the shipment. AgilFreight offers this purchasing service with a commission from 3% depending on the order value.
2. Alibaba — the export storefront
Alibaba.com is the best-known B2B marketplace for international sourcing. An English-language interface, sellers accustomed to foreigners, and the Trade Assurance program, which protects your payment until shipment is confirmed.
The price of convenience is a higher price tag. Moreover, a significant share of the "factories" on Alibaba are actually trading companies reselling goods at a markup. The Verified Supplier filters, business license checks, and requests for photos of production lines help tell them apart. Alibaba is a good fit for first purchases in the $1000–5000 range, when predictability matters more than the lowest possible price.
3. Global Sources and Made-in-China
These two platforms are less known in Ukraine but valuable in their niches. Global Sources has historically been strong in electronics, components, and goods from Hong Kong and Shenzhen — supplier verification there is stricter than on Alibaba. Made-in-China works well for industrial equipment, construction materials, and OEM manufacturing.
The strategy is simple: once you find a product on Alibaba, check prices on these two platforms. Quite often the same manufacturer lists a lower price there, because competition among sellers is lighter.
4. The Canton Fair
The Canton Fair in Guangzhou is the world's largest export exhibition: over 25,000 exhibitors, three phases of 5 days each, held twice a year (April–May and October–November). It is the fastest way to meet dozens of factories in person within a week, handle samples, and negotiate prices you will never see online.
What a personal visit gives you:
- Direct contact with the factory, bypassing the chain of intermediaries.
- The ability to bargain on the spot — discounts of 10–15% off the online price are the norm.
- A read on the manufacturer's real scale from their booth and their team's behavior.
- Samples in hand the same day, not three weeks later by mail.
If you cannot make the trip, part of the Canton Fair catalogs are available online, and the contacts gathered at the fair can be vetted through our company verification service — it costs from $90 and insures you against fly-by-night "factories."
5. Taobao and Pinduoduo for niche testing
Taobao and Pinduoduo are retail marketplaces for Chinese consumers. They are unsuitable for systematic wholesale sourcing, but they are the perfect niche-testing tool: you can buy 5–20 units with no MOQ, bring them in by air in 7–12 days, and validate demand on Rozetka or Instagram before sinking thousands of dollars into a wholesale order.
Prices on Pinduoduo are often the lowest on the market, but the risk of receiving substandard goods is also the highest. Test purchases should therefore go through an agent, with a mandatory photo inspection at the warehouse before dispatch.
6. Agents and buyers
A sourcing agent is your person on the ground in China: they find factories against your spec, collect quotes, negotiate, and oversee production and quality. A good agent pays for their commission on the very first deal, because they know real market prices and can spot a trading company posing as a manufacturer.
At AgilFreight, supplier sourcing against a specific technical brief costs from $150: you receive a comparison table of 3–5 vetted factories with their prices, MOQs, and production lead times. For larger contracts, we recommend adding an on-site factory inspection from $250 — an inspector personally checks the production facility, equipment, and warehouse before the contract is signed.
7. Going direct to factories
The most advanced channel is reaching the manufacturer directly, bypassing all platforms. The methods: searching Baidu in Chinese, analyzing customs export databases (who has actually shipped your product to Europe), contacts from competitors' product packaging, and provincial industry associations.
A direct factory contract delivers the best price and priority in the production queue, but it demands volume: factories are reluctant to take orders under $5000–10,000. This channel is for those who have finished testing and are scaling up.
Channel comparison table
| Channel | Price | MOQ | Language | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1688.com | Lowest (−20–40% vs. Alibaba) | From 2–10 units | Chinese | Wholesale via an agent |
| Alibaba | Medium/high | From 50–500 units | English | First purchases |
| Global Sources / Made-in-China | Medium | From 100 units | English | Electronics, equipment |
| Canton Fair | Low (bargain in person) | Negotiable | English/Chinese | Systematic importing |
| Taobao / Pinduoduo | Retail, but no MOQ | From 1 unit | Chinese | Niche testing |
| Agent/buyer | Low + commission | Any | Ukrainian | Anyone who values time |
| Direct factory | Lowest | From $5000 | Chinese | Scaling up |
How to compare prices correctly (EXW vs. FOB, MOQ)
The most common beginner's mistake is comparing raw price-list figures. A price of $3.80 per unit can turn out more expensive than $4.20 once the delivery terms are factored in.
- Establish the delivery terms. EXW is the price at the factory gate: delivery to the consolidation warehouse, export clearance, and loading are all at your expense. FOB means the goods are already delivered to the port and cleared for export. The difference between EXW and FOB on a shipment can amount to $100–400. Our Incoterms guide will help you navigate the terms.
- Recalculate the price with MOQ in mind. A factory quoting $3.50 with an MOQ of 1000 units requires a $3500 outlay, while a seller at $4.00 with an MOQ of 100 units lets you test the niche for $400.
- Add logistics per unit. Air freight from $5.9/kg, rail from $3.1/kg, road from $3.4/kg — for heavy goods, the channel choice shifts the unit cost by tens of percent. Calculate it in advance in the shipping calculator.
- Factor in customs clearance. Import duty and VAT are assessed on the customs value — that is another 20–35% on top for most categories.
AgilFreight tip: never make a decision based on the price in a supplier's first reply. Request quotes from 3–5 factories against the same spec and the same delivery terms (for example, FOB Shenzhen), and only then compare. The first price named in China is an invitation to negotiate, not a final offer.
Finding a supplier is not a one-off action but a process: testing via Taobao, first lots via Alibaba or an agent, scaling via 1688 and direct contracts. At every stage, AgilFreight handles the purchasing, inspection, and shipping — from a half-kilogram sample to a consolidated container. Start with a small test order and scale what sells.