While importing from China may seem like an easy way to make a fortune, the process is filled with potential pitfalls. Even a small mistake can lead to significant losses in both money and time.
Mistakes like errors on paperwork can also cost thousands and cause delays in receiving your goods. Even if it is unlikely, it is best to be prepared and understand events like these do occur when shipping.
Here, experts from various fields, including e-commerce mentors, international freight forwarders, and e-commerce tool providers, 3PLs share their advice. We hope their services and suggestions can help you.
20 Expert’s Advice for “Don’t Make These Mistakes When Importing from China”True
5 Mistakes (Don’t Make) When Buying Metal Planters From China
1.Mistakes When Choosing Products
The biggest mistake people make when choosing products is not looking at data. TS. You can get interesting insights by looking at popular Facebook ads to know if people engaging with the ad genuinely want the product or not.
You can also find data points like order volume and performance in the past 30 days and six months on Oberlo. Google Trends is also a popular way to check to see if a product is gaining popularity or declining to help you determine whether or not you should sell it.
Nicole Martins Ferreira
The content marketer for Oberlo1, Nicole is an eCommerce expert and entrepreneur with strategic thinking and detail-oriented personality.
When choosing a product from a Chinese supplier, building a good partnership with your supplier is crucial. Miscommunication and cultural differences can cause problems. Understand legal differences, especially in copyright enforcement, to avoid issues and foster a strong connection.
Jared Vineyard
Jared Vineyard is the Content Manager for Universal Cargo, a freight forwarder with over 30 years of international shipping experience and a blog that is well-recognized and influential within the industry.
A common mistake is selecting a product based solely on its perceived marketability rather than personal passion. While it’s important to choose a product that will sell, relying only on market trends without genuine interest makes the process much harder. Opt for products you are knowledgeable and passionate about to improve your chances of success.
Mistakes When Choosing Products.True
Opt for products you are knowledgeable and passionate about to improve your chances of success.
While it’s important to choose a product that will sell.False
Relying only on market trends without genuine interest makes the process much harder.
2.Mistakes When Buying on Chinese Wholesale Websites
The biggest mistake that I see new e-commerce entrepreneurs make is negotiating heavily on price without taking into account the potential loss of quality.
Whenever you successfully negotiate a decrease in pricing with a supplier, your work is not done. You need to make sure that there will be no compromises or shortcuts in production.
Greg Mercer
Greg Mercer founded Jungle Scout2in 2014. Since launched as the first Amazon product research tool, it has been carved as the go-to tool for novices and power-sellers alike.
One of the biggest mistakes that most new sellers make when researching products is the failure to properly identify and track competition. The best way to do that is to look for reviews, listing quality scores, and relative keyword prices using tools like Jungle Scout’s web app.
For wholesale products where you’re mostly competing on price, the same applies. Your best advantage is always going to be in what you can buy a product for, so be sure to properly calculate all your costs and research the Buy Box price before listing a competitive product.
Steve Chou
Steve Chou runs a site called My Wife Quit Her Job, where he talks about the entrepreneurial story he’s gone through and shares his insights and knowledge on how to build a high-growth business and coaching practice.
The biggest mistake that I see new e-commerce entrepreneurs make is negotiating heavily on price without taking into account the potential loss of quality.
Whenever you successfully negotiate a decrease in pricing with a supplier, your work is not done. You need to make sure that there will be no compromises or shortcuts in production.
The best way to prevent quality fade is to create a very detailed quality control checklist that specifies every last detail of your product. Make sure you hire an inspector that will examine your goods as they are produced in addition to at the end.”
Mistakes When Choosing Products.True
Opt for products you are knowledgeable and passionate about to improve your chances of success.
While it’s important to choose a product that will sell.False
Relying only on market trends without genuine interest makes the process much harder.
3.Mistakes When Selecting Suppliers
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when buying wholesale from China wholesale website is a lack of quality check before placing an order. TS.
Once you get your inventory there is no guarantee that it will be up to par and by the time request and refunds are discussed, you will have a lot of unfulfilled orders or a large stock of inventory collecting dust that can’t be sold.
Ricky Hayes
The Founder and CEO of Debutify3 , the all-in-one eCommerce toolkit, including everything brand owners need to build, launch, and scale a profitable Shopify store.
Using tools like Alibaba allows you to brand your products, customize them, and ship them right to your warehouse with the vendor you are working with. Here are the common mistakes to avoid:
| No. | Advice | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don’t just choose the first supplier you find on Alibaba | Get multiple quotes and multiple samples of the product to verify the quality. |
| 2 | Always buy the smallest batch first | This helps to save money and reduce tariffs; otherwise, you may face unexpected expenses and delays. |
| 3 | Protect new products with an NDA | If you have a new product to market, ensure an NDA is in place to protect your product from theft. |
| 4 | Avoid air freight for large orders | Using air freight for large orders can be very expensive. Consider alternative shipping methods for cost efficiency. |
Steve Burg
The Head of Growth at CurrencyTransfer4–– a financial technology and services company providing tailor-made technology-based solutions.
“When finding suppliers for an existing product or a new range, never focus solely on price. The cheapest option is not always the best, as quality is crucial.
It’s important to find a balance. A reasonably competitive price combined with good quality is more likely to lead to success.”
Mistakes When Choosing Products.True
Opt for products you are knowledgeable and passionate about to improve your chances of success.
While it’s important to choose a product that will sell.False
Relying only on market trends without genuine interest makes the process much harder.
4.Mistakes Before Massive Production
Many Americans rush into business with China without proper due diligence.
When looking for suppliers, ask friends and entrepreneurs for recommendations. Before traveling, research potential suppliers online and speak with them via Whatsapp (many Chinese businesspeople speak English) to verify their legitimacy. Ask for a virtual tour of their offices or factories.
Rieva Lesonsky
The CEO for SmallBizDaily –focused on help entrepreneurs and small business owners start, run and scale their own businesses.
Not all suppliers on sites like Alibaba are the same. They can be manufacturers, wholesalers, or trading companies, and many new entrepreneurs don’t understand the impact on their profits.
Manufacturers create products and offer the best prices. Wholesalers and trading companies sell products from manufacturers, adding markups that reduce your profit.
Richard Lazazzera
The owner of abetterlemonadestand– an online ecommerce incubator that helps make each of those thousand decisions easier.
To identify your supplier type, ask for their business license. The “Business Scope” section will indicate whether they are a manufacturer, wholesaler, or trading company. Manufacturers usually share their licenses readily, and reluctance to do so is a red flag.
The content manager at DropShipLifestyle –an online eCommerce coaching program helped more than 10,000 students to success by leveraging the power of drop shipping5 are transforming sustainable design.
Conclusion: Instead, build relationships with domestic suppliers.
Using local suppliers reduces shipping times to 3-5 days, resulting in happier customers and better reviews. Choose a niche, build a store, identify competitors, and contact their dropship suppliers to get approved to sell their brands.
Mistakes When Choosing Products.True
Opt for products you are knowledgeable and passionate about to improve your chances of success.
While it’s important to choose a product that will sell.False
Relying only on market trends without genuine interest makes the process much harder.
5.Mistakes When Shipping Products from China
Many buyers come to us to develop their personalized glass bottles. I’ll show you three mistakes they often make:
| No. | Advice | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communicate detailed specifications with your supplier at the start | Ensure clear communication regarding size, height, diameter, purpose, and budget for the bottles to avoid multiple sampling attempts and failed outcomes. Effective communication saves time and enhances sourcing. |
| 2 | Avoid developing custom bottle molds for beginners | Mold fees can exceed $3,500, and the MOQ for custom bottles is typically at least 50,000, which may not be suitable for startups. Instead, choose existing bottles from suppliers and customize with your logo. |
| 3 | Don’t rely solely on product images from suppliers | Product images can be misleading; quality may differ significantly in person. Always request a physical glass bottle sample to check color, defects, joint lines, and decoration quality before finalizing your order. |
The owner of mymiraclebaby.com– a platform to share tips and guides on baby products.
Tricia Newman
The Founder and CEO of Sell The Trend 6, a leading all-in-one dropshipping platform designed to help anyone start dropshipping in the fastest, easiest, and most affordable way.
China is a leading supplier of household items, including baby products and clothes. Here are quick tips for selecting safe and reliable baby gear from China:
Ensure the manufacturer complies with safety regulations and is registered under children’s product manufacturing.
If the manufacturer also makes other items, do further research.
Check the brand’s reputation for quality, especially for products impacting health.
Daniel Workman
The founder of Worlds Top Exports –an educational portal designed to share key business metrics and insights that empowers researchers to monitor the pulse of global trade.
“Many businesses fail to conduct rigorous pilot projects or trials before committing to mass production with external suppliers, leading to costly product flaws and missed deadlines, as seen with Bombardier in Canada.
Mass production requires formal trade documentation signed by both parties before work begins. A clear contract should define deliverables, delivery dates, quality control, and financial penalties for non-compliance.
While trade documentation is typically in English, Chinese suppliers may require a translated version. Consider cultural and time-zone differences that can affect communication.
Carefully planned pilot projects can identify potential issues early, preventing costly mistakes during mass production.”
Mistakes When Choosing Products.True
Opt for products you are knowledgeable and passionate about to improve your chances of success.
While it’s important to choose a product that will sell.False
Relying only on market trends without genuine interest makes the process much harder.
Conclusion
Be sure to do the calculations right as inventory management is critical for your success. Carry too much stock and you risk losing money. Carry too little and you’ll struggle with order fulfillment.
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Learn To estimate the approximate volume for your first massive production, study average industry conversion rates. With the traffic of 5,000 visitors/month and 1% CR, you’ll probably make 50 sales. Anything between 20-50 items would be enough to stock.... ↩
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Learn I rushed production of a product based on a similar sample – not an EXACT production sample – and ordered containers of it to send to the client – a distributor in the USA. Later the paint on the table would melt in the heat and the sticker would come off. ↩
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LearnLesson – spend the extra time and money to get an exact sample and have it signed off. Especially if any modifications are made on it. ↩
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Explore The SEO and digital marketing for Schumacher Cargo Logistics –an international vehicle shipping and overseas relocation company. ↩
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Learn One mistake people make when shipping products from China is they don’t account for any costs beyond the overseas transport. During this process, issues like customs inspections can happen on both sides of the ocean. If your goods are inspected it can cost a few thousand dollars per container. ↩
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Explore Mistakes like errors on paperwork can also cost thousands and cause delays in receiving your goods. Even if it is unlikely, it is best to be prepared and understand events like these do occur when shipping. ↩
