China Import Tips

Lessons that save you money and headaches — from people who import for a living.

Air vs sea freight: pick based on value and weight

Air freight is fast (about a week) but priced by weight — good for small, high-value items like phone accessories or jewellery. Sea freight...

1688 is China's domestic wholesale market — cheapest prices, but Chinese-language and usually needs an agent. Alibaba is the export-facing s...

A sample costs you a little; a bad container costs you everything. Always ask for a sample or paid photo/video inspection before placing a l...

The most common way Nigerians get scammed importing from China is paying a 'supplier' straight into a personal account they found on Instagr...

The price you see on 1688 is never what the item really costs you. Your landed cost = product price + China local shipping + agent fee + int...