When ordering from Chinese suppliers, packaging can be hit or miss. Sometimes, the box is already banged up by the time it reaches the warehouse in China. Other times, it arrives at your doorstep falling apart — or worse, the packaging looks fine, but the product inside is damaged.

If you’re buying from domestic Chinese platforms (like 1688 or Taobao), the packaging is usually designed for local shipping — meaning it’s only meant to survive China’s logistics system. Once it leaves the country, that flimsy box might not hold up through multiple handling stages. And let’s be honest — once it’s in transit, you have zero control over how rough the shipping company gets with it.

Even suppliers who specialize in exports (like those on Alibaba) often have their own default packaging standards, which might not be what you actually need.

A little extra effort upfront can save you major headaches later:

Need extra padding, a wooden crate, or reinforced corners? Tell the supplier upfront and get it in writing.

Don’t just assume they’ll remember — spell out the packaging requirements in your PI or purchase agreement.

Your agent or freight forwarder should inspect the goods before they leave China. If the packaging looks sketchy, refuse delivery — that’s standard practice. If needed, pay a little extra for better packing.