Field notes on China sourcing, purchasing and export

Articles drawn from real work in China — not just sourcing or shipping, but how the whole process actually behaves. Less a guide than a way through the maze of myths about doing business with China: what affects cost, risk, and timing, and where buyers tend to misread the situation.

No magic formula, no overnight wins — just field notes and practical takeaways for doing real business with China, whether you’ve been buying here for years or are planning your first order.

In China sourcing, confirmation is the easiest thing to find

A fast reply, a low price, clean photos, a reassuring word. At a distance these confirm what you already believed — not that the purchase is under control

Why “we agreed” is not enough in China sourcing

“But we agreed.” Maybe you did. The question is what was recorded — and who’s accountable now. Why basic discipline can look strange in China sourcing when weak practice is the norm.

The sourcing decisions in China that quietly turn expensive

Not every problem in China purchasing starts with a bad supplier, a failed shipment, or someone making an obviously poor decision.

What China sourcing advice gets right — and what it skips

Visit the factory, build the relationship, close over dinner. None of it is wrong — it just skips what decides the result.

China isn’t a theatre play. It’s a system.

In China, deals move on signals and real movement — not etiquette. Learn to read the system, not the props.

Looking for the “Top supplier” in China? You’re chasing a myth

There are no “best” or “worst” suppliers in China. That’s simply not how it works here.