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Find your sourcing route.

Choose the business you are building first. Then follow the decisions that actually belong to that route.

Evidence before confidence. These guides combine buyer questions with operational and primary-source context, so you can see what a shortcut does or does not settle.

What are you trying to do?

Start with your operating model, not a marketplace name.

Your sourcing map.

Both routes begin with a real product need and a supplier you can identify. What happens next is different.

Shared decisionsDropshippingImporting inventory
01Define the requirementProduct, customer, quantity, destination. 02Compare candidatesAsk the same brief; make the quotes comparable. 03Check the supplierConfirm the entity before money moves.

Dropshipping route

04Test a real orderSee the product and delivery promise as a customer would. 05Own each handoffStock, tracking, damage, returns, and customer contact. 06Launch and monitorUse order exceptions, not hype, to improve the route.

Importing route

04Sample and agree scopeSpecifications, acceptance criteria, price basis, and remedy. 05Manage the purchase orderProduction, inspection, documents, and delivery terms. 06Move and receive goodsFreight, customs, destination charges, and receipt.

Go straight to the question.

Use the map for the journey. Use a guide when you are stuck on one decision.

Start dropshipping

A practical starting sequence for testing a product, setting realistic delivery promises, and choosing a fulfillment model before opening a store.

Source from China

Build a supplier brief, compare quotes fairly, sample before committing, and document the terms that will matter after the first message.

Check a supplier

A six-part evidence check for identity, business scope, legal context, shipment activity, buyer reports, and direct contact outcomes.

Choose a sourcing route

The useful distinction is not which platform is best; it is whether you need wholesale procurement, per-order fulfillment, or hands-on coordination.

Plan the import

Use the quote basis, freight, insurance, duties, taxes, and destination charges to estimate what an imported product actually costs you.

Terms you will meet in a supplier quote.

Orientation for the language around a quote, shipment, or import. Use the agreed contract and current provider guidance for the actual transaction.

  • MOQMinimum order quantity: the lowest quantity a supplier will produce or sell for a particular order.
  • OEM and ODMOEM generally means manufacturing to your design or specification; ODM generally means a supplier offers an existing design that can be adapted. Confirm the actual scope in writing.
  • HS codeA Harmonized System product classification used in customs work. The exact classification and duty treatment depend on the product and destination.
  • VATValue-added tax. Whether it applies, and who accounts for it, depends on the destination and transaction.
  • Import dutyA tax that may apply when goods enter a destination country. Rates depend on classification, origin, valuation, and current rules.
  • LCL and FCLLess-than-container load shares container space; full-container load uses a dedicated container. The practical trade-off is volume, handling, timing, and cost.
  • CBMCubic metre: a volume measurement commonly used in sea-freight quoting.
  • Chargeable weightThe weight a carrier uses to price a shipment, often whichever is greater: actual or volumetric weight.
  • Demurrage and detentionCharges that can arise when cargo or equipment remains beyond the agreed free time. Confirm each carrier and port's definitions in the quote.
  • Customs brokerA licensed professional who may prepare or handle customs work for an importer. The importer remains responsible for compliance.
  • Freight forwarderA company that arranges transport and related shipping documentation; its exact service scope should be agreed in writing.
  • EXW: Ex WorksThe seller makes goods available at the named place. The agreed Incoterms® version and named place matter.
  • FOB: Free On BoardA sea or inland-waterway term under Incoterms® 2020. Use the named loading port and the agreed version in the contract.
  • CIF: Cost, Insurance and FreightA sea or inland-waterway term under Incoterms® 2020. It does not settle every cost or obligation at the destination.
  • DDP: Delivered Duty PaidA term that places substantial delivery obligations on the seller. Confirm the named place, importer-of-record arrangement, and all exclusions.