In short: a sourcing agent is your representative for buying in China. They find and vet suppliers suited to your product, negotiate prices and minimums, follow samples and production, check quality and can organise shipping and customs. They let you buy at factory prices without handling the complexity and risks of importing on your own.
What a sourcing agent does
- Understands your needs and turns them into specifications for the factories.
- Searches for and vets suppliers: legal existence, capacity, experience, compliance.
- Negotiates prices, minimum order quantities and lead times.
- Manages samples through to approval.
- Monitors production.
- Checks quality before shipping.
- Organises logistics: freight, documents, customs clearance, delivery.
Depending on the agent, these services are offered individually or as a complete package.
When should you use an agent?
- you want distinctive products under your own brand;
- you do not speak Chinese and have no contacts on the ground;
- you want to reduce quality and fraud risks;
- you do not have time to manage imports yourself;
- you buy regularly and want a single point of contact.
How are they paid?
The most common models are:
- a commission as a percentage of the order value;
- a flat fee per project or per service;
- a combination of both.
What matters most is transparency: you should know what you pay the factory and what you pay for the service. Be wary of agents who are secretly paid by factories.
How to choose the right agent
- clear, written pay terms;
- a genuine presence in China or partners on the ground;
- a documented quality control process;
- good communication in your language;
- references or examples of past projects.
Sourcing agent or wholesaler?
A wholesaler resells existing stock, with their margin. An agent gives you access to factory prices and made-to-measure products, with a production lead time. See our comparison: Wholesaler, Alibaba or sourcing agent: which is best for your store?
Frequently asked questions
Can an agent handle small orders? Yes, depending on the products and the factories' minimums.
Is the agent responsible for quality? They organise and carry out quality control. Each party's responsibilities should be set out in the terms of the collaboration.
General information, for guidance only.
Sourcetrium is your sourcing agent, from the factory to your store, with a single point of contact. → Create my client space