China is known for producing things that are the cheapest to buy in bulk. The country is viewed as the world’s factory. You can see that most of the products are created in China on Amazon and a few other e-commerce websites.
Home furnishings, electronics, kitchenware, tools, freebies, and appliances are examples of products. The majority of them are manufactured and produced in China.
Importing electronics from China can always be a wise decision if done correctly. As there is such a high demand for these goods, a wise sourcing plan might produce a sizable profit margin.
Undoubtedly, buying gadgets in China carries some risks. This type of item is more likely to malfunction because of the intricacy of its operation, necessitating the buyer’s usage of the warranty.
Finding a dependable vendor who can ensure the quality of the goods is critical in this regard, but it is also essential that a brand’s technical customer support is accessible. In truth, a business needs to offer top-notch after-sales service to distinguish its goods from those of its competitors.
Despite having many difficulties with electronics, the data available are very clear. If you look at the telecommunications equipment, you will find all the following electronic products from China.
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- Telecom towers
- Switches
- Routers
- Fibre optic cables
- VoIP
- Smartwatches and Smartphones
All the above products account for 15% of the total goods purchased in China. This obviously makes China the most important source of electronic products.
How to source from China?
- Search for the right supplier
Consumers typically utilise search engines to find a reliable supply chain. There are not many specialised online sourcing platforms, meanwhile, that connect foreign buyers with Chinese suppliers.
Although searching on these platforms is straightforward, we should keep in mind that not all of the results will be for manufacturers exclusively.
- Shortlist a few authenticate suppliers
It is also important to verify their credentials after shortlisting a few suppliers. You need to evaluate:
- Whether they are the genuine manufacturer or middlemen
- Whether they have the required technical expertise and capability of delivering what they commit.
To identify your supplier and also its potential, you must ask for a few samples.
- Avoid communication gap
The biggest problem that foreign buyers face is the language issue. Only a few people in China can communicate in proper English. You need to establish a proper mode of communication to avoid this gap.
One idea can be taking the help of any English-speaking sourcing agent.
- Remember quality and cost is interrelated
China is certainly one of the countries in the world that can offer their products at an unbelievable cost. However, you must also keep in mind that cost and quality can also be interrelated.
Therefore, you must negotiate to demand quality rather than more price reduction.
- Quality check
You must have some means to check the quality of the products before your electronic products from China are despatched. You may either send your quality team or hire any third-party quality inspection services. There are many such third-party inspection companies available in China.
What are the common challenges for electronic supply chain?
Unlike other industries, the electronic supply chain faces particular challenges. This is because of the complexity and global reach of the electronics industry. There are many stakeholders, and it is important to keep in mind that each of them has varied needs.
While sourcing electronic products from China businesses often face difficulties with:
- The constant shortage of electronic components and longer lead time for electronic components
- A lack of visibility of your supply chain
- The suppliers often have a poor-quality assurance standard
- Ongoing disputes from the various Chinese supplier to raise prices
- The supplier may not possess all the necessary testing reports.
Why do many importers get poor-quality of products from China?
Let us try to understand why consumers often complain about electronic products from China. The following are mostly the basic reasons for that.
- Buyers demand lower prices
Most importers often demand the highest product quality, at the same time they also try to push their suppliers for the lowest possible price.
However, what these importers fail to recognize is that pushing for a lower price will be compensated by the supplier by using cheap quality electronic components.
One must remember the old saying, “you get actually what you pay for”, also applies here.
- Lack of clarity on specifications
Most of you must have been frustrated by certain vague or incomplete instructions. If you are like most of us and try to complete a certain task without any clear direction typically may lead to different results than what you intended.
In the same way, if you don’t clarify your product requirements then you may end up receiving goods that don’t meet your expectations
- Failure to check the quality
If you neither send your quality inspection team to a China factory to monitor the quality nor hire any third-party inspection company to check quality to avoid the expense, then you may end up getting poor-quality of electronic products.
- Poor communication
This is one of the typical reasons why you may end up getting something that you never asked for. Therefore, you need to ensure that what you are demanding is properly understood by your Chinese suppliers.
Therefore, hiring a certain Chinese sourcing agent can be the best option for buying electronics. As we have observed, importing any electronics products from China may create a number of difficulties that, if not promptly addressed, may have serious long and short-term effects.
Therefore, using a sourcing agent’s support when conducting this type of transaction gives a certain amount of comfort. A broad variety of services, including, among others are offered by this type of sourcing agents:
- The selection of specialised suppliers
- Quality inspections
- Order tracking
- Transport management
- Custom clearance
Even while some companies are initially apprehensive about working with sourcing agents to prevent increases in import prices, in most cases the aid of a reputable sourcing agent in avoiding problems directly outweighs the higher cost.
