What does a China sourcing agent actually do?

Six things: finding and shortlisting factories, verifying that they are what they claim to be, negotiating price and terms, arranging conformity testing and certification with accredited bodies, inspecting goods before the balance is paid, and handling freight and export documentation. The core value is presence — somebody on the factory floor checking things that cannot be verified remotely.

Can a sourcing agent issue my certificate?

No, and you should be wary of anyone who says they can. Certificates are issued by accredited certification bodies. What an agent does is identify which scheme applies to your product and market, find factories that already hold suitable approvals, and arrange testing with accredited laboratories. The certificate itself always comes from the accredited body.

How long does the first order take?

Roughly four weeks describes the shape of the process — brief and shortlist, verification, samples and negotiation, then order and inspection — but it is a shape rather than a guarantee. Tooling, certification testing and the Chinese factory calendar all extend it. Production scheduled across Chinese New Year in particular takes three to four weeks longer to recover than the official holiday dates suggest.

Do I need to know exactly what I want before contacting you?

No. Building the specification is part of the first week. What helps most is knowing what you want to sell, which market it is going to, and roughly what quantity — the destination market matters more than people expect, because it determines the certification route and often the specification itself.

When should I pay, and when should the goods be inspected?

Inspection should happen at the factory before the balance is paid. Paying in full against a bill of lading copy proves only that goods were loaded and removes your leverage at the moment you might need it. Structuring payment so money is still outstanding at inspection time is the single most useful term in the contract.

Welcome — here is what working with us actually looks like, week by week

If you have just found us, you probably want to know what happens after you send the first message. This is the honest version: what a sourcing agent does, what we do not do, and what the first month usually looks like from your side of it.