How to Import Clothes from China – The Ultimate Guide
How to Import Clothes from China – The Ultimate Guide This article is written from the perspective of a Chinese apparel Sourcing Agent, reflecting the real conditions of importing clothes from China. Keep reading to find out: where the famous clothing market is in China where to find Chinese clothing manufacturers what the most suitable importing methods are. Also, I’ll cover some important points that you’ll need to know when you’re placing an order with a Chinese clothing manufacturer. No matter if you’re an e-commerce online seller, street booth owner, clothing buyer, designer, or brand merchandiser, this article can help you. 1. How to Quick Find Clothing Manufacturers in China Here are 3 ways to help you quickly find clothing manufacturers in China. You’ll be able to see which method is most suitable for your current circumstances. China Clothing Markets & Fairs It’s easy to directly list out the top 10 clothes wholesale markets in China, but some of them are useless for importers because: They have a high second-hand price and Inconvenient transportation (no international airport, located far from port) So I’ll only show you the clothing markets that are suitable for importers. Tip: China clothing markets are only suitable for importers that aren’t looking to customize their orders. Typically, these suppliers only focus on the domestic market, so unless you’re dealing with a factory-direct sales booth (with past export experience), don’t customize your order. (Don’t try to customize ODM order in the wholesale market) Garments Market Main Type Features Hangzhou Si Jiqing Market (Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province) All types, women, men, children clothing Transportation: convenient Price: middle and high-end Combined with e-commerce best among these wholesale markets Guangzhou Sha He Market (Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province) Cheap women clothing, jeans, men clothing, children clothing Transportation: convenient Price: low If you want cheap clothing, this is the right place. Guangzhou Shi Sanhang Market (Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province) All types, especially popular Korean women clothing Transportation: convenient Price: middle and high-end Combined with e-commerce well, styles update very quickly in this market, follow the trends well. Beijing Dong Wuyuan Market (Beijing, the capital of China) All types, women, men, children clothing Transportation: convenient Price: middle and high-end It is the biggest clothing wholesale market in the north of China, but noticed market location start move to new market from 2016. Guangzhou Bai Ma Market (Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province) All types, especially the high-end women clothing Transportation: convenient Price: High-end and middle The head of the Guangzhou clothing market, old market. In Chinese eyes “High-end go to Bai Ma, middle go to Shi Sanhang, Low go to Sha He”. Dongguan Fu Ming Market (Dongguan city, Guangdong Province) All types, especially the popular women clothing Transportation: 77km from Guangzhou, high-speed rail station Price: low to high-end Have rich factory resources here, many HK and surrounding countries source from this area. Shanghai Qi Pulu Market All types, especially for high-end popular women clothing Transportation: convenient Price: middle to high-end The market always can follow or lead the trends. (AU visit china clothing fair) For more information of China clothing fairs, you can get to know the China Apparel & Clothing Events in this website. Industrial Estates You may have noticed that all of these market distributors have the same thing in common: They’re either on or close to an industrial estate. (Humen clothing estate, these buildings are for trading clothing online) The most ideal choice has a complete industry chain, and with plenty of factories competing against each other, you can secure great prices while still maintaining top quality workmanship. Tip: An experienced translator is necessary if you need to visit these clothing suppliers by yourself as they can assist you with producing the schedule. Furthermore, most of suppliers can’t speak English unless they have international trade department. The infographic below shows you which industrial estate you should visit to import either kid’s clothes, women’s clothes or men’s clothes from China. (China-clothes-industrial-estates) Wholesale Clothing from China Online (Some famous Chinese business portals) Nowadays, we can easily search for suppliers from online Chinese marketplaces, such as Alibaba and Global Sources. The advantage is obvious, you don’t need to come to China, and doing business with Chinese clothing manufacturers is just a click away. You just need to bear in mind that you will be investing many hours filtering suppliers of similar products until you find some suitable candidates, then communicating with each one, arranging samples from them, testing etc. These are common issues for all online wholesale clothing importers – not efficient enough. It’s for this reason that some people consider visiting China directly. 2. Should You Import Clothes Online or Visit China? What’s Best to Grow Your Business You need to make the right decision based on the circumstances of your business: import clothing online or come directly to China? Start-up business There are two reasons why you shouldn’t be too hasty in coming to China. Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) In general, when ordering from a verified medium-sized Chinese manufacturer, the MOQ is 500pcs (pieces) per style. Requesting two colors in four sizes is a typical reference if you’re in touch with an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer). Ordering any less than this won’t garner you any business with a medium-sized manufacturer, even if you come to China, as their attitude is that this is the minimum requirement. (Medium-sized Chinese manufacturer, around 100 workers) Time and Cost If you’re a start-up then you can save the money you would otherwise spend on transportation, accommodation, and translator’s fees, and instead purchase many more samples from Chinese suppliers online. There are several online wholesale marketplaces for you to explore, such as: Alibaba, Global Sources, DHgate, and Aliexpress. Medium Clothing Buyers Have a stable distribution channel? Then don’t hesitate to come to China. Get inspired Visit the Chinese clothing market, factories and clothing fairs by yourself, and you’ll not only discover more supplier options, but also a rush of inspiration and excitement by seeing and experiencing a different culture, novel goods, and ways of conducting business. Build a relationship