For Beginners: The Complete Guide Importing from China to The World.
Instroduciton
Alibaba.com is the world’s largest B2B marketplace. Historically it was a place to find manufacturers for your products, but it’s since evolved to be a one-stop international sourcing platform. It enables businesses like yours — whether you’re a company of one or a giant corporation — to source and ship products across the globe with ease. You’ll also find that using Alibaba.com can help boost your profit margins. With more than 150,000 suppliers on the site competing for your business, you’ll be able to source goods at low prices, with the peace of mind knowing that your trusted partner — Alibaba.com — is behind you every step of the way. We offer millions of products from manufacturers and distributors around the world, so you’re sure to find what you’re looking for. In this guide, crafted by the experts at Alibaba.com, we’ll make sure you understand every step of the process so you can make decisions that are right for your business. Let’s get started!
The first thing you should do before diving into the website is register for a free buyer account. Fill out as much information as you can, including your company name, company website and a business email address. Most suppliers prefer to work with established businesses, and the first way they make sure you’re legitimate is by viewing these credentials. The information you fill out while registering can be updated at any time, but there are also default settings to note, such as privacy settings. You can always make changes as needed. For example, if you do not want to share your sourcing information with anyone, including suppliers, you can switch it from “share with all” to “hide.” It’s that simple. If you’re new to Alibaba.com or working with overseas suppliers, be sure to read the sourcing terms and Alibaba.com features in the glossary section. Even if you’re familiar with the sourcing process and incoterms, Alibaba.com has a lingo of its own. Getting yourself familiar with the sourcing terms will help you navigate the website and work more efficiently with professional suppliers Once you have an Alibaba.com account, you have multiple ways to find a ready-made product or a supplier to customize your orders.
1. Search for Suppliers and Products
1.Use the Search Bar
Use the search bar If you have a product in mind, simply search for it by name. You’ll find dozens or hundreds of suppliers in seconds who can produce it or sell it. Our usual recommendation is to make your product keywords a bit more specific based on product details, order specifics, and supplier attributes. You should:
- Try product keywords that includes category (e.g. clothes), product types (e.g. t-shirt), or material (e.g. organic cotton), and not just “t-shirt” because it will give you too many results.
- Narrow your results based on your specific needs, including minimum order quantity (MOQ) and price.
- Finally, find a supplier that will be your best partner. Look for suppliers who are designated as Verified Suppliers, or Trade Assurance Suppliers.
Here’s an example. If you type “baby feeding bowl” into the search bar, you get over 4,500 results; but if your product keyword becomes a little more specific, let say “baby feeding bowl silicone,” the result number now is around 2,300. And then if you add “suction” into the mix, the result immediately narrows down to just around 1,100. 2. Submit an RFQ RFQ (Request for Quotation) is a feature that brings suppliers to you to bid on your business, rather than you searching for them. First, fill out a template that asks for specific information about the product you’re looking for. You can also attach a product image or design file with the template. Once submitted, you’ll receive quotations from multiple suppliers within 24 – 72 hours
2.Submit an RFQ
RFQ (Request for Quotation) is a feature that brings suppliers to you to bid on your business, rather than you searching for them. First, fill out a template that asks for specific information about the product you’re looking for. You can also attach a product image or design file with the template. Once submitted, you’ll receive quotations from multiple suppliers within 24 – 72 hours.
An RFQ works best for two types of buyers:
1. Buyers who don’t have time to go through multiple pages of supplier results and connect to each supplier one by one.
2. Buyers who have a product with very specific needs, or whose product is innovative enough that it doesn’t currently exist on the market. This requires a supplier who can create a fully customized product.
3.Image Search
If you don’t have specific product keywords in mind but do have an image of a similar product, try the image search feature. Alibaba.com uses visual recognition technology to scan our database and show you a list of product images that match the shape and color of your product image. It is particularly useful for fashion and apparel categories.
Currently there are two ways to use our image search features
PC: Install “Source Now,” a Chrome extension you can download here. Open your Chrome browser and look for this icon on the toolbar. Click “open” and capture an image from your screen
Mobile: Download the free Alibaba.com mobile app. Once installed, just open to the home page and look for the camera icon on the search bar.
2. Contacting and Managing Supplier
Once you’ve created a short list of suppliers who you may want to work with, it’s time to reach out. It may sound simple enough, but this is an important part of the process. It’s where you need to show you’re ready to do serious business, and it’s where you make sure you find a supplier you can trust. In your first message, you should always do 3 things
1. Demonstrate that you are a serious buyer with a legitimate business
To demonstrate that you’re a serious buyer, introduce yourself and describe your business. Also make sure you’ve completed your profile and have a professional email address for your business. Suppliers are businesses too, and they want to make sure you’re worth their time as much as you want to make sure they’re worth your time.
2. Describe in detail the product you want to source
Provide detailed information about the product you want to source, including:
• Product measurements
• Material
• Specifications
• Packaging
• Any other critical points (safety, branding, etc.)
• Photos
3. Ask questions to determine if the supplier is a good fit for your business
Be specific and ask questions to help narrow the field, including:
• Can you manufacture this product?
• What’s your past experience with similar products?
• Can you make product modifications?
• What’s the price per certain order volumes, or for a sample?
As a general rule of thumb, you might need to contact 10-15 suppliers in order to find the right supplier. This is not a partnership you want to enter into without serious consideration and vetting — make sure it’s someone you can see yourself working with for years to come. Go to Message Center under My Alibaba on the top menu, you will be able to keep track of conversations with different suppliers. If you’re on our mobile app, you can also make use of our real-time translation feature and video chat feature (available between US-based buyers and China-based suppliers) to make your communication easier
3. Placing An Order
There are many sourcing options on Alibaba.com based on your sourcing needs. Some buyers who are looking for suppliers to do product customization or a very specific product, they would do a lot more research and communication in order to determine if the supplier is a right fit. Some buyers (i.e. wholesalers, drop-shippers) might just be looking for generic products or ready-to-go products, the Buy Now sourcing zone would be a good place to find suppliers and place order easily. All the products listed on Buy Now zone are ready to ship. With just one click, buyers can place orders without the needs to talk to the suppliers
1. Place a full order with Trade Assurance
Trade Assurance is Alibaba.com’s order protection service, which ensures your product is produced to the quality you expect, paid for securely, and shipped on time. If it’s not, Alibaba.com customer service representatives are there for you through the dispute resolution process — from investigation to mediation and reimbursement. Look for the Trade Assurance icon on our product listing pages and make sure that your supplier uses Trade Assurance. While disputes are uncommon, the unexpected can happen so it’s good to be prepared, and make sure upfront that your order will be protected by Trade Assurance. Here’s how:
• Ensure you are working with a supplier covered by Trade Assurance (Look for the icon!).
• Keep all your conversations with suppliers on Alibaba.com rather than speaking on private third-party apps. That way, we can use the chat history as evidence should there be a dispute.
• Create a Trade Assurance contract on Alibaba.com (or ask your supplier to), and make sure to include product quantity, product specifications, and shipping information. Have attachments of your specifications uploaded to your TA order so Alibaba.com can refer to them in case of a dispute.
• Make a secure online payment using e-Checking, T/T, or a credit card.
Should you see a problem, immediately file a dispute and Alibaba.com will step in. You can find the dispute filing portal within “Help & Community” under the top tool bar on our homepage.
4. Inspecting Products
A product inspection is one of the cheapest ways you can ensure your order is exactly what you want it to be — when you compare the price (usually $100-$200) to the cost associated with receiving a shipment that isn’t what you wanted, it’s a no-brainer. A third party will visit your supplier to inspect your product and provide a neutral opinion on their compliance with your product specs and quality standard. You can even add to your supplier agreement that final payment is contingent upon passing a pre-shipment inspection.
Two leading inspection companies offer professional services on Alibaba.com, which you can purchase for your Trade Assurance orders. The inspectors will visit your supplier’s factory and check the order for the agreed upon quantity, expected functionality, and adherence to your Trade Assurance contract terms.
In order to use the service, choose between one of the inspection providers listed at the bottom of your Trade Assurance contract (select “product inspection service” under “value-add service”). Be sure to purchase this with your order — not after placing the order. Once you confirm your initial payment, you will be able to monitor the status of your inspection directly on Alibaba.com. See more details about our partners’ inspection services here.
5. Paying and Financing
Paying suppliers on Alibaba.com is easy and secure, when you pay on the platform. Once you agree on payment terms (usually a deposit of 30-50% upfront to start production), an initial balance will be paid, then the remaining amount will be paid when the inventory is ready to be shipped, or passed inspection. With Trade Assurance, buyers on Alibaba.com can make secure payments through the options below. The following are the payment options on the site:
E-checking
- e-Checking is only available to buyers with checking accounts from any bank in the United States
- Fast transfers (it takes 4-5 working days once you’ve verified your checking account & authorized Alibaba.com to make payment deductions on your behalf)
- Low transaction fees (US $15 per transaction)
Credit Card
- Visa or MasterCard
- Payment limit per transaction is US $20,000
- Payments require 2-3 working days to arrive in your supplier’s designated bank account
Telegraphic Transfer (T/T)
- Funds usually require 3-7 working days to arrive in your supplier’s designated bank account
- The transaction fee will vary by country – please check with your local bank for details
Financing option – Pay Later
Pay Later is a financing program. Alibaba.com partners up with Kabbage, a US-based lending platform, to help buyers based in the US finance inventory exclusively on Alibaba.com. Qualified buyers can use credit offered by Kabbage (up to $150,000) to finance Trade Assurance orders and pay them back over the course of six months.
The minimum qualification requirements include:
1. Business location: USA
2. Years in business: 1+ years
3. Business revenue: $50,000 annually or $4,200/month over the last 3 months
To use Pay Later, apply during checkout under the Pay Later payment tab, or apply in advance to have credit ready for your next purchase. You can read more about it here and try the sample loan calculator.
6. Shipping and Logistics
Logistics plays a critical role in global sourcing, but the process itself can be daunting — there are many laws, tariffs, and acronyms involved, and many choices to make. This is why it’s so important to do your research, make sure you understand the process, and work with companies you trust. Depending on your order, you may want to use Alibaba.com’s logistics services. You can choose from either ocean or air shipping. Alibaba.com offers two methods of ocean shipping:
- Full Container Load (FCL), for high-volume orders that fill an entire shipping container. This is the best choice for high-volume orders.
- Less than Container Load (LCL), for orders that don’t fill an entire shipping container. This is for customers who want to save money with ocean freight, but don’t have enough volume to fill an entire container themselves.
And one method of air shipping:
- Alibaba.com Air Express, a warehouse-to-door express service for shipments from Alibaba.com’s Shenzhen warehouse in China to the US.
To use Alibaba.com’s shipping service:
- Start a Trade Assurance order: Create an order with your supplier to agree on details that will impact shipping.
- Get a quote & place order: Use our online tool to get a quote instantly — if you’re happy with the price, place an order Confirm cargo details & book vessel space: We’ll verify the cargo details you provided with your supplier, confirm your order, and book the vessel space for you.
- Track your shipment & complete payment: You can track your order’s progress once it ships, and we’ll let you know when it’s time to pay.
- Customs clearance & last-mile delivery: After clearing customs, a freight forwarder — your own or one we provide — will get your order to its final destination.
7. Still Need Help?
If you still have questions, you have plenty of options for assistance:
1. Contact Alibaba.com’s round-the-clock customer service team
2. Check out the extensive Help and FAQ section
3. Read through the Discussion Forum filled with tips from your fellow buyers
4. Head to the Insights blog for tips and tricks on getting the most out of Alibaba.com
Good luck placing your first order! We look forward to helping your business grow.
Want to Get competitive Price and Better Quality?
Our Professional supplier will help you connect with manufacturer directly and take care of you from sourcing to shipping.
0 experience needed
For Beginners: Buy from Alibaba Guide
This guide would help newbie exporter understand importing skills and procedures better on Alibaba. Learn to be an expert now!