China Supply Chain 101: What Nobody Tells You Before Your First Order
2025-02-11
The official guide to importing from China is: "Find supplier on Alibaba, pay, receive goods."
The actual experience is: "Find supplier on Alibaba, negotiate, get samples, negotiate again, place order, wait, chase, clear customs, receive goods, discover 8% are damaged, figure out why, fix it for next order."
Understanding how the supply chain actually works — not how it's supposed to work — is the difference between getting burned on your first order and building a profitable business.
The factory to your door journey:
Most people imagine: Factory → Ship → Your house
The reality: Factory → Domestic freight in China → Port → Customs in China → Ocean freight → Destination port → Customs clearance → Domestic freight in your country → Your door
Each step has cost, time, and risk. Each step has people who can help you — or screw you.
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