Import from Asia: 5 tips to help beginners avoid unnecessary losses

Here are five things to know when you're ready to import from Asia. This can help newbies reduce unnecessary losses.

Tip 1: know which regulations apply to your product

Look for product-specific regulations, such as (but not limited to) compliance marks, warning labels, banned/controlled chemicals and laboratory tests. If your products do not meet the relevant standards and regulations, it will be difficult for you to import products from any source.

Tip 2: work only with suppliers who can produce compliance projects

Only about 5-10% of Chinese suppliers can produce products that comply with regulations in places such as America, the European Union and Australia. To avoid loss of goods at customs, please ensure that you only deal with suppliers who can provide you with certification.

Hint 3: sign the basic sales contract before placing the order

The main reason for signing a basic sales contract is to avoid quality problems. The vast majority of orders - whether in the wrong color, shape, or size - are processed horizontally because early communication between buyers and sellers did not specify quality standards, packaging, or shipping terms. This also helps reduce transaction costs for future orders.

Tip 4: pay the right vendor - avoid scams!

There are a lot of fraudsters around and there are all kinds of tricks that can separate you from your money. Make sure you are careful about payment details:

Don't make payments to private accounts

Pay only to official company accounts

Make sure the company name matches the bank account holder

Tip 5: be sure to order quality control before shipping

The only way to solve quality problems before it is too late is to catch them before they are shipped. Do not expect to be able to send the product back if it is not delivered as expected.