You don’t need perfect English, and you certainly don’t need Chinese. What you need is to be clear. Suppliers deal with buyers from all over the world every day — clarity beats fluency every time.
Keep messages short and numbered
Instead of a long paragraph, send a numbered list:
- 1. What’s your price for 500 units?
- 2. What’s your minimum order?
- 3. What’s the lead time?
- 4. Can we do a short video call?
Numbered questions get numbered answers. Long paragraphs get half-answered.
Ask to see the real thing
Ask for a video call showing the actual production line, not a polished showroom or catalogue. A real factory will show you; a trading company pretending to be one often won’t.
Get everything in writing
Confirm every agreement in a written message or proforma invoice — price, quantity, specs, timeline. It clears up misunderstandings and protects you later.
Or let someone do it for you
If negotiating across a language and time-zone gap feels like too much, a China-based sourcing agent talks to factories on your behalf — in your language — and you deal only with them.
Your next step
- 📘 How a China sourcing agent works
- 🧭 Back to: How to import from China — start here
- 🤝 Don’t want to do it alone? We can be your buying office in China.
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