Clothing brand, Alibaba and chinese suppliers

Go to the Search button and look up all Alibaba threads in the
eCommerce Sites, Wholesaling & Drop Shipping section.

Pay attention to all posts by ImportExport he has delt with Chinese companies and explains how to avoid making mistakes. Not an affiliate but I recommend his guide.

We import consumer electronics from China, so I'm not sure about clothing. We've been doing it for quite some time and are convinced you need an American 'agent' to deal with whoever you're considering dealing with in China. Too much gets lost in interpretation, plus an American agent can get you a better price.

Go to LinkedIn and enter 'Shenzhen agent' in the search field - that's the main manufacturing city in China. Ideally you'll find an American who spends lots of time in Shenzhen.

I have a client who has an office in China and deals with manufacturing like what you are asking for.

PM me for his contact info.

Thanks,

John

Nobody has answered your questions yet, so I will try to help.

China is not always the best place to buy clothing. There are good quality manufacturers there, but you won't find them by wading through the list of thousands of traders listed incorrectly on Alibaba as manufacturers.

Although most people think of China when looking for cheap products, so I concentrate on that country, I also teach how to source from other countries. Thailand can be a good place to look, although prices quoted initially will be higher than China prices. Quality generally is better. If you want to establish a brand, you should take quality into account.

Visiting any overseas country to look for suppliers can be time consuming, frustrating, and fruitless unless you have done most of the work before you leave home. Face to face contact is good, but only when you are in the late stages of your discussions.

Unless an item has an extremely low value you will have to pay for samples. You will also be asked to pay for freight. That is costly and the high cost will usually shock you. As a result, you don't ask for samples unless you are convinced of the merits of the supplier and their products.

Using agents is potentially risky, and will add to your cost. There is no way you can know if the agent is conscientiously looking out for your interests or is making a secret commission from the supplier they find for you, in addition to charging you for their services.

You can do it yourself, as I have taught hundreds to do.

"If you think education is expensive - consider the cost of ignorance."