Suppliers are the core of any distribution company, which can either make or break the business.

Companies constantly search for reliable suppliers worldwide for the goods they can’t source or manufacture locally. Luckily China offers a one-stop manufacturing solution in almost all industries, from apparel, footwear, toys, and electronic equipment to pharmaceutical products, vehicles, and heavy machinery. When it comes to the question “How do I find suppliers and manufacturers in China?” the answer is simple, either online or offline.

Let’s examine several ways how to find China wholesale suppliers offline.

1) Trade fairs and Exhibitions

If you prefer face-to-face interactions with prospective manufacturers and suppliers, participating in trade shows and exhibitions is the best way to do so, both in China and locally. Attending trade fairs and exhibitions can give you a better understanding of the supplier’s scale and capabilities. Also, it’s a good way for established companies and businesses to track their niche innovations and find new products to expand their current product variety.

2) Canton Fair

Canton fair is China’s largest trade fair held twice a year in Guangzhou city. The first round takes place from the middle of April to the beginning of May, and the second round from the middle of October to the beginning of November. This convention has been held for the 132nd time in 2022, and due to its regularity, it is considered to be one of the most important exhibitions in China.

The Canton fair is huge and covers almost all industries. A total of 25,500 exhibitors and 536,000 overseas buyers from 228 countries participate yearly in this event.

Due to the enormous size, each round of the Canton fair is divided into three phases.

Phase 1: Electronics, machinery, spare parts, vehicles, chemicals, household appliances, international pavilion, etc.

Phase 2: Toys, consumer items, decorative products, etc.

Phase 3: Healthcare, clothing and textile, food products, medical devices, etc.

The exact dates and coverage of each phase are specified on the Canton fair’s official website 2 to 3 months before the exhibition. Since the Covid-19 restrictions are still imposed in China, foreign buyers may participate in the fair virtually. The virtual version of the Canton Fair has been held consequently for 3 years already, and the quality of this virtual version of participation is being improved constantly, with VR exhibition halls, online broadcasts, and exhibitors on live options.

3) Yiwu Market

Yiwu Market is a huge wholesale market located in Zhejiang province, Yiwu city. It operates all year round, with over 40,000 trading companies presenting their goods for bulk export orders. The goods you may find on the Yiwu market are mostly small commodities such as toys, stationery items, beauty products, kitchenware, bags, souvenirs, and other miscellaneous items. The products are oriented toward buyers from India, Africa, and the Middle East. Therefore the price range of these products is relatively low with a corresponding quality.

These products come without FDA and ISO certificates, therefore they don’t align with the import regulations and safety standards of North America and Europe.

Now, let’s examine several ways how to find a Chinese supplier online.

Check out online directories such as:

4) Alibaba

Alibaba.com platform is a business-to-business (B2B) English-operated platform oriented to bringing buyers and sellers across the globe.

Alibaba Group accounts for 80% of online purchases in China. Moreover, Alibaba’s services are available in 200 countries worldwide. The Alibaba Group owns online platforms such as Alibaba, Taobao, Tmall, AliExpress, and 1688.com.

Overseas buyers can find direct manufacturers, trading companies, and dealers on this B2B platform, however, the risk of running into untrustworthy suppliers is definitely there. To eliminate chances of dealing with shady suppliers, use filter in supplier types for Alibaba Trade Assurance and Alibaba Verified Suppliers.

You might be interested in reading our article “Amazon vs Alibaba Business Models comparison” in which we discuss Alibaba business model in detail.

5) 1688

1688.com is similar to Alibaba B2B marketplace. However, it operates in Chinese and aims to bring together buyers and sellers within China.

Finding Chinese suppliers through 1688 can reduce prices compared to those provided by suppliers on Alibaba.

Overseas buyers can use the google translate chrome extension to translate the 1688 webpage and use it in understandable language.

When dealing with suppliers from 1688, check if they have required by your country’s import regulations certifications and export license.

6) AiCaiGou 爱采购

AiCaiGou is a relatively new and not yet overly saturated B2B marketplace owned by Baidu.

This online platform is oriented toward China market and differs from other B2B marketplaces. On Ai Cai Gou you can find official dealers and distributors of very famous and worldwide known brands.

For instance, through this platform, our team connected and cooperated with official dealers of such companies as 3M, Siemens, SICK electronics, and MurrElektronik.

7) Made-In-China

madeinchina.com is the best B2B platform to find suppliers in china oriented toward heavy equipment and heavy machinery. On Made-in-China you can find manufacturing and processing machinery, industrial equipment and components, electrical and electronics products, construction and decoration products, auto parts and accessories, etc.

8) Baidu

Baidu.com is a Chinese Google so to say. Baidu comes in handy when you do a supplier background check. Baidu holds all officially registered information in China, including the registration and background information of the Chinese company you are dealing with.

Baidu also can be used to find direct suppliers in China, however, you would need to use the google translate extension since this search engine is fully in Chinese.

9) Google

Google search is used to find Chinese trading companies oriented fully toward the overseas market. They specifically build overseas-oriented websites in English and promote them on google accordingly.

Depending on your specific case, dealing with such trading companies can be beneficial since their sales department representatives speak English, and usually, this type of export-oriented Chinese trading company has all the necessary certificates and reports for import procedures.

10) Globalsources

globalsources.com is another B2B marketplace, though it is unique in its way.

Globalsources holds offline exhibitions twice a year, which makes it similar to the Canton fair.

The similarity between Globalsources Exhibitions and Canton Fair is that they are both held at the relatively same time. So those overseas buyers participating in the Canton fair, stopping by the globalsources exhibition might be an opportunity to extend the suppliers list.

The difference between the Globalcources Exhibitions and Canton Fair is that Globalsources expo is held in Hong Kong and has its own all-year-round online B2B platform. So if you miss the opportunity to participate in the exhibition offline, you can always turn to the online version, where you can find all participated exhibitors.

Another difference between the Globalcources Exhibition and Canton Fair is that it’s more international.

The suppliers participating in Globalsources expo are primarily from China. However, you may find more foreign exhibitors here than at Canton Fair.

11) DHgate

DHgate.com is oriented toward the USA market and is great for bulk orders. DHGate offers guaranteed refunds and escrow protection on every order. However, expect their prices to be higher than what you could find on Alibaba or 1688 marketplaces.

12) HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body that develops Hong Kong’s trade and organizes international conferences and exhibitions. It is a proven way to finding wholesale suppliers that are scam-proof. However, Its supplier directory list has fewer companies compared to other directories.

13) Sourcing agents

Using the services of a China sourcing agent can be beneficial when using ODM or ODM manufacturing. China sourcing agents speak fluent Chinese, even if they are of foreign origin. In such cases, the loss in translation is eliminated. Since your sourcing agent speaks fluently both Chinese and English, they can explain your product specifications and requirements in detail to your Chinese manufacturer.

When you partner with an agent, you basically hire a part-time employee who will support the whole sourcing process. Your China sourcing agent will represent you in China and will always be on standby in case you need someone on the ground.

Remember that most Chinese manufacturers don’t have strong English-speaking sales teams on their side, therefore it will be beneficial for your supplier to get comprehensive information in the Chinese language delivered by your sourcing agent.

In a way, your sourcing agent becomes a bridge between you and your supplier. Therefore, if you want to get it right the first time and build a long-term relationship with your supplier, hiring a sourcing agent is the right way to go.