In my last post, I have introduced 4 main ways to find Chinese suppliers online. But the fact is that there are much more people who are more willing to source products by visiting China instead of just sourcing online.

However, for people who haven’t been to China or haven’t purchased any product from China, it can be a big challenge to come and find suppliers here.

In this article I’ll show you 3 main methods to find reliable suppliers and original manufacturers via visiting China as well as the practical tactics used by most professional importers to deal with suppliers and manufacturers.

Tips for Your Trip to China

Check Out the Border Entry & Exit Restrictions.

Due to the unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19, many countries closed their borders. So the first thing you should do before visiting China is to make sure you have the necessary border entry and exit permissions. To do that, you just have to make an inquiry about the related policies with the Chinese embassy in your country.

Get a VPN

In mainland China, access to websites such as Google, Facebook and YouTube are limited by the government. So if you want your phone or laptop to work out as the same way back in your country when you are visiting China, you’ll have to install a reliable VPN on them. And just in case you don’t know where to find a capable VPN, Astrill seems to be a good option, it’s not free, but it’s worthy.

If you are worried about the language barrier or culture difference, you can just throw that worry away by simply downloading an interpreting app.

For this scenario I highly recommend the iFLY Voice Input App, it can interpret Chinese into English on a real-time basis and it’s totally free.

Nevertheless, if you have enough budgets, hiring an interpreter might be an expensive, about $50 to $100 per day, but more efficient option.

If you are worried about the language barrier or culture difference, you can just throw that worry away by simply downloading an interpreting app.

For this scenario I highly recommend the iFLY Voice Input App, it can interpret Chinese into English on a real-time basis and it’s totally free.

Nevertheless, if you have enough budgets, hiring an interpreter might be an expensive, about $50 to $100 per day, but more efficient option.

1. Find Suppliers in China Trade Shows

No matter how small or how big your business is, attending trade shows is always the most effective way to find suppliers offline.

Because suppliers on trade shows are either manufacturer or trading companies, so you can always expect a relatively competitive price offer as long as you can purchase a minimum order quantity from them which is normally around $500 to $1,000 for one product.

There are thousands of trade shows going on every year in China. Generally, these trade shows can be classified into two types: comprehensive trade shows with a wide range of product categories and specialized trade shows focusing on a specific industry.

The largest trade show in China

Canton Fair is the largest comprehensive trade show with incredibly wide-ranged product categories. The Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou with three phases each time.

Different product categories will be exhibited in different phases. And there is a three-day gap between two different phases, which means if the products you are interested in are exhibited in different phases, you’ll have to add extra waiting days to your schedule.

Recommended Trade Shows in Hong Kong

Except for going to Guangzhou to visit the Canton Fair, Hong Kong is also a much recommended city for you to find Chinese suppliers in trade shows, because it has a number of different kinds of trade shows for specific industries.

Here I only recommend the following specialized trade shows.