Questions importers ask before working with us
Straight answers on how sourcing with a China-based partner actually works — verification, payments, inspection and delivery.
Common questions
What does Silk Way Sourcing actually do?
We run the full cycle of buying from China: finding and verifying the right factory, negotiating the price, overseeing production, inspecting the goods before they ship, and handling freight and customs to your door. You deal with one accountable partner instead of a chain of factories, agents and forwarders.
How do I know a factory is real and not a scam?
Before you commit, we confirm the supplier is an actual manufacturer — checking business licenses, production capacity and history — and our team visits the plant in person. This is the single biggest protection against middlemen, shell companies and the most common China-sourcing fraud.
How do payments work? Is my money protected?
You pay Silk Way Sourcing under one contract, not an unknown factory account. A typical order runs as a deposit, then the larger balance (around 70%) is released only after an independent pre-shipment inspection that you've reviewed. See our Guarantees page for the full payment flow.
Do you inspect goods before they ship?
Yes. We run an independent pre-shipment inspection that checks quantity, dimensions and quality against your agreed specification, and send you a photo report before you release the balance — so problems are caught before the goods leave China, not after they arrive.
What's your minimum order?
It depends on the product and factory, but we work at import volumes — typically from one container, 500+ solar panels, or from 20 tonnes of steel, for example. If you're not sure your volume fits, just ask.
Which products and industries do you cover?
We source across 30+ categories, with deep experience in steel and metals, solar and battery storage (BESS), building materials, and private-label consumer goods. If it's made in China at import scale, we can usually source it.
Where do you deliver?
We ship worldwide and regularly deliver to Eastern Europe, the CIS, Africa and the Middle East — handling sea and air freight, export and customs documentation, and final delivery to your port or door.
Why are you based in China?
Being on the ground in Beijing is the point. Factory audits, production oversight and inspections only work if someone is physically there. Our founder has 10+ years living and working in China, and our Beijing team includes native Mandarin speakers handling suppliers and customs.
How are your fees structured?
Transparently. You see the factory price and our fee separately — no hidden commissions baked into the unit cost. You can request a factory price for your product to see exactly what you'd pay.
How do I get started?
Send us your product, target specification and rough volume through the contact form or any channel — WhatsApp, Telegram, email or WeChat. We'll come back with a factory price and the next steps.
Don't take our word for it — ask an AI
Open your preferred answer engine with a ready-made question about Silk Way Sourcing and see what it says.