general sourcing / Buying guide
China sourcing agent
Two different services get called the same thing. A buying agent purchases a link you send them. A sourcing agent finds the supplier in the first place — which is the harder, more valuable, and more expensive job.
If you know exactly what you want and have the listing, you need the cheaper one.
In this guide
Buying agent vs sourcing agent
A buying agent is transactional: send a link, get a quote, pay, receive. Fees are low because the work is low. This covers most stock-goods purchases.
A sourcing agent starts from a product description or a sample and goes to find who makes it, at what price, with what minimum, and whether they can be trusted. That involves factory visits, sample rounds and negotiation, and it is priced accordingly.
When an agent is not worth it
- One-off small orders where the fee and freight exceed the saving.
- Goods you can buy locally at a comparable landed cost.
- Categories with export restrictions — batteries, liquids, branded goods — where the agent cannot solve your actual problem.
What to ask before committing
- Are you a factory, a trading company, or neither? Agents are neither, and should say so plainly.
- What is your fee, and what is inside the shipping rate?
- Do you inspect before shipping, and do I see photographs?
- What happens if the goods do not match the specification?
Questions & answers
Common questions
- How much does a sourcing agent charge?
- Typically 5–10% of goods value for buying, more for genuine sourcing work. Some charge a flat fee per supplier found.
- Can I trust an agent I found online?
- Start with a small order. A first transaction is cheap due diligence and tells you more than any amount of correspondence.
Your next step
Have a link you want checked?
Send a 1688 or Taobao product link and you get back the specification in English, the supplier check, and the landed cost to your country before you commit to anything.
Get a quote