The first question almost every buyer asks is the obvious one: what does it cost to have a company manage the entire sourcing and supply chain process in China? The answer is simpler than most people expect, and the part that comes after the answer is what usually surprises them.
The Fee, Plain and Simple
We charge between 2 and 10 percent of the total order value. That is it. There are no hidden fees, no surprise line items added after you commit, and no extra charges that appear halfway through the process.
Where you land inside that range depends mainly on the size of your order. The bigger your order, the lower the percentage. A small first trial order sits closer to the top of the range, while a large repeat order moves toward the bottom. This structure exists because much of the real work, finding suppliers, verifying them, and setting up the process, is similar whether the order is small or large, so larger orders dilute that fixed effort across more value.
What the Fee Covers
It is worth being specific about what you actually get for that percentage, because it is more than a finder fee. The fee covers:
- Supplier research: finding and vetting the right manufacturers for your product
- Price negotiation: pushing the factory to a price that works for your margins
- Product inspections: checking goods before they ship, not after they arrive
- Export documentation: the Chinese paperwork that keeps customs uneventful
- A team in China managing the entire process, so you never have to fly here yourself
Put differently, the fee replaces the plane tickets, the factory visits, the miscommunication, and the months of learning how sourcing in China actually works. You stay focused on selling while someone handles production on your behalf.
The VAT Refund
Here is the part most people do not know. For certain product categories, we can apply for a VAT refund from the Chinese government after the goods are exported. The refund is calculated based on the product value, and in many cases it covers our fee entirely.
That means you can end up with a full sourcing team working for you in China at zero net cost. Research, negotiation, inspections, documentation, and day to day management, all effectively paid for by a refund that most buyers have never heard of and would have no practical way to claim on their own. Not every product category qualifies, so this is something we check for each order, but when it applies it changes the economics of working with an agent completely.
Clear Scope Before You Commit
There is one more piece that removes guesswork from the equation. Before you place a large order, we scope the product, the suppliers, and the real market price so you know what you are walking into.
That matters more than it might seem. You get a clear picture of whether a product idea is viable in China, with real factory prices and real supplier options, before you lock capital into production. If the numbers do not work or the right manufacturer does not exist, you can decide early instead of finding out after a deposit is paid.
What This Means for You
Between a transparent 2 to 10 percent fee and a VAT refund that can offset it entirely, the cost question usually answers itself. The real question is not whether you can afford a sourcing team in China. It is whether you can afford to place a serious order without one. Contact us, tell us what you need, and we will walk you through the next step.
