Import Guides
From first idea to delivered cargo — the beginner-friendly path.
Importing from China is not hard; it is just badly explained. The actual path — define what you want, find suppliers, verify them, sample, pay 30/70, inspect, ship, clear customs — is a process any first-time buyer can run. What trips people up is the folklore around it: that you need a company (you often don't), that Alibaba is the only source (it isn't), that the cheapest quote is the best one (it never is).
These guides are the sequence we walk our own first-time clients through, in the order the decisions actually happen. Each one answers the questions buyers ask most — pulled from real search data, not from what we felt like writing about. Start with the beginner's eight-step guide if you're new, and the 1688 vs Alibaba comparison when you're deciding where to source.
The questions this section answers
- ?How do I import from China for the first time?
- ?Do I need a license or business license to import?
- ?Can I import without a company, as an individual?
- ?How do I find and verify reliable suppliers in China?
- ?What is the safest payment method when importing?
- ?What is MOQ from China and can it be negotiated?
- ?What documents are needed to import from China?
- ?What are Incoterms and which one should I use?
- ?1688 vs Alibaba — which platform is better for buying?
Guides in this section (2)
How to Import from China: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
The complete first-time importer path: find suppliers, verify them, sample, inspect, pay safely, ship and clear customs — in eight steps without the jargon.
Read →1688 vs Alibaba: Which Is Better for Buying from China?
Alibaba is the international showroom; 1688 is where the trade actually shops. Prices, MOQs, language barriers and when an agent beats both.
Read →