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Free tools for buying from China
17 tools for the questions that cost importers money: what it will really cost to land, which supplier is cheapest, whether they’re genuine, whether it’s safe to pay, how much space the goods take and when to order. Rates come live from the UK Trade Tariff. What you type stays in your browser.
Start here
New to importing from China, or planning a new product? One guided plan that uses the other tools for you.
Find and check suppliers
Before you pay anyone: who they are, what to ask, and where the money goes.
- SuppliersSupplier checkDecode the code on a Chinese business licence and run the warning signs before you pay.Open the tool ->
- PaymentsPayment safety checkCheck the bank details before you pay a supplier, and what to do if they change.Open the tool ->
- SuppliersRequest for quotation builderWrite a clear request suppliers can quote on like for like.Open the tool ->
- Trade fairCanton Fair companionLog suppliers booth by booth, check their licence codes and take home a shortlist. Works offline.Open the tool ->
Get the quality and compliance right
The UK rules your product must meet, and a written standard the factory and inspector sign.
- UK rulesProduct rules checkerTick what your product is and see the UK rules, the documents to get and what goes on the label.Open the tool ->
- QualitySpec sheet and AQLWrite the specification and defect list, with the inspection sample size, in English and Chinese.Open the tool ->
- MaterialsMaterial swap checkerThe usual material swaps (201 for 304, zinc for brass, CCA for copper), how to catch them and what to write.Open the tool ->
Work out the real cost
Duty, anti-dumping duty, VAT and freight, from live UK Trade Tariff rates.
- CostsLanded-cost calculatorDuty, anti-dumping duty and import VAT for your product, from live UK Trade Tariff rates.Open the tool ->
- CostsQuote comparerPut up to four supplier quotes side by side and see which is really the cheapest to land.Open the tool ->
- ProfitMargin calculatorFrom landed cost to profit per unit after VAT, fees, fulfilment and returns, with the break-even price.Open the tool ->
- PricesPrice checkIs a quote too cheap to be real? Compare it with what UK importers declare per kilo and the metal in it.Open the tool ->
Plan the shipment
How much space your goods take, and when you need to order.
- ShippingContainer and CBM plannerTurn carton sizes into cubic metres and see how many fit a 20ft or 40ft container, in 3D.Open the tool ->
- TrackingContainer number checkCheck a container number is valid, see who owns the box and open the right tracking page.Open the tool ->
- PlanningWhen to order plannerWork back from the date you need stock, around Golden Week and Chinese New Year.Open the tool ->
Know the market
Official UK data on duties and on what the UK buys from China.
Guides and help
- The supply chain, step by stepThe whole journey from a factory in China to your door, played on a live map.
- Free import checkSend one product: code, duty, rules and a first landed cost, free.
- Importing guidesProduct by product: duty, anti-dumping, UK rules and documents.
- GlossaryImporting terms in plain English, from AQL to UN 38.3.
- Example quote packWhat the £195 supplier search and quote pack looks like.
Guides that go with them
Rather have it done for you?
I find and check suppliers, work out the full landed cost, book independent inspections and coordinate the freight. Fees are published and agreed in writing before any work starts.
Tell me what you want to import ->