Many companies that intend to trade with China for the first time do their research on B2B sites such as Alibaba. Companies that you find in such websites may not be manufacturers, or they might even be operating illegally. There are thousands of intermediary firms and scammers who pretend to be manufacturing factories on such B2B sites.

Contrary to popular belief, such B2B sites usually work with the policy of double-sided commission. Companies usually do not enter the prices of their products in their Alibaba accounts correctly, as the website is open to the whole world and, of course, to competitors. They enter a price that is either much lower or higher than what it should be. This makes it difficult for you to determine your target price and you may have difficulty making comparisons.

First of all, you should know the product you would like to import very well.In other words, you should have all the technical information (specifications) in Turkish and preferably also in English. If the target product has an international model code or product code and you know the HES code of the product you want to import, the research process will go much faster.

The most important factor to consider when deciding on dates for your business trips to China is the Exposition (Fair) dates.It will be very efficient for you to arrange your business trip according to the date of a fair that relates to your industry. By doing so, you can attend the fair first and review your sector analysis again and attain important information for your meetings after the fair. Apart from the big export fairs such as Canton Fair in China, it will be very useful for you to pay attention to the domestic fairs that are held regularly every year.

As long as you don’t consume food and drinks sold on the street, you won’t have any problems. You can find food from all world cuisines and fast-food chains such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and so on in China. There are also halal noddle sellers within walking distance almost everywhere.

No. Generally, the factories where certain products are produced are distributed among the provinces. For example, electronic products are usually produced in Guangdong province; whereas automotive lightning products are usually produced in Zhejiang province. You can find an agent of each product anywhere, but searching in the right place to find the right manufacturers will make your job much easier.

The most commonly used payment methods when importing are FOB and CIF. Chinese companies usually require a 30% deposit and the remaining part before delivery. You can pay through your bank.

FOB (Free on board): In this form of delivery, the seller fulfills their obligation to deliver by delivering the goods to the board of the ship at the designated port of loading. Within this framework, the seller’s obligations in contracts that accept FOB registration are as follows:

Proper packaging and marking,

Delivery of the goods to the board of the ship at the port of loading,

Performing customs clearance procedures,

Forwarding documents related to the delivery.

CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) : In this form of delivery, the seller fulfills their obligation to deliver the goods to the designated port of destination by concluding a commodity transportation insurance contract and paying the premium, as well as covering the freight costs and costs required for the transportation of the goods. After the goods are loaded onto the ship, the costs and risks other than freight and insurance premiums fall under the responsibility of the buyer. The seller’s obligations under the CIF records are as follows:

Proper packaging and marking,

Concluding the contract of transportation and pay the freight to the port of destination,

Delivery of the goods to the board of the ship at the port of loading,

Performing customs clearance procedures,

Insuring the goods, paying the premium and forwarding the insurance policy and transportation document to the buyer without delay.

On average, it takes about 30 to 40 days for a container to arrive at Turkish ports. However, please note that this period may vary according to the port of departure and the port of arrival.

When you visit China, language will always be a barrier both in business and in the social life. You will notice that many words common to all world languages are not understood here. With regards to social life, the number of Chinese people who speak English is not very high compared to the whole population.

Getting samples from China or another country is not as difficult as it may seem. If you get in contact with the company directly yourself, you can request a sample from the company by providing your contact information. If there is an intermediary firm between, they will perform this transaction on your behalf.

Samples can be stuck in the customs depending on the quantity and price. In the current conjuncture, regardless of the quantity and price, there is a 90% probability that your samples will be stuck in customs. However, if the sample you are getting is not a prohibited product to import, you can solve this problem by making use of the customs consultancy service. In addition, customs brokers working at international cargo companies such as UPS, TNT, and DHL will contact you and guide you if your product is stuck in customs.