Buyer's Guide
The Field Guide to Sourcing from China's Manufacturing Clusters
Finding a supplier on Alibaba is easy. Knowing where China actually makes things, how to visit the right factories, and how to not get burned on your first order is not.
This guide covers everything a first-time buyer needs to know before landing in China.
China Clusters at a Glance
The numbers behind the world's manufacturing heartland
30+
manufacturing clusters covered
5
product categories
90%
of components typically sourced within a 20km radius in a cluster
Inside the Guide
What you'll learn
Four sections covering China's key manufacturing regions, what they produce, and how to navigate them as a buyer.
China's manufacturing clusters, mapped
Explore 41 clusters across 11 provinces, from Guangdong's electronics and toy hubs to Zhejiang's small commodities, plotted geographically so you can plan your sourcing trip by region.
How to prepare your sourcing trip
A pre-trip checklist covering documents, payments, apps, timing, and on-the-ground visits, so nothing catches you off guard before or during the visit.
8 mistakes first-time buyers make
The most common and costly errors — from paying to personal accounts to skipping factory visitors — and how to avoid each one before it becomes your problem.
Clusters by product category
Standalone profiles across consumer goods, electronics, fashion, materials, and beauty, with each covering what's made there, who you'll deal with, and what to watch out for.
"When 90% of the components for a product are available within a 20-kilometre radius, production costs drop, lead times compress, and quality becomes easier to control."
FROM THE GUIDE
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