Sourcing from China

Landed cost, MOQs, 1688 versus Alibaba, payment terms and the inspection step most first-time buyers skip. Ten lessons from buying out of China for African importers.

Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Yiwu, Foshan, Shantou, Ningbo and Jinjiang. Which Chinese city makes what, and how to match your product to the right cluster before you buy.

Manufacturing clusters, WeChat, negotiation norms, five-year planning and the new zero-tariff deal with 53 African countries. Context for anyone trading with Chinese suppliers.

Quality drift, payment fraud, landed-cost surprises, communication gaps and timing. The five problems that cost importers the most, and what actually prevents them.