Who our agents in China are
Four agents work for you in China, all employed by Transcont. They are a permanent part of our team and work in English and Chinese. We communicate with you in English, Macedonian and Serbian. We have Macedonian-speaking colleagues in China and bring in translators where needed.
We have worked in China since 2006. Our head office is in Skopje, and we have three offices in total. Our strongest operational presence is in Yiwu, home of the market for small goods. We have our own warehouses in Yiwu and Ningbo, and an agent can travel anywhere in China, wherever your goods are.
With an individual agent, the client often has no company in the Balkans to turn to directly. With us, a Transcont employee follows your order in China, and our Skopje office is your contact in the region.
What our agents do
- Collect and compare factory offers against your specifications.
- Visit factories and establish whether the goods are actually made there.
- Agree the price, minimum order quantity (MOQ), production lead time and packaging.
- Arrange samples from several suppliers and send them to you together.
- Follow production and tell you in good time about any delay.
- Check the goods before loading, in our warehouse or at the factory, and send you a photo and video report.
- Go with you when you come to China in person, to a market or a factory, anywhere in the country.
How a sourcing order runs
- Request. You send us the specifications, a link or photo of the product, the target price and the quantity.
- Offers. The agent collects offers from factories. If the product is new to us, we tell you in advance.
- Shortlist. You receive two or three suppliers with price, MOQ, lead time and photos, with our note on what has been checked.
- Samples. Before a larger order you receive a sample. We later compare the ordered goods with it.
- Order. The agent agrees the terms, and you confirm the order. The method of payment is agreed for each order.
- Follow-up. The agent stays in contact with the supplier until production is finished.
- Check. We check the goods before loading and send you a photo and video report. More on the quality control page.
- Transport. The goods leave as an LCL shipment or in a full container.
Factory or trading company
Factories and trading companies are both common suppliers in China. A trading company often offers a lower minimum quantity and more products in one place. A factory usually offers a better price for a larger quantity and more control over production.
When a supplier presents itself as a factory, we check it. We review the business licence and the registered activity, visit the production site and assess whether the prices and lead times match what we see there. An Alibaba profile or a website is not proof for us. More in the guide on how to verify a Chinese supplier.
If you already have an agent or a supplier
If you work well with your supplier or agent, there is no reason to change that. We can provide an additional, independent check before loading: in our warehouse in Yiwu or Ningbo, or at the factory, anywhere in China. We take no part in the sale of the goods. You receive the photo and video report before you pay the balance or before the container is closed.
Limits of the service
We cannot promise that a supplier will keep to the deadline, or that every carton will be free of faults. You receive photos, video and a clear note of what was checked and what could not be checked. Laboratory test reports and certificates of conformity are issued by the factory and by accredited laboratories. We check that the documents exist and that they relate to your product.
Example: 10 CNC machines
A client sends us a request for 10 CNC machines, with the technical specifications, the required quality, the quantity and the budget. We send a comparison of the factory offers, and the client decides which one fits and what still needs to be checked before the order.
The difference between sourcing and transport is explained in the guide sourcing agent vs freight forwarder.
How fees work
Fees depend on the work. Ordering a specified product from a known factory is different from finding a new factory, so we do not publish a price list. Agents in China generally charge in one of three ways: a commission on the order value, a day rate for market or factory visits, or a project fee for a defined task. We agree how the fee is calculated, and the amount, in writing before work starts.
Remote sourcing for clear specifications, the Yiwu trip for a wide range
Remote sourcing works best for goods with clear specifications and little variety: machinery, equipment, a few items per shipment. The agent collects factory offers against the same requirements, and we compare price, specifications and lead time.
A wide range of small goods, with big differences in quality and price, is best chosen in person. That is why we organise the Yiwu buying trip: our agent walks the market with you, you choose the goods, and we handle the orders and the whole process. Two wholesalers we work with buy in this way, with their goods collected in our warehouse. A children's toys wholesaler imports more than 10 times a year, and a seasonal gifts and Christmas decoration wholesaler imports more than 15 containers a year.
Send a request
Send us the specifications, a link or photo of the product, the quantity, the location of your supplier (if you already have one) and the destination of the goods. Tell us too which documents the goods need in your market, for example CE and EN 71 for toys. Our team will reply with a proposal for the next steps.
