This article is for anyone who wants to learn more about buying goods from China.
Depending on your needs, purchases can be divided into cheap, cheaper, and most cost-effective options.
The price of a product ordered from abroad up to the point of entering your country consists of:
- The manufacturing cost of the product
- Shipping and transport costs
Costs after the product enters the country are usually fixed (or should be), and we won’t consider them here.
Cheap purchases
Many of you have probably heard of Aliexpress, Temu, DHgate, Gearbest, and other Chinese platforms for buying single items online.
If you are an individual purchasing for personal use, this is the cheapest option for you.
With low or free shipping, this is often the best choice since no agent in China can provide such low shipping costs. No agent can do this for you. Shipping costs for small packages are another story and are often elevated to national standards.
We explained why shipping costs can be negligible in our blog post: Free Shipping from China.
Since this is single-item buying, prices are higher than when buying in bulk. The same product on Aliexpress is more expensive than on Alibaba because on Aliexpress you buy item by item, while Alibaba requires MOQ (minimum order quantity).
It’s clear that buyers ordering larger quantities usually get better prices. Alibaba is cheaper than Aliexpress — in other words, B2B bulk purchasing is cheaper than B2C single-item buying.
Cheaper purchases
Buying in bulk is always cheaper than buying single items.
However, buying on Alibaba and other B2B platforms (Made-in-China, Globalsources...) isn’t always straightforward.
Two main factors affect the final price:
- Quantity – larger orders → lower price per unit
- Shipping method – the way goods are shipped and package size
A buyer ordering 500 phone cases cannot expect the same price as someone ordering 50,000. That’s why Alibaba shows different prices for different quantities.
Larger quantity → lower unit price.
If you are skilled and know how to negotiate with suppliers, you may get even better rates.
Due to volume and shipment size, goods are mostly shipped by sea — slower but significantly cheaper than air freight.
Often, it is more profitable to take a larger quantity and rent a full container rather than sending smaller shipments in a shared container.
Most cost-effective purchases
China is a huge country and its domestic market is massive, which leads to a paradox for buyers outside China.
For many factories, having a dedicated export branch is very costly — licenses, international certifications, staff who speak foreign languages, logistics, etc.
These factories often only produce for the domestic market. They are successful locally and don’t aim for global sales. Many are not listed on Alibaba.
There’s everything — from very low-quality copies to high-end products. This market is invisible to most buyers outside China.
Additionally, on Alibaba, you’ll find everyone from genuine manufacturers to resellers. Some list themselves as Manufacturer or Distributor/Wholesaler, but in reality, they aren’t. Factories often use agents to sell internationally because it’s more profitable for them.
This is where your problem can start. Without guidance, issues like delays, missing parts, or damaged products can occur.
Your calculation
Buyers often assume that if they pay an agent, it will make the purchase more expensive.
However, when buying in bulk from China, that is often not the case.
For example, you want to buy phone cases at $1/unit. You order 1,000 units — your cost is $1,000 without shipping. An agent may find the same product for $0.90/unit, charging $100 for their service. The total is still $1,000, but you have certainty that your goods will arrive safely.
Agents often have better shipping rates and direct access to factories that may not appear on Alibaba or Aliexpress.
- Real factories → lower cost and reliable delivery
- High-quality products → no risk from resellers
Conclusion
The most cost-effective purchases are bulk orders through an agent. This way, you avoid:
- The risk of goods not arriving
- The risk of damaged or missing parts
- Time and money wasted with unverified sellers
Buying from China without an agent can be complicated and risky, especially for larger quantities or specialized products. Using an agent gives you security, better pricing, and support throughout the shipping process.