The 5 Best Things For Businesses To Import From China

For decades, China has been hailed as one of the greatest manufacturing capitals of the world. From computers and telecoms equipment to office machine parts, and even children’s toys, the west has long looked to China to meet manufacturing needs that may be either cost prohibitive or logically complex at home. But in an age of widespread reshoring and keeping operations on home turf wherever possible, businesses of all shapes and sizes are rethinking their relationship with the economic and industrial superpower that is China.

As such, whatever the nature of your business, you may wonder what items, products, ingredients or components are best sourced in China and which are best sourced closer to home. Here we’ll take a look at some of the best things for businesses to import from China. 

Chemicals 

Whether you’re in the food service or manufacture industry, pharmaceuticals, water treatment or… heck, virtually anything chemicals are a huge part of what you do. And many chemicals like Sodium Hexametaphosphate 68% lend themselves very well to a range of industrial and commercial applications from treating water to making toothpaste and thickening condiments. Chemicals and pharma account for around 10% of China’s overall economy, and they are able to price competitively while also affording you quality. So you can maintain your credibility in business while also saving money.

Whatever the nature of your business, looking into Chinese chemicals could mean a huge step up in terms of profitability without compromising on the values on which you built your brand.

Integrated circuits

If you manufacture, repair or repurpose machinery as part of your business operations, there’s a good chance that you rely heavily on integrated circuits. You need to be assured that they are reliable and robust enough to stand up to a wide range of applications. As such, it’s understandable to assume that integrated are better off sourced or even manufactured at home. Nonetheless, the manufacture and export integrated circuits is actually one of China’s key industries. At the time of writing the Chinese integrated circuit market is worth over $570BN USD. 

Electronics and accessories

Whether you’re looking for electronics for your office, consumer electronics to sell for your business, or low cost, low margin accessories for your dropshipping business, you can be assured that China is virtually unbeatable in providing value for money as well as the quality and reliability on which you can build a brand. 

If you’re running a dropshipping business, however, don’t assume that the low value and markup of your products mean that you should compromise on quality. While you may live by volume, you will die by poor quality. So never bulk order accessories like headphones, USB chargers or other items until you’ve seen some samples and are completely satisfied with the quality.

Clothing and textiles

Clothing and textiles are also a hugely important part of Chinese industry, and a great way to ensure that you have a profitable clothing brand with sufficient margin to ensure liquidity and harmonious business finances. 

Whether you’re importing high-quality, affordable fabrics from China and manufacturing your own clothing at home, or importing ready made garments for sale in your online store, China’s low material and manufacturing costs can help you to lay the foundations of profitability. So you can focus your efforts on getting your products noticed online and driving the sales that will make your business profitable. A channel agnostic approach that supplements your ecommerce website with sales from platforms like Google Shopping, Amazon, eBay and Instagram Shopping is a great way to do this. However, you may need to invest in the right ecommerce platform to make it easier to manage your inventory across multiple platforms and get the analytic insights you need to adjust your strategy in this highly competitive field. 

Plastics

Plastics have revolutionized virtually every industry there is. Injection molded plastic is the basis of all kinds of manufacture from electronics housing to children’s toys and lunch boxes. Even in an age of ecological awareness where we’re all scrambling to find viable biodegradable or recyclable alternatives to single use plastics, there’s no denying that plastic continues to play an important part in the way we make virtually everything. 

The global demand for plastics continues to grow every day. And as numerous manufacturers scramble to meet the growing demand, fierce competition dictates that manufacturers need to be competitively priced. 

Businesses that want to weave profitability into the fabric of their operations know that when it comes to these 5 items, importing from China allows them to find the perfect balance of quality and cost-efficacy.