How to Search for Reliable Chinese Suppliers Online
After completing your product research, the next important step is deciding which product to sell. Once that’s done, it’s crucial to find a reliable supplier in China to manufacture your products. China is well known for offering good-quality manufacturing at very competitive prices.
Thanks to the internet, you don’t need to travel to China to find suppliers. There are many ways to connect with them online. While most people are familiar with Alibaba, it can be overwhelming because of the huge number of suppliers, and it’s often hard to figure out which one to trust. The process can also feel complicated for beginners.
In some cases, the minimum order quantity (MOQ) is too high, making it unsuitable for small or new businesses. So in today’s post, I’ll share four ways to find Chinese suppliers online—not just through Alibaba. These methods are useful for small businesses with budgets as low as $100, as well as larger operations with over $100,000 to invest.
Method 1: Use platforms like Aliexpress and DHgate to find suppliers.
Method 2: Search for suppliers on Alibaba or other B2B marketplaces.
Method 3: Use Google search to discover potential suppliers.
Method 4: Find suppliers through LinkedIn or Facebook.
Method 1: Use platforms like Aliexpress and DHgate to find suppliers.
A brief introduction of Aliexpress and DHgate
Aliexpress and DHgate are great choices for people running small businesses or those who only want to buy a small quantity of products from China. These platforms are specifically made for small orders, and they’re very easy to use—almost like regular online shopping.
You don’t need to talk much with the suppliers. Just check their sales history and customer reviews, then place your order with a few clicks.
Shipping costs are automatically calculated based on the quantity and shipping option you choose. You don’t need to know anything about import or export rules, because the products are usually shipped by China Post airmail or international couriers like FedEx and DHL. And if the product quality doesn’t meet your expectations, getting a refund is quite easy.
Aliexpress and DHgate: Which one is better for your needs?
First, Aliexpress is more suitable if you’re placing small orders under $100. You can even buy just one item for personal use. In most cases, buying one or 100 units of the same product won’t make a big difference in price. If you’re running a dropshipping business, Aliexpress is definitely the platform to choose.
On the other hand, DHgate is a better option for orders between $100 and $1,000. Many sellers on DHgate offer tiered pricing based on quantity—such as different prices for 10, 50, 100, or 200 pieces.
If the MOQ on Alibaba feels too high and the prices on Aliexpress seem too expensive for bulk orders, then DHgate can be a good middle-ground. It’s especially useful for small retailers, like those running a local store.
Let’s take a popular product as an example: resistance bands sets. These have been hot sellers for both Amazon and dropshipping businesses in recent years. On Aliexpress, buying one set costs around $8, with a 30-day delivery time to the U.S.
But on DHgate, the same product costs around $4.5 to $5, including shipping. And if you order more than 100 sets, the supplier can use DHL, which cuts delivery time down to just 7 days to the U.S.
Another difference is that Aliexpress has more suppliers and a wider product selection than DHgate.
This is because Aliexpress is part of Alibaba Group, which also owns Taobao. Chinese suppliers are encouraged to list their Taobao products on Aliexpress, and the system makes it easy to translate listings into English automatically.
DHgate, however, is an independent platform, so sometimes it may be harder to find the exact product you’re looking for there.
That said, neither of these sites is ideal for fast-growing businesses, because most sellers on both platforms are wholesalers, not manufacturers. They often source their inventory from various factories or trading companies, which means product quality can vary between batches.
If you plan to run a long-term business with a specific product and expect to spend several thousand dollars over the coming months, these small-quantity platforms are not the best choice for consistent quality and stable supply.
Method 2: Search for suppliers on Alibaba or other B2B marketplaces.
If you have a few thousand dollars prepared to build a long-term and fast-growing business, then using Alibaba or similar B2B trading platforms is definitely the right choice for finding reliable manufacturers or trading companies.
Alibaba works like an online trade show, where you choose suppliers by looking at product photos and descriptions.
Before placing an order, you’ll need to communicate with suppliers through email or Alibaba messages to discuss pricing based on quantity, customization options, and packaging requirements.
Once everything is confirmed, the supplier will send you an invoice and contract. After you make the payment, they will start production and arrange the shipment to your country. This is the typical process of how traditional international trade works.
There are two main types of suppliers on Alibaba:
Manufacturers
Trading companies
Manufacturers produce the products themselves and sell them directly to overseas buyers. Trading companies don’t make the products—they source them from partner factories and then resell them to customers.
Most trading companies work with factories that don’t have English-speaking sales staff. These factories usually offer very competitive prices, but are harder to find directly on Alibaba. This means that buying from a trading company often won’t cost much more than buying from the factory. In fact, trading companies can often provide faster communication and more professional service.
There are also two main ways to find suppliers on Alibaba. One is to search for product keywords and contact suppliers individually. The other is to use the RFQ (Request for Quotation) feature, where you submit your buying request and wait for matched suppliers to contact you.
When placing an order, you can pay by wire transfer like in traditional trade. However, this method offers no protection if something goes wrong.
To reduce the risk, you can use Alibaba Trade Assurance. This service protects your payment. If the products don’t arrive on time or don’t meet the agreed quality, you can apply for a refund through Alibaba.
Although Alibaba has the largest number of suppliers and products, there are two other B2B platforms worth considering: Global Sources and Made-in-China.
Made-in-China is stronger in the machinery category. Over the past 10 years, it has lost market share to Alibaba in general trade, so it shifted focus to the machinery sector. You may find more machinery suppliers there compared to Alibaba.
Global Sources is better for sourcing electronics and gift items. It’s also easier to find well-established manufacturers there because suppliers need to pay a high annual membership fee—around $30,000. This cost is too high for small suppliers, so the platform mainly features larger, experienced factories. In contrast, Alibaba charges only about $4,000 per year, making it accessible to both big and small sellers.
Method 3: Use Google search to discover potential suppliers.
Some people may wonder how B2B platforms like Alibaba manage to attract so many suppliers.
The main reason is that they bring in a large amount of buyer traffic.
Alibaba is a well-known name. When people think about finding suppliers, they often think of Alibaba first. The company has spent over 20 years and a huge amount of money to build its brand and reputation.
Another key reason is that Alibaba gets a lot of traffic from Google—both from organic search results and paid ads.
Alibaba makes money by selling this buyer traffic to suppliers. Suppliers pay annual membership fees, usually between $4,000 and $10,000, and they also spend on PPC ads to compete for visibility. In short, Alibaba earns money by collecting buyer traffic and reselling it to suppliers.
In recent years, competition among suppliers on Alibaba has become intense. Getting leads from real buyers has also become more expensive.
Because of this, some suppliers started to build their own company websites and use Google Ads or Google SEO to attract customers more directly and at a lower cost. This way, they get more visibility and face less competition compared to being on Alibaba alone.
How to find Chinese suppliers on Google
You can find suppliers by searching your product keywords on Google, along with some helpful terms I’ll suggest below. Then, check through the top 100 search results—both ads and organic listings—and look for websites that appear to be Chinese manufacturers or trading companies.
You can reach out by email or submit an inquiry directly on their website. In most cases, you’ll receive a reply within 1 or 2 business days.
How to evaluate suppliers found on Google
The biggest challenge when using Google to find suppliers is making sure the supplier is trustworthy. There’s no platform like Alibaba here to verify them for you. Here are some practical tips:
Ask the supplier if they also have an Alibaba store. If they do, you can use Alibaba Trade Assurance to protect your payment.
If they don’t, you can suggest using PayPal for added safety. However, many Chinese suppliers are not willing to accept PayPal for amounts over $1,000. This is because they’ve heard stories of dishonest buyers who received the goods but still claimed refunds using fake reasons.
You can also use a tool like Whois to check how long their website domain has been registered. If a site has been around for many years, the business is likely more stable and less likely to be a scam.
When browsing their website, check for a real company address, photos of their office, factory, or team, or pictures from trade shows they’ve attended. These are good signs that they’re a legitimate business.
Be cautious with suppliers who don’t show any team or company information. These are often just individuals running the business from home.
On Alibaba, there are often hundreds of suppliers for the same product, and many are just wholesalers. It can be hard to figure out which ones are truly professional. In some cases, using Google to find suppliers can be faster and more effective, especially if you don’t have a specific product in mind yet and just want a reliable manufacturer to help you develop a new product.
Method 4: Find suppliers through LinkedIn or Facebook.
Many Chinese suppliers are eager to connect with foreign buyers. For most of them, Alibaba and the Canton Fair are the main ways to reach international customers. But as competition on these platforms increases, some suppliers are trying new methods to find clients, instead of staying stuck in the same crowded space.
LinkedIn and Facebook have become popular alternatives because they are free to use. Suppliers often search for keywords related to their products or industry to find potential buyers. They promote their business by posting product information, company updates, or articles about their products to attract more attention.
You can use the same strategy to find Chinese suppliers on LinkedIn or Facebook. Just search product-related keywords along with business terms to see if any Chinese suppliers are sharing relevant content.
For example, if you’re looking for perfume bottles, you can search for “perfume bottle manufacturer” on LinkedIn. You’ll easily find sales representatives from glass bottle factories, cosmetic packaging trading companies, and even business owners. Many suppliers also post product photos and company updates that you can browse.
However, this method also has some limitations. You won’t find as many suppliers as you would on Alibaba or Google. It’s also hard to learn about a supplier’s company background or product range just by looking at a salesperson’s LinkedIn or Facebook page.
To learn more, you’ll need to message them one by one, ask for their product catalogs, or check if they can make the specific product you need.
Now it’s your turn:
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