From product spec to customs clearance — the whole sequence, with the three decisions that determine your margin.
INDEPENDENT · NO AGENCY · NO ORDERS
Sourcing by the numbers
Tradesplain is the independent guide and toolbox for buying from China — written from Henan, inside the supply chain. Numbers, checklists, and the parts nobody tells you.
SECTION 01 — TOOLBOX
NO EMAIL WALL · NO SIGNUP
The toolbox
Every calculator states its formula, data sources, and last-updated date.
TS-TOOL/01
Landed Cost Calculator
Product price + freight + duty + bond + inspection. Your true per-unit cost before you wire a cent.
LIVE
RUN
TS-TOOL/02
1688 Price Converter
RMB to your currency, with the unit math suppliers actually quote in — pieces, boxes, and the odd dozen (打).
LIVE
CONVERT
TS-TOOL/03
Factory Audit Checklist
A 42-point checklist for any agent — or yourself on a video call. Generates a shareable PDF report.
LIVE
RUN
TS-TOOL/04
Incoterms Selector
FOB, EXW, DDP, CIF — five questions, one term that protects you, not the factory.
QUEUED SEP 2026
TS-TOOL/05
MOQ Cost Simulator
What MOQ 1,000 really costs you at 200 units — mold amortization, setup fees, the price of walking away.
QUEUED SEP 2026
TS-TOOL/06
Shipping Mode Comparator
Air express vs air freight vs sea LCL vs rail. Cost, days, and the break-even weight to switch.
QUEUED OCT 2026
RUBRIC — EVERY TOOL PUBLISHES: FORMULA · SOURCES · UPDATED DATE
SECTION 02 — HOW WE STAY HONEST
RUBRIC V2.1 · REV 2026-08
Three promises
Printed on every page. Auditable, not aspirational.
P-01
We take no orders
Tradesplain is not an agency and never will be. Nothing here ends in “get a free quote.” If we ever launch services, they’ll be labeled and scored like everyone else’s.
P-02
One rubric for everyone
Every agent, platform, and inspection service is scored on the same published criteria. The scoring sheet is public — you can audit it.
P-03
We show our math
Every number carries a source and a date. Duties change; when they do, we update the page and log the change — not quietly bury it.
PRICING TRANSPARENCY30%
FACTORY DISCLOSURE25%
CONTRACT TERMS25%
COMPLAINT HISTORY20%
SECTION 03 — THE GUIDES
06 ENTRIES · READ IN ORDER
The guides
Plain English, real numbers, no recycled Alibaba blog posts. Read in order, or raid the index.
Accounts, payments, agents, and the unit conversion traps. Why the same item costs 30% less than on Alibaba — and when it doesn’t.
The business-license trick, address forensics, and invoice patterns that expose resellers posing as manufacturers.
Business licenses, verification services, and the five-minute video call script that filters out half of bad suppliers.
Same factories, different doors. Price, MOQ, protection, and the order size where each one wins.
Twelve patterns from real cases — the switched-bait sample, the “factory” with a new bank account, the too-perfect video tour.
SECTION 04 — COUNTRY GUIDES
11 JURISDICTIONS · REV 2026-09
Import rules by destination
Tax IDs, de minimis, duty rates, and the paperwork customs actually checks — written with local importers.
MX
Mexico
RFC registration + IMMEX regime notes
AE
United Arab Emirates
5% VAT on declared value
UK
United Kingdom
GB EORI · 20% VAT · UKCA marking
NG
Nigeria
Form M + SONCAP paperwork
SA
Saudi Arabia
SASO certification tracker
DE
Germany
EORI · EU VAT 19% · CE marking
BR
Brazil
Radar license + import duty tiers
US
United States
Section 301 tariff tracker
Mexico
RFC registration + IMMEX regime notes
AE
United Arab Emirates
5% VAT on declared value
UK
United Kingdom
GB EORI · 20% VAT · UKCA marking
NG
Nigeria
Form M + SONCAP paperwork
SA
Saudi Arabia
SASO certification tracker
DE
Germany
EORI · EU VAT 19% · CE marking
BR
Brazil
Radar license + import duty tiers
US
United States
Section 301 tariff tracker
SECTION 06 — POLICY UPDATES
LIVE TRACKER · 10 JURISDICTIONS · UPDATED 23 SEP 2026
Customs and tariff changes, 2026
Tariff revisions, anti-dumping duties, label requirements and customs-system updates that change the landed cost of a Chinese import — with the date each takes effect.
GCC Definitive Anti-Dumping Duty on Chinese Glass Products
The Gulf Cooperation Council imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty on certain flat and container glass products from China, effective 5 September 2026. The duty ranges from 7.1% t…
Read update →UK CDS: VATZ Coverage Update for Measurement Instruments
HMRC updated VATZ (VAT Zero-rated) coverage on 8 September 2026 to cover a wider range of measurement-instrument HS codes (9026102900, 9026900000, 9027109000, 9031900000). Declarat…
Read update →UK Excise Rates on Tobacco Updated for 1 October 2026
HMRC published updated excise rates for tobacco products (HS chapters 24 and 85) on 10 September 2026. The rates take effect 1 October 2026. CDS declarations must reflect the new r…
Read update →India BCD on Precious Metals Raised to 10%; SWS and AIDC Rationalised
The Central Government issued Customs Notifications on 12 May 2026 (effective 13 May 2026) revising the duty structure on gold, silver, platinum and other precious metal products (…
Read update →India Mandatory cClassTrib Code on All Import Declarations
From 1 January 2026, every item of every Indian import declaration (DI, DSI and Duimp) must include the Tributary Classification Code (cClassTrib) per LC 214/2025 §348. The code li…
Read update →US Section 301 Forced-Labor Duties: 12.5% on Chinese Goods
USTR announced Section 301 findings on 3 June 2026 covering 60 jurisdictions for failure to enforce bans on forced-labour goods. Effective 29 July 2026, an additional 12.5% ad valo…
Read update →SECTION 05 — WHO WRITES THIS
HENAN, CN · 34.75°N 113.62°E
Inside the supply chain
Not a rented desk abroad.
Tradesplain is written from Henan, China — a province that ships more aluminum, machinery, and water-treatment chemicals than most countries. We visit the factories, read the Chinese contracts, and hear what the sales managers say after the Zoom call ends.
- Every author page carries a real name, photo, and verifiable location
- Factory-visit notes published with dates and city names
- We answer email in English and 中文 — within 48 hours
THE SOURCING LEDGER
One email a week
Duty changes, freight rate moves, platform policy updates — and what each one does to your landed cost. Sent Thursdays, read in four minutes.
NO SPAM · UNSUBSCRIBE ANYTIME · 4-MIN READ