WRITTEN FROM HENAN, CHINA · UPDATED AUG 2026
Sourcing explained, without the sales pitch. Numbers, checklists, and the parts nobody tells you.
Most “China sourcing guides” are written by the agencies trying to win your order. Tradesplain is not. We build calculators, compare platforms on one public rubric, and explain every fee — so you can deal with factories, agents, and freight on equal footing.
Free · No account needed · Works offline on your side
LANDED COST — SAMPLE
Calculators that can’t be sweet-talked
Tools are why people bookmark us. Every calculator states its formula, data sources, and last-updated date. No email wall, no signup.
TS-TOOL/01LIVE
Landed Cost Calculator
Product price + freight + duty + bond + inspection. See your true per-unit cost before you wire a cent.
RUN CALCULATION →
TS-TOOL/02LIVE
1688 Price Converter
RMB to your currency, with the unit math Chinese suppliers actually quote in — pieces, boxes, and the odd “打” (dozen).
CONVERT →
TS-TOOL/03LIVE
Factory Audit Checklist
A 42-point checklist you can send to any agent — or use yourself on a video call. Generates a shareable PDF report.
BUILD CHECKLIST →
TS-TOOL/04BUILDING
Incoterms Selector
FOB, EXW, DDP, CIF — answer five questions about your shipment and get the term that protects you, not the factory.
COMING SEP 2026 →
TS-TOOL/05BUILDING
MOQ Cost Simulator
What “MOQ 1,000” really costs you at 200 units — mold amortization, setup fees, and the price of walking away.
COMING SEP 2026 →
TS-TOOL/06BUILDING
Shipping Mode Comparator
Air express vs air freight vs sea LCL vs rail. Cost, days, and the break-even weight where you should switch.
COMING OCT 2026 →
Three promises, printed on every page
We take no orders
Tradesplain is not an agency and never will be. Nothing on this site ends in “get a free quote from us.” If we ever launch services, they’ll be labeled as such and scored like everyone else’s.
One rubric for everyone
Every agent, platform, and inspection service we review is scored on the same published criteria: pricing transparency, factory disclosure, contract terms, and complaint history. Our scoring sheet is public.
We show our math
Every number in our calculators and guides carries a source and a date. Duties change; when they do, we update the page and log the change — not quietly bury it.
Read in order, or raid the index
Written for first-time importers and FBA sellers moving to factory-direct. Plain English, real numbers, no recycled Alibaba blog posts.
G-01
How to Import from China: the Complete Path
From product spec to customs clearance — the whole sequence, with the three decisions that determine your margin.
G-02
How to Buy from 1688 (Without Chinese)
Accounts, payments, agents, and the unit conversion traps. Why the same item costs 30% less than on Alibaba — and when it doesn’t.
G-03
Trading Company vs Factory: 9 Ways to Tell
The营业执照 trick, address forensics, and invoice patterns that expose resellers posing as manufacturers.
G-04
How to Verify a Chinese Supplier
Business licenses, verification services, and the five-minute video call script that filters out half of bad suppliers.
G-05
Alibaba vs 1688: Which One Fits Your Order
Same factories, different doors. Price, MOQ, protection, and the order size where each one wins.
G-06
The Supplier Scam Checklist
Twelve patterns from real cases — the switched-bait sample, the “factory” with a new bank account, the too-perfect video tour.
Import rules, per destination
Tax IDs, de minimis, duty rates, and the paperwork customs actually checks — written with local importers, not translated from forums.
FACTORY FLOOR, HENAN
[ PLACEHOLDER ]
Written from 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
One email a week. The numbers that changed.
Duty changes, freight rate moves, platform policy updates — and what each one does to your landed cost. Sent Thursdays, read in four minutes.
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