SOURCING & SHIPPING
Sit Back And Relax
While We Save You Money
Click below to watch this short infomercial:
Welcome to UK Standard's Sourcing and Shipping Department.
​
China sourcing for export is our backbone and the fundamental reason why our founder and UK expat team came to China back in 2007 and ultimately the reason why UK Standard was formed.
​
With our exceptional local team, we have built-up an extensive supplier base network spanning all corners of China and reaching into practically every industry.
​
Our Strengths and what we offer:
-
Our sourcing capabilities (we have contacts in practically every industry, it gives us the leading edge).
-
Negotiating experience (it’s all a game to 'them', one that we have been playing for a long time).
-
Shipping experience (we ship all over the world from the EU to the US, Canada and Australasia).
-
We will strike up and maintain a fruitful, secure business relationship with the kind of supplier you need.
-
Constantly compare prices from other suppliers to ensure you’re paying the absolute rock bottom for what you need.
-
Peace of mind of knowing that you always have 'men on the ground' here.
-
We will travel and carry out stringent production, quality, packing and loading inspections to make sure you receive what you are paying for.
​
Basically, we work for you here in China. We will undertake the product search and specification process to provide you with a quotation at no cost. Our charges will be included in your quotation and will be payable when a firm order is placed and processed. Our charges represent a modest percentage of your cost/savings, in which case you will be paying us from money we have saved you: "It's FREE!". We provide documentation, samples and shipping - FOB, CIF or LDP.
​
Why Buy From China?
Port of Dalian: (where we are based) is the most northern ice-free port in China and was founded in 1899. It is the largest multi-purpose port in Northeast China and the trade gateway to the Pacific. Although based in Dalian, shipments are arranged from the ports most economically viable depending on product location.
​
Cost: Current global trade conditions make it increasingly necessary for companies to buy products and materials at the most cost efficient price, without compromise on quality. Opportunities for this are well established in China. China’s relatively inexpensive, yet well educated workforce has made it extremely attractive for the sourcing of manufactured goods for foreign businesses. The cost of using a Chinese workforce for your manufacturing needs may be 10 times less than other alternatives. China also has lower import duties than many countries. Sourcing your manufacturing in China will save your company money, allowing you to invest in other areas of your business. Putting production and logistical processes in the hands of others, allows more valuable time to market and sell your goods. China’s tremendous, low-cost labour force offers astounding cost advantages for manufacturing. Cost savings achieved through tooling and moulds, unit costs, packaging, and other design and engineering can be substantial, allocating your product searches to us allows you to focus on other aspects of your business, keeping you both productive and profitable. Of course, these cost savings must always be considered in conjunctions with quality, shipping and time to market, and the total cost of ownership in general. Self-Pursuit of low-cost strategy in China can create tremendous disadvantages for your company if not handled well.
​
Supplier Base: A few quick facts: China’s supplier base is incredibly expansive. While the country imports a substantial portion of sub-components and materials from other countries, a great deal of assembly work for consumer products is done in factories in China. This allows the country to achieve economies of scale because larger clusters of factories are surrounded by clusters of supporting factories (think materials, sub-assemblies), which helps to push every factory’s costs down and make supply chains more efficient. In addition to an established base of factories, China’s infrastructure (roads, ports, bridges) is robust. This means more efficient transportation of goods. If you want to source a contract manufacturer for a product, chances are you can find one in China.
​
Increasing Sophistication and Capabilities: Many of China’s factories have improved a great deal with respect to manufacturing capabilities, efficiency, management sophistication and customer service. It’s possible to source factories offering value added services in design and engineering related areas and reduce total product development and total lifecycle costs.
​
​
Why Use An Agent?
A sourcing agent is a regional representative who performs outsourcing activities on behalf of the client. In most cases in today's global market, sourcing agents are located in low-cost countries.
High-cost country companies, who want to gain competitive advantages by purchasing components, products or materials from low cost countries such as China, but who don't want to set up an IPO (international procurement office) abroad, may well employ a representative in the country to search for, select and negotiate with suppliers.
High-cost country companies often don't have in-house language capability or cultural knowledge to do the sourcing work on their own. Dealing with suppliers who speak Asian languages and in foreign cultures is totally different from dealing with domestic suppliers.
Services provided by sourcing companies can include market research, vendor/supplier selection, price negotiation, quality assurance, quality control, raw materials pre-positioning, shipping and logistics, pre-shipment inspection, customs clearance, etc.
​
​
Why Use UK Standard?
Apart from being cheaper than other agents, we have unique strengths and a wealth of experience.
​
We are not your typical team of white-collared business people. Our knowledge and experience has been gained the hard way here in China. We don’t mind getting stuck into the 'nitty gritty', dirt and grime of it all. In short, we are real people who don’t mind getting our hands dirty to get the job done. We don’t 'sugar coat' or 'walk on egg shells'. You will get a down-to-earth business relationship with brutal honesty so you will always know exactly what is going on and where you stand.
​
​
Service Scope
We provide the following services:
​
-
Pre-production Quality Inspection
-
In-production Quality Inspection
-
Final Production Quality Inspection
-
Container Loading Monitoring
-
Business License Audit
-
On-site Factory Audit
-
Product Sourcing
-
Factory Sourcing
-
Product Design and Development
-
Market Investigation
-
Sample or Shipment Consolidation
-
Logistics Arrangement
-
Packaging & Fulfillment Service
-
Virtual China Office
-
Project Management
Method
General method for CM and OEM sourcing, NPD will vary according to the project.
​
-
Submit a sourcing request, we may contact you if further information is required ensuring perfect communication.
-
We find the correct business partner for you here in China and relay our findings back to you for feedback.
-
If satisfied with our result, we will then conduct further negotiations to ensure that the best possible deal has been struck and send your free quotation.
-
If required, we will send product samples for confirmation.
-
If satisfied, we will then have a pro-forma invoice (PI/ sales contract) drafted and sent to you.
-
You make the initial agreed upon payment of the PI or put the letter of credit in place.
-
Production of your order commences.
-
Production/quality/packing/loading inspections are carried out if required.
-
Order is shipped.
-
Final payment is made.
-
Outstanding shipping documents are sent to you for the collection of goods.
-
Delivery is made, goods received.
​
​
Products/Sourcing
We undertake any and all sourcing requests regardless of volume, product or cost. Our experienced sourcing team and partners collaborate on your behalf to find the absolute best business partner for your market/project. With years of experience and contacts in all industries, no project is too big or too small.
​
Contract manufacturing (CM) is a manufacturer that contracts with a firm for components or products. In a contract manufacturing business model, the hiring firm approaches the contract manufacturer with a design or formula. The contract manufacturer will quote the parts based on processes, labour, tooling and material costs.
​
Original equipment manufacturer or OEM manufactures products or components that are purchased by another company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name.
​
New product development (NPD) is the complete process of bringing a new product to market.
​
​
Negotiations
War: Even the wittiest business negotiators will get caught out doing business in China with no experience. The Chinese are well-known for using a famous ancient book called 'The Art of War' as their business strategy instruction book. Some of the scary basic principles of the text are as follows:
​
-
Conquering by Stratagems: strategic thinking is most important.
-
Creating a Situation: using the environment and circumstances to one’s advantage.
-
Prudence: knowing when to fight and when to run.
-
Quick Fighting: making the right moves at the right time.
-
Deception: making your foes believe something that is not so, then using it against them.
-
Flanking: manoeuvering around the enemy to make the situation benefit you.
-
Flexibility: being able to respond to anything.
-
Espionage: ways of knowing what your enemy is up to, while concealing your own true situation.
​
Make no mistake, it is war doing business in China, one that we are experienced at fighting, we know every ‘trick in the book’. Our team’s years of experience of fighting this war gives us the tools to win, which only came about by losing at first. We made all the mistakes in the past so you don’t make them today, giving you the edge in this battle and power to ‘conquer by stratagems’.
​
​
Free No Obligation Quotes And Samples
Quotations: Our quotations will always be free with absolutely no obligation.
​
Samples: If possible, we will attempt to send samples free of charge. In some cases, it will not be possible as the sample may need manufacturing or it may simply be just too costly. In any case, paying for your samples is a positive sign to the supplier showing sincerity of the client’s intention to form a serious business relationship.
​
​
Tests/Inspections
If and when necessary, we will send an experienced QC inspector to carry out any inspection at your request. Inspections may consist of a production check if your product has a special production requirement or maybe just a final quality control inspection before packing or loading. In the case of fragile or sensitive products, it may require us to be on-site during packing or loading or even just to ensure that your requirements are met so damage in transit cannot take place - or even just to make sure the products you are paying for are in fact in the container you will receive. Inspection test certificates and/or photographic documentation can be provided upon request.
​
​
Shipping/Carriage
Any and all aspects of shipping organised, from sea freighting, full container shipping to air freighting single crates or pallets, all depending on the most suitable method for the client’s needs.
Common trading terms used in shipping goods internationally include:
(FOB): Free on board. The exporter delivers the goods at the specified location (and on board the vessel). Costs paid by the exporter include load, lash, secure and stow the cargo, securing cargo in the ships hold, protecting the cargo from contact with the double bottom to prevent slipping and protection against damage from condensation.
(CIF): Carriage, insurance and freight (now known in the US as 'cost, insurance and freight). Insurance and freight are all paid by the exporter to the specified location.
(CNF): Carriage and freight (now known in the US as 'cost and freight)
(C&F, CFR, CNF): Insurance is paid by the importer and the exporter pays all expenses incurred in transporting the cargo from its place of origin to the port/airport and ocean freight/air freight to the port/airport of destination.
(LCL): An abbreviation for 'Less than Container Load'. This shipping term is commonly used to describe an international ocean freight service that is designed for shipping boxed, crated or palletised cargo that cannot fill an entire 20 or 40 foot sea freight container.
​
​
Enquiries
​
If you have any enquiries, questions or comments, please call: (+86) 0411-8765-0900 or email: info@uk-standard.com
Alternatively, complete the below form.
​
​
Send Your Enquiry Now