China Sourcing Guide Appendices — Templates, Checklists & Forms

Appendix A: 50 Essential Chinese Phrases for Sourcing

Greetings & Basics

English	Chinese	Pinyin	When to Use
Hello	你好	nǐ hǎo	Always
Thank you	谢谢	xiè xiè	Always
You're welcome	不客气	bú kè qì	Reply to thanks
Sorry / Excuse me	对不起	duì bu qǐ	Mistakes
Nice to meet you	很高兴认识你	hěn gāo xìng rèn shí nǐ	First meeting

Product & Price

English	Chinese	Pinyin
How much is this?	这个多少钱？	zhè ge duō shǎo qián?
What's the wholesale price?	批发价是多少？	pī fā jià shì duō shǎo?
Can you give me a better price?	价格能便宜一点吗？	jià gé néng pián yí yì diǎn ma?
This is too expensive	太贵了	tài guì le
What's the minimum order?	最小起订量是多少？	zuì xiǎo qǐ dìng liàng shì duō shǎo?
Do you have this in stock?	这个有现货吗？	zhè ge yǒu xiàn huò ma?
What materials is this made of?	这是什么材质的？	zhè shì shén me cái zhì de?
Can I see more photos?	能看更多图片吗？	néng kàn gèng duō tú piàn ma?

Ordering

English	Chinese	Pinyin
I want to place an order	我想下单	wǒ xiǎng xià dān
How long is production time?	生产周期多久？	shēng chǎn zhōu qī duō jiǔ?
Can you deliver by [date]?	[日期]能发货吗？	néng fā huò ma?
Please send a sample	请寄样品	qǐng jì yàng pǐn
How much is the sample?	样品费多少？	yàng pǐn fèi duō shǎo?

Shipping

English	Chinese	Pinyin
How much is shipping?	运费多少钱？	yùn fèi duō shǎo qián?
What's the shipping time?	运输时间多久？	yùn shū shí jiān duō jiǔ?
Please send by DHL/FedEx	请发DHL/ FedEx	qǐng fā DHL/FedEx
My address is...	我的地址是...	wǒ de dì zhǐ shì...
When will it arrive?	什么时候到？	shén me shí hòu dào?

Quality & Problems

English	Chinese	Pinyin
The quality is not good	质量不好	zhì liàng bù hǎo
This is damaged	这个是坏的	zhè ge shì huài de
The color is wrong	颜色不对	yán sè bú duì
The size is wrong	尺寸不对	chǐ cùn bú duì
Please check and confirm	请核对确认	qǐng hé duì què rèn
Can you fix this?	这个能修吗？	zhè ge néng xiū ma?

Payment

English	Chinese	Pinyin
How should I pay?	怎么付款？	zěn me fù kuǎn?
Do you accept PayPal?	可以用PayPal吗？	kě yǐ yòng PayPal ma?
Bank transfer	银行转账	yín háng zhuǎn zhàng
30% deposit, 70% before shipping	30%定金，70%发货前付清	30% dìng jīn, 70% fā huò qián fù qīng

Building Relationships

English	Chinese	Pinyin
I hope we can cooperate long-term	希望能长期合作	xī wàng néng cháng qī hé zuò
Your service is good	你们的服务很好	nǐ men de fú wù hěn hǎo
I will recommend you to friends	我会推荐给朋友	wǒ huì tuī jiàn gěi péng you
Happy cooperation!	合作愉快！	hé zuò yú kuài!

Appendix B: Supplier Contact Templates (Full Set)

Template 1: First Contact — Alibaba

Subject: Inquiry about [Product Name]

Hello,

I'm very interested in your [Product Name]. Could you please share your wholesale price list for quantities of [X], [Y], and [Z] units?

Also, please let me know:

What is the MOQ?

Can I order a sample first?

What is the lead time?

We are an e-commerce company based in [Country].

Best regards, [Your Name]

Template 2: First Contact — 1688

你好，

我对贵店的[产品名称]很感兴趣。请问批发价是多少？我想订[数量]件左右。

另外请问：

最小起订量是多少？

可以寄样品吗？

生产周期多久？

期待您的回复。谢谢！

[Your Name]

Template 3: Follow-Up (No Response)

Hi [Supplier Name],

I sent a message on [date] regarding [Product Name]. Just wanted to follow up in case you missed it. I'm very interested in your product and would appreciate a quote.

Looking forward to your reply.

Best, [Your Name]

Template 4: Price Negotiation

Hi [Supplier Name],

Thank you for the quote. I appreciate your time.

However, I've received quotes from other suppliers at [lower price]. Can you do [target price] for an initial order of [quantity]? If the quality is good, I'll be ordering [larger quantity] per month going forward.

Please let me know if we can work something out.

Best, [Your Name]

Template 5: Sample Request

Hi [Supplier Name],

I'd like to order a sample of [Product Name] to check the quality before placing a bulk order.

Please let me know:

Sample cost

Shipping cost to [Country]

Payment method

I'll place a bulk order once I confirm the quality.

Thanks, [Your Name]

Template 6: Bulk Order

Hi [Supplier Name],

We've tested the sample and are satisfied with the quality. We'd like to place a bulk order:

Product: [Product Name] Quantity: [Quantity] Price: [Agreed Price] Shipping: [FOB/CIF/DDP]

Please send an invoice and we'll arrange payment.

Best regards, [Your Name]

Template 7: Quality Complaint

Hi [Supplier Name],

We received the shipment today, but there are some quality issues:

[Issue 1]

[Issue 2]

[Photos attached]

Please advise how you'd like to resolve this. We hope we can find a solution.

Best, [Your Name]

Template 8: Reorder

Hi [Supplier Name],

Good news — we've sold through our first order! The product is performing well in our market.

We'd like to place a reorder: Product: [Product Name] Quantity: [Quantity — larger than first order]

Since we're ordering more this time, can you offer a better price?

Looking forward to continuing our cooperation.

Best, [Your Name]

Appendix C: Quality Inspection Checklist

Before Production

Product specifications confirmed in writing
Materials agreed upon (with samples if possible)
Packaging design approved
Label/branding requirements communicated
Timeline agreed
Payment terms confirmed

During Production (for orders >500 units)

Check raw materials match agreed specs
Verify first production samples
Check production progress vs. timeline
Inspect workmanship at 50% completion
Take photos of production line

Pre-Shipment Inspection

General:

Quantity matches order
No visible defects
Colors match approved sample
Sizes/measurements correct
Packaging intact
Labels/barcodes correct

Product-Specific:

Product functions properly
No sharp edges or safety issues
Weight matches specifications
Material feels correct
Assembly is secure

Packaging:

Inner packaging (poly bag, box) is clean
Outer carton is sturdy
Carton markings correct (product name, quantity, SKU)
Cases sealed properly
Palletized correctly (if applicable)

AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) Standards

Order Size	Sample Size	Accept (Major Defects)	Reject
2-15	2	0	1
16-25	3	0	1
26-90	5	0	1
91-150	8	0	1
151-280	13	1	2
281-500	20	1	2
501-1200	32	2	3
1201-3200	50	3	4

Defect classifications:

Critical: Safety issue, illegal — zero tolerance
Major: Will affect sale or function — AQL 2.5%
Minor: Visual imperfection,不影响使用 — AQL 4.0%

Appendix D: Landed Cost Calculator

Worksheet

Cost Item	Your Product
1. Product Cost
Unit price from supplier	$_____
Quantity	_____ units
Total product cost	$_____

| 2. Shipping Cost | | | Inland freight (factory → port) | $_____ | | Export customs clearance | $_____ | | Ocean/air freight | $_____ | | Insurance (0.5-1% of value) | $_____ | | Total shipping cost | $_____ |

| 3. Import Costs | | | Customs duties (% × product value) | $_____ | | Customs broker fee | $_____ | | Port handling fees | $_____ | | Import taxes/VAT | $_____ | | Total import costs | $_____ |

| 4. Final Delivery | | | Domestic freight (port → warehouse) | $_____ | | Warehousing (per unit per month) | $_____ | | Total domestic costs | $_____ |

| Grand Total | | | Total landed cost | $_____ | | Cost per unit | $_____ | | Your selling price | $_____ | | Gross profit per unit | $_____ | | Gross margin | _____% |

Appendix E: Recommended Tools & Resources

Translation Tools

Tool	Best For	Cost	Link
Google Translate	Quick translations	Free	translate.google.com
DeepL	More accurate Chinese ↔ English	Free / Pro	deepl.com
Chrome built-in	Full page translation	Free	Chrome browser
Pleco	Chinese dictionary, OCR	Free / Paid	pleco.com

Sourcing Platforms

Platform	Best For	Link
1688.com	Factory-direct prices	1688.com
Alibaba.com	English-friendly sourcing	alibaba.com
Taobao.com	Samples, consumer research	taobao.com
Made-in-China.com	Industrial goods	made-in-china.com
Global Sources	Electronics, trade shows	globalsources.com
Pinduoduo	Ultra-budget sourcing	pinduoduo.com

Logistics Tools

Tool	Best For	Cost
Freightos	Freight rate comparison	Free
Flexport	Full-service freight forwarding	Quote-based
Easyship	Small parcel shipping	Free plan
ShipBob	US fulfillment (3PL)	Quote-based

Product Research Tools

Tool	Best For	Cost
Jungle Scout	Amazon product research	From $49/mo
Helium 10	Amazon keyword + product research	Free tier available
Google Trends	Product demand trends	Free
SellerSprite	Jungle Scout alternative (lower cost)	Free tier available

Design & Branding

Tool	Best For	Cost
Canva	Product photos, eBook design	Free / Pro
Fiverr	Logo design, graphic design	$20-100
99designs	Professional branding	From $299
Placeit	Product mockups	From $14.99/mo

Appendix F: Chinese-English Glossary

Chinese	Pinyin	English
工厂	gōng chǎng	Factory
贸易公司	mào yì gōng sī	Trading company
供应商	gōng yìng shāng	Supplier
制造商	zhì zào shāng	Manufacturer
批发	pī fā	Wholesale
零售	líng shòu	Retail
样品	yàng pǐn	Sample
订单	dìng dān	Order
定金	dìng jīn	Deposit
尾款	wěi kuǎn	Balance payment
发货	fā huò	Ship / Dispatch
物流	wù liú	Logistics
运费	yùn fèi	Shipping cost
关税	guān shuì	Customs duty
清关	qīng guān	Customs clearance
货代	huò dài	Freight forwarder
仓库	cāng kù	Warehouse
库存	kù cún	Inventory / Stock
质检	zhì jiǎn	Quality inspection
退款	tuì kuǎn	Refund
售后	shòu hòu	After-sales service
好评	hǎo píng	Positive review
差评	chà píng	Negative review
MOQ	qǐ dìng liàng	Minimum Order Quantity
OEM	dìng zhì	Custom manufacturing
现货	xiàn huò	In stock / Ready to ship
预售	yù shòu	Pre-order
包装	bāo zhuāng	Packaging
品牌	pǐn pái	Brand
利润	lì rùn	Profit
成本	chéng běn	Cost
报价	bào jià	Quote / Price offer

End of Appendices