Sourcing & import, China 中国

Source from China with certainty

Do you import from China, or are you considering it? I find reliable factories, check them on site and negotiate in Mandarin. You decide the product, I handle the rest in China, so you source without costly mistakes or a language barrier.

Book a free intro call See how it works

Next trip: Canton Fair, Guangzhou (October)

Bram van der Wielen at a technology fair in China Bram van der Wielen inspecting electronics at a fair in Shenzhen
Canton Fair 广交会 · Guangzhou
HSK 5Mandarin
2022Active in China since
4 languagesNL · EN · ES · 中文
EveryCanton Fair attended

Importing without surprises

Four things you gain when someone stands on the factory floor on your behalf.

Quality checked on site

No photos and promises, but physical inspections on the factory floor before you pay or ship.

Faster inspections

I compare suppliers side by side on price, quality and reliability. You choose on facts, not gut feeling.

Negotiating in Mandarin

At the table in the manufacturer's own language. That earns better prices, better terms and more respect.

Practical import guidance

From sample to sea container: level-headed advice on logistics, customs and payments. No detours.

You choose how we approach it

Join me in China or hand it all over: both routes lead to the same certainty.

Bram van der Wielen talking with suppliers at the Canton Fair
Option A

I travel for you

You stay home, I represent you in China. Ideal if you want to save time without giving up certainty.

  • Factory visits and inspections on your behalf
  • Negotiation in Mandarin
  • Photos, videos and a clear advisory report
Business dinner with a Chinese manufacturer
Option B

We travel together

You come along and see everything with your own eyes. I prepare the trip, translate at the table and guide you through business China.

  • Fully prepared travel programme
  • Live translation at factories and trade fairs
  • Cultural guidance, from first handshake to dinner

Where the work happens

Trade fairs, factories and negotiation tables. A selection from recent trips.

The Canton Tower and the Guangzhou skyline
Guangzhou, second home base
Talking with suppliers at a trade fair in China
Supplier meeting, Canton Fair
Evaluating electronics at a technology fair in Shenzhen
Evaluating electronics, Shenzhen
Advisory meeting with clients at the office
Client meeting, Amsterdam
Shanghai skyline at dusk
Shanghai, third home base

Everything around the deal, sorted too

China works differently. Travel along and you hit practical walls. I clear them out of the way, so you can focus on the deal.

Internet & VPN

Almost every European app is blocked in China: WhatsApp, Google, Gmail, Instagram. I set up a working VPN and keep you online.

Phone & reachable

A local connection and data that actually work. You stay reachable at home and we keep in touch during the trip.

Transport & Didi

Taxis can't understand you and sometimes refuse foreigners. I arrange Didi (the Chinese Uber), the metro and the route from fair to factory.

WeChat & payments

Without WeChat, Alipay or Didi you're stuck in China. I help you set them up, so paying, chatting and planning just work.

Language & culture

From the menu to the negotiation table: I translate and guide you through the etiquette, so nothing catches you off guard.

Finding factories

I know my way around 1688, Made-in-China and Alibaba (the latter stopped being the cheapest long ago) and which supplier actually manufactures itself.

Bram van der Wielen, founder of VanderWielen Imports, at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou
HSK 5Mandarin

Not a middleman. Your man in China.

I'm Bram van der Wielen, a sinologist trained at Leiden University. During my degree in Chinese Studies I immersed myself in the Chinese language, culture and economy, and brought my Mandarin to HSK 5 level. Since 2022 I have been doing business in China, mainly in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and I attend every edition of the Canton Fair.

China fascinates me: the technology, the rich history, the culture, and of course its position as the manufacturing centre of the world. I turn that fascination into results for my clients. Besides Dutch and Mandarin I speak fluent English and Spanish, so international projects are no problem at all.

"My philosophy is simple: it doesn't have to be complicated. Practical, efficient and honest about what I see."
学 Sinologist · Leiden University NL Dutch 中文 Mandarin, HSK 5 EN English, fluent ES Spanish, fluent
广州 · 上海 · 深圳

Three cities, one network: Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Five steps to your supplier

Introduction

Free call about your product, volumes and goals.

Define targets

Clear requirements for price, quality, certification and lead time.

Select suppliers

Shortlist of factories, compared side by side on facts.

Visit & negotiate

On-site inspections and negotiation in Mandarin.

Advisory report

Concrete advice you can order with right away, no strings attached.

Recent projects

Hair extensions supplier in China
Netherlands · Beauty

Hair extensions

Visited four factories in Guangzhou for a Dutch salon chain, compared quality per gram and had samples tested.

Result: better quality, 28% lower purchase price
See the process
Heavy equipment and concrete vehicles
Peru · Construction equipment

Concrete vehicles

Spanish-language project for a Peruvian construction company. Bought directly from the factory instead of through local intermediaries.

Result: 50% saved versus intermediaries
See the process
Fitness equipment at the Canton Fair
Netherlands · Fitness

Fitness equipment

Independently compared offers at the Canton Fair for a gym chain: strength stations, cardio and flooring, with sharp specs per supplier.

Result: one partner for three product lines
See the process

Honest work, honest words

★★★★★
"At the Canton Fair Bram spoke to three hair suppliers, then we travelled on to the factories in Guangzhou together. Because we could truly compare them side by side, we knew exactly what we were choosing. The quality is better than our old importer's."
SB
Samira B.Salon chain, hair extensions, Rotterdam
See the process
★★★★★
"Bram negoció directamente con la fábrica en mandarín. Ahorramos más del 50% frente a los intermediarios locales y los mixers llegaron exactamente según especificación. Profesional y muy directo."
RQ
Ricardo Q.Construction company, concrete vehicles, Lima
See the process
★★★★★
"At the fair we passed twelve booths for LED fixtures in a single day. Bram instantly filtered the traders from the real manufacturers and negotiated the MOQ down from 1,000 to 300 units. That pays for itself."
JV
Jeroen V.Lighting wholesaler, Eindhoven
See the process
★★★★★
"Went to Shenzhen together for our first series of smart doorbells. Without Bram we would have picked the wrong supplier: the factory that looked best online turned out to be a trading office. He saw that in five minutes."
MK
Mark K.Smart home startup, Utrecht
See the process
★★★★★
"At the Canton Fair Bram found three factories for our stainless steel tins with an aroma valve. He arranged samples with print proofs of our artwork, all neatly documented. Zero hassle with customs."
LD
Lotte D.Coffee roastery, Amsterdam
See the process
★★★★★
"We met Bram at the Canton Fair and travelled on to the factory with him. He renegotiated our tooling costs for injection-molded housings and caught a material substitution before production started. That alone saved our launch."
DM
Daniel M.Consumer electronics, Dublin
See the process

Insurance against expensive import mistakes

One wrong container easily costs a multiple. Two clear packages, no surprises.

Essential

from €2,999 excl. travel costs

For one sharply defined product, handled thoroughly.

  • A few days on the factory floor in China
  • Three to four factory visits with inspection
  • Negotiation in Mandarin
  • Everything arranged: appointments, transport and planning
  • Concise advisory report you can order with right away
Most chosen

Complete

€6,999 excl. travel costs

For those who want to compare wider and hand over the whole import.

  • More days on site, up to 8 factory visits
  • Multiple locations, for example the wholesale city of Yiwu
  • Extensive report per factory, with photos and video
  • Guidance of the full import, right to your door
  • Advice on taxes and import duties

First meetings and orientation: free when you book a package. No commissions from factories, I work exclusively for you.

Book a free intro call

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to China myself?+
No, you don't. With Option A I travel alone and represent you fully, including photos, videos and an advisory report. If you want to come along, Option B covers the whole programme and I translate on site.
Which products can you help me with?+
From hair extensions to concrete vehicles, and from electronics to fitness equipment. The approach is always the same: sharpen the requirements, compare factories, verify on site and negotiate hard.
How do I know a supplier is really a factory?+
That is exactly why an on-site visit is worth so much. Many "factories" online are trading offices with a margin on top. On the factory floor I can tell within minutes whether a company actually manufactures, and in Mandarin I get answers you won't get in English.
Do you work on commission for factories?+
No, never. I receive no commissions from suppliers and have no stake in which factory you choose. You pay me, so I advise exclusively in your interest.
Can you also help after the first order?+
Absolutely. Many clients bring me back for repeat inspections, new product lines or renegotiating prices. Since I attend every Canton Fair, I can simply keep visiting your supplier there.
In which languages can we work together?+
Dutch, English and Spanish, and with the factories I switch to Mandarin (HSK 5). International clients, like those from Peru and Ireland, are very welcome.

Ready to import with certainty?

Book a free introduction call. Within half an hour you'll know whether your product is suitable for direct sourcing in China and what a project would bring you.

WhatsApp+31 6 39 56 31 81
Emailbram@vanderwielenimports.nl
LocationAmsterdam · every quarter in Guangzhou, Shanghai & Shenzhen
Bram van der Wielen among the booths at a Chinese trade fair
Beauty · Rotterdam

Hair extensions

A Rotterdam salon chain wanted to get rid of inconsistent quality and an importer who never answered. The brief: remy extensions in three colour lines, every delivery identical.

  1. Canton FairSpoke to three hair suppliers at the fair and built a longlist of 14 factories. Called six of them in Mandarin about capacity, hair origin and price build-up.
  2. Factory visitsVisited four factories in Guangzhou in two days. Compared quality per gram: pull test, cuticle direction and the actual weight per bundle.
  3. Salon testSamples from the best three factories were tested in the salon for three weeks, by the stylists themselves.
  4. Contract & inspectionFixed gram weights written into the contract, plus an AQL inspection before every shipment.
Result28% lower purchase price, returns from 7% to under 1%
Lead time6 weeks from intake to first order
Construction · Lima, Peru

Concrete mixers

A Peruvian construction company was paying top price through local intermediaries. The brief: eight 6 m³ concrete mixers plus a spare parts package, the whole project in Spanish.

  1. SpecificationsCaptured the requirements in Spanish and translated them into Chinese: drum volume, chassis, engine and certification.
  2. ComparisonCompared nine manufacturers in Hunan and Shandong on price, build quality and export experience.
  3. Factory visitsVisited three factories: assessed the welding, checked the chassis partner and did a test drive.
  4. NegotiationNegotiated in Mandarin on price, CIF Callao, a two-year warranty and the parts package.
  5. ShippingFinal inspection and cargo securing before departure; documents ready for Peruvian customs.
Result50% saved; all 8 mixers delivered to specification
Lead time11 weeks to delivery in Callao
Lighting · Eindhoven

LED fixtures

A lighting wholesaler wanted its own line of track lights and panels with CE and RoHS, without being stuck with traders adding margin on top.

  1. Fair dayOne day at Canton Fair phase 1: twelve booths, asking on the spot about the driver supplier, an in-house SMT line and the factory location.
  2. FilteringSeven parties dropped out as trading offices. Five real manufacturers remained.
  3. Factory visitsVisited two factories in Zhongshan: ran light measurements and verified the driver brand on the production line.
  4. Files & MOQVerified the CE and RoHS files and negotiated the MOQ down from 1,000 to 300 units per model.
ResultEntry volume 70% lower, own line in NL within 10 weeks
Lead time10 weeks from fair to first delivery
Smart home · Utrecht

Smart video doorbells

A startup was facing its first production run and didn't want to choose blindly. We travelled to Shenzhen together for four days (Option B).

  1. ProgrammeScheduled six suppliers and prepared every meeting; the founders sat in on each conversation.
  2. UnmaskingThe party with the best-looking website turned out to be a trading office within five minutes: no in-house SMT line and evasive answers about the firmware.
  3. ODM auditSwitched to a real ODM and audited the factory: SMT line, reflow oven and test jigs.
  4. AgreementsLocked in an NDA, firmware escrow and a 2% DOA arrangement for the first run.
ResultRun of 2,000 units with 0.4% defects, launch made
Lead time4 days in Shenzhen, production within the quarter
Food · Amsterdam

Coffee tins with aroma valve

A coffee roastery was looking for stainless steel tins with a one-way valve and its own artwork, suitable for food contact.

  1. Canton FairFound three suitable factories at the fair and locked down the specs: 304 stainless steel, food-grade coating and a one-way aroma valve.
  2. Print proofsThree factories delivered samples with print proofs, matched to the brand's Pantone colours.
  3. ChecksChecked the valve supplier separately and had a food-contact migration test run through SGS.
  4. NegotiationShared the tooling costs and agreed a combined shipment with a follow-up order.
ResultFirst order of 12,000 tins, zero customs issues
Lead timeSamples in 3 weeks, first order right after
Electronics · Dublin

Injection-moulded housings

An Irish electronics company found the tooling quote too high and had doubts about the material. Client contact in English, factory talks in Mandarin.

  1. BenchmarkSplit the tooling costs into steel and machining, and collected a second quote as a benchmark.
  2. RenegotiationRenegotiated with the existing supplier in Mandarin using that benchmark: tooling 35% cheaper.
  3. Pre-production inspectionSpotted a silent material switch during inspection: a gloss difference and a burn test revealed a cheaper blend instead of ABS.
  4. AssuranceCorrected before mass production and enforced a material certificate per batch.
ResultLaunch on time, tooling 35% lower, batch certificates standard
Lead time5 weeks from benchmark to corrected production
Fitness · Netherlands

Fitness equipment

A gym chain was looking for strength stations, cardio and flooring for several locations, without managing a different supplier for every line.

  1. Fair daysTwo days at Canton Fair phase 1: compared nine suppliers on frame thickness, welds, bearings and motor power.
  2. Factory visitsVisited two factories in Shandong and reviewed the production of frames and cardio lines.
  3. TestsRan load tests and checked the equipment against the EN 20957 standard.
  4. NegotiationOne partner for three product lines, with staggered delivery per location.
ResultOne point of contact for three product lines
Lead time8 weeks from fair to the first location