Finding and verifying suppliers
How to tell manufacturers from middlemen, check Chinese business registers, read Alibaba profiles, spot warning signs, prepare factory visits, evaluate samples, and verify certificates.
China’s Imports Have Outpaced Exports for Six Months: What the August Data Means for Sourcing
China’s customs authorities reported import growth of 21.7% and export growth of 18.6% for August 2026. The figures indicate strong trade momentum, but they do not prove lower purchase prices or shorter lead times at individual factories.
China’s SME Plan Sets New Digital Targets: What Buyers Should Verify with Specialist Suppliers
Ten Chinese ministries approved an SME development plan on September 1, 2026, and China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published it on September 3. The plan does not certify individual factories, but it gives importers a practical framework for checking R&D, quality, digital systems and export readiness.
China PMI 2026: Why the official and private indexes diverge
Two PMI surveys can both be valid. The question is which supplier and export segments your sourcing base resembles.
Large factory or small specialist? What August PMI data says about suppliers
The size split is not a supplier score, but it is a useful frame for capacity, MOQ and payment questions in China sourcing.
China’s PMI at 49.8: What the August data means for lead times
A PMI below 50 does not describe one factory. It helps importers ask better capacity questions without confusing sentiment with a promise.
China’s high-tech manufacturing grows 16.9%: AI, electronics and robotics suppliers
Fast sector growth is not a quality certificate. Check process capability, IP, export paperwork and real capacity at high-tech suppliers.