China Import and Export Fair -by Taro Taylor from Sydney, Australia

We have a lot of existing and new clients visiting our office every time the Canton Fair is on. Quite a number of them are taking some time off the hustle and bustle of the fair for a one-on-one consultation that we offer for free at this time. Every year during these meetings, one of the questions that many importers, especially new importers tend to ask, goes something like this:

“I have heard there are lots of trading companies at the Canton Fair, how do I ensure I am dealing with genuine manufacturers only.”

This question stems from the belief that it is better to deal with manufacturers than traders. This is true in many cases, however, under many circumstances, it is better to deal with traders than manufacturers but that’s a whole post in itself so I will leave that for another day.

With the help of this post, however, I would like to share some pointers an importer can use to differentiate between manufacturers and traders at most Chinese sourcing fairs and not just the Canton Fair. But before you book your China ticket, you may want to make sure if Canton Fair is right for you.

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