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- How it works
How a sourcing agent works, step by step, and how we are paid.
Five steps, each with a written deliverable. A commission on the order, told on the first call. Nothing to pay before there is an order.
Working with Haimai Global takes five steps: a brief on WhatsApp, a shortlist of verified suppliers with comparable quotes, samples compared and shipped to you, production follow-up with a pre-shipment inspection, then logistics door to door. You pay the supplier for the goods and Haimai Global a commission on the order value, agreed before you commit. No fixed fees, no retainer.
From brief to delivery.
- Day 0
Brief
A WhatsApp call or a written brief: product, target price, quantity, certifications, destination market. We answer three things: is it realistic, roughly what it will cost landed, and how our commission would work.
- Weeks 1 to 3
Shortlist
We query our verified supplier network across China and, when the product calls for it, the Yiwu market and 1688. Same spec sheet to every candidate. You receive a comparison sheet and our recommendation.
- Weeks 3 to 6
Samples
Samples collected, checked against the spec, photographed side by side and shipped in one parcel. Revisions until you sign off a golden sample. Where a sample is not practical, a factory video call or a pilot unit replaces it.
- Production
Follow-up
You pay the deposit to the supplier. We follow production, run in-line checks on large or custom orders, and a pre-shipment inspection on every order. You approve the release.
- Shipping
Delivery
Consolidation, export documents, freight by sea, rail or air, customs coordination, delivery to your warehouse or Amazon FBA. If you already have a forwarder in China, we hand over to them. Reorders skip steps two and three.
A percentage of the order. That is the whole price list.
We are paid when you order, in proportion to what you order. No fixed fee to start, no monthly retainer, no setup fee. You get the percentage on the first call, in writing.
- Supplier search, verification and shortlistincluded
- Negotiation in Mandarinincluded
- Sample coordination and comparisonincluded
- Production follow-up and pre-shipment inspection coordinationincluded
- Logistics coordination, door to doorincluded
- Factory price, samples' cost, freight, duties, lab testspaid separately
The percentage depends on the product and the order size. You get it before any commitment.
Commission, flat fee or "free" agent: what changes for you
| Question | Commission (Haimai Global) | Flat fee per service | "Free" agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay before an order exists | Nothing | The search fee, order or not | Nothing visible |
| How the agent is paid | A stated percentage of the order | A fixed amount per deliverable | A markup hidden in the unit price |
| Best for | First orders, growing volumes, buyers who want no upfront risk | One-off audits or inspections on a supplier you already have | Nobody who has read this page |
| Where it can go wrong | If the percentage is not stated upfront, or is applied to an inflated factory price | Fees pile up on small orders | You never see the real factory price |
Full comparison with a worked example on a US$ 30 000 order: China sourcing agent fees explained.
About the commission, samples and logistics.
On what amount is the commission calculated?
On the order value you pay the supplier for the goods, before freight, duties and third-party costs. If the order is split into several deliveries, the commission follows each delivery. The percentage is confirmed in writing after the first call, before you commit to anything.
Do you handle the logistics as well?
Yes, the whole chain: consolidation of several suppliers into one shipment, export documents, freight by sea, rail or air, customs coordination and delivery to your warehouse or Amazon FBA. If you already have a freight forwarder or carrier in China, we work with them: handover at the factory gate or the port, documents prepared for them, and we stay the contact on the supplier side.
Can I get samples first?
For most products, yes. We collect samples from the shortlisted suppliers, check them against the spec and ship them to you in one parcel. For products where a sample is not practical, such as solar modules or custom-tooled metal parts, we arrange a factory video call, detailed photos or a small pilot run instead.
Tell us what you want to make. We'll tell you if we can source it, where, and at what cost.
For companies only: importers, brands, distributors, retailers and industrial buyers. Reply within one working day, from a person, with a realistic price range and next steps. No newsletter, no sales sequence.