A China sourcing agent that will tell you when China isn't the answer.
China still has the deepest supplier bench on earth and the fastest tooling. It also carries the heaviest tariff stack of any origin and the most UFLPA scrutiny. We source there with audited factories, enforceable NNNs and a real inspection plan — and we quote the same part from other countries so the landed cost decides, not habit.
What a China-origin part actually pays at the border.
The July 24, 2026 Section 301 action (12.5%) on top of the existing China list rate: 25% on Lists 1–3, 7.5% on List 4A, nothing if unlisted — so 37.5, 20 or 12.5 points above MFN. It replaced the 10% Section 122 surcharge that ran from February 24, after the Supreme Court struck the IEEPA tariffs on February 20.
Since June 8, 2026: 50% on articles essentially all steel, aluminum or copper, 25% on derivatives substantially made of them, on full customs value; under 15% metal content is exempt. It applies from every origin, FTA partners included, and replaces the 12.5%. This is why metal parts need their own math.
EVs, solar cells and modules, certain semiconductors and batteries sit far above the general stack. If your part is near one of these HTS chapters, we check first.
Regions and categories where we keep sourcing in China on purpose.
Guangdong — electronics & assemblies
Shenzhen and Dongguan for PCBAs, cable assemblies, power electronics and anything with a radio. The component supply chain is a bus ride away; nowhere else matches the iteration speed.
Zhejiang — molds, hardware, small metal
Ningbo and Taizhou for injection molds, die casting, fasteners and hardware. Tooling shops that cut a hardened multi-cavity mold in five weeks.
Jiangsu — precision machining & industrial
Suzhou and Kunshan for CNC, automation components, and industrial assemblies with Japanese and German quality lineage.
Complex multi-op parts
Machined + plated + assembled + tested in one region. The sub-supply depth often beats a lower duty elsewhere.
Fast tooling iterations
Programs still in design change. T1 to T3 in weeks, not months, is worth paying duty for until the design is stable — then we re-quote.
Categories other origins lack
Specialty coatings, precision optics, certain textiles and technical fabrics. We check the bench before promising an alternative.
What's different about sourcing there with us.
On-site audit before any PO
Capability, capacity, quality records, working conditions, and a sub-supplier list — in person, with photos. Trading companies posing as factories are the most common thing an audit catches.
NNN, not NDA
Non-disclosure, non-use, non-circumvention agreements drafted for Chinese courts, in Chinese, with the factory's official chop. An English NDA governed by Delaware law protects nothing in Dongguan.
UFLPA traceability as a standard deliverable
Raw-material mapping and documentary evidence per SKU, refreshed as sub-suppliers change. Highest scrutiny of any origin means it is not optional here.
Same inspection system as everywhere else
Golden sample, in-process check, AQL pre-shipment, loading supervision, written remediation policy. The factory is the vendor; the inspection is the product.
Questions we get on this
What does a China sourcing agent do that Alibaba doesn’t?
Alibaba shows you listings. A sourcing agent verifies the factory is real and capable (on-site audit), executes an enforceable NNN before your drawing is shared, manages sampling and first article, inspects the production run before it ships, and stands behind the remediation policy when something is wrong. We also quote the same part from other countries, which Alibaba will never do.
How much does a China sourcing agent cost?
Models vary: some charge 3–10% commission, some a retainer, some hide the margin inside the FOB price. We charge 10% of FOB, invoiced per PO, with no retainer, no setup fee, and no title to the goods — so the factory price on the quote is the real one. The 10-day re-quote is free.
What is the tariff on goods from China right now?
As of September 26, 2026: MFN, plus the existing China list rate (25% on Lists 1–3, 7.5% on List 4A, nothing if unlisted), plus the 12.5% from the July 24, 2026 Section 301 action — 37.5 points above MFN on List 1–3 parts, 20 on List 4A, 12.5 on unlisted goods. Articles essentially all steel, aluminum or copper pay Section 232 (50%; 25% on derivatives) instead of the 12.5%. Specific products (EVs, solar, semiconductors) sit far higher. We confirm the exact stack per HTS code in every quote.
When is China still the right origin?
Often. Complex assemblies whose sub-supply chain lives in Guangdong, electronics, anything needing fast tooling iterations, and categories where other origins lack depth. Roughly a third of our re-quotes recommend staying in China, sometimes at a different factory with a real inspection plan. We say so when that is the answer.
How do you handle UFLPA?
Supplier and sub-supplier mapping down to raw materials of concern (cotton, polysilicon, aluminum, PVC), documentary evidence retained per SKU, and a traceability file that ships with the goods. CBP detentions are survivable with a file; they are a crisis without one.
Send us your top five SKUs. Get every viable origin back.
No commitment. In ten business days you’ll have a landed-cost comparison you can put in front of your CFO, with named factories behind every number.