Straight answers before the call.

No. We are your sourcing agent, not a trading company. You contract with the factory, you pay the factory, you are the importer of record. Our fee is separate and visible. That’s why the FOB price on our quote is the real one — there’s no margin hidden inside it.

You do. Molds, dies, fixtures and gauges are titled to you in the supply agreement, with a documented transfer procedure if you ever move the work — to another factory, another country, or in-house.

There’s no hard minimum, but the fee only makes sense for both of us above roughly $25,000 in annual FOB per part family. Below that we’ll tell you so in the re-quote and point you at a better option.

NNN agreements (non-disclosure, non-use, non-circumvention) executed in the factory’s jurisdiction and language before any drawing is shared; controlled access with revision tracking; sensitive assemblies split across suppliers where it makes sense; and no factory sees your customer’s name.

We model Section 232 up front and say so plainly when the metal content makes offshore sourcing a wash. Since June 8, 2026 it applies from every origin — 50% on articles essentially all steel, aluminum or copper, 25% on derivatives — so for fabricated metal an origin with truck freight to your dock often wins on lead time and lot size even where the duty is equal; sometimes the honest answer is to stay domestic. You’ll get that answer in the re-quote, free.

Yes, and often that’s the first project: audit them, put the inspection plan around them, and qualify a second source alongside. Most existing suppliers get better when they know someone is checking.

It covers sourcing, RFQ management, factory audits, NNN execution, DFM review, sample and first-article coordination, in-process and pre-shipment inspection, loading supervision, document preparation, and account management. Third-party lab testing, certification fees, sample freight and tooling are passed through at cost with the invoice attached. Freight and customs brokerage are billed to you by those vendors.

Ten business days from scope confirmation to a landed-cost comparison across China and other countries, for up to five SKUs with drawings or specs. Complex assemblies with many sub-components can take longer; we tell you on day one if that’s the case.

The company is new. The people aren’t — we’ve been sourcing products globally for decades, and this is that experience with a tariff-first quote and an inspection system attached. The re-quote is free and the first five accounts get Founding Partner terms because we’d rather be judged on the audit report and the first-article inspection than a logo wall — and we’ll still tell you when China wins.

Up to five SKUs: drawings, spec sheets, or a photo and description; annual quantities; where they’re made today; and, optionally, your current FOB or landed cost. We confirm scope within one business day and the ten-day clock starts there.

No. We quote blind if you prefer. Sharing it lets us tell you immediately whether an origin change is worth pursuing, which saves everyone time when the answer is no.

Yes, with no obligation and no fee. The re-quote is free because it is the best way to show what we do; roughly a third of them recommend staying put.

You are. You contract with the factory, pay the factory, and clear the goods through your broker (we can introduce one). We prepare the document set and the compliance file; we don’t take title.

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. That is 37.5 points above MFN on List 1–3 parts, 20 on List 4A, and 12.5 on unlisted goods. Articles essentially all steel, aluminum or copper pay Section 232 instead of the 12.5% — 50%, or 25% on derivatives, since June 8, 2026. We confirm per HTS code in the re-quote.

Since July 24, 2026, most other origins pay MFN plus 12.5% (10% for some) under the same Section 301 action, with none of the China list rates on top — unless the goods are FTA-qualifying, in which case 0%: MFN waived and no Section 301. The rule of origin is checked per part, never assumed; a part that fails it pays MFN + 10%. Section 232 applies to metal content from any origin. Which countries? The ones where your part lands best — the re-quote names the factory and the country, under NNN, once we have qualified it for your part.

Every account gets a quarterly origin review: we re-run the landed cost on your active parts against the current stack and tell you whether anything should move. A second Section 301 investigation (excess capacity, 60 economies) has been open since March 2026. Tariff volatility is why we quote China and other countries in the first place.

ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 statistical sampling with AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor by default; tighter levels on request. Plus a first-article inspection on engineered parts, an in-process check at 20–30% of the run, and loading supervision.

Yes, and we encourage it for programs above $500k a year. We arrange the visit and translate. Until then, the audit report with photos and the inspection reports are your eyes.

We map the requirements per SKU before quoting, name the testing lab, and coordinate the testing and paperwork. Lab and certification fees are passed through at cost with the invoice attached.