A China sourcing agent you can hold to account
For hardware founders taking a prototype to volume, and for brands whose current supplier keeps missing spec. We make sure factories in China and Vietnam build what you specified. If they don't, you have a Western-registered company to hold responsible.
China can build it. But who is building yours?
Most buyers no longer doubt that factories in China can make their product well. What worries them is not knowing who is actually making it, and having no recourse if something goes wrong. A cheap quote is easy to find. A factory you can trust is harder.
- 01
First-time founder
Is the supplier you found online a real factory or a trading company? You often find out only when the samples come in wrong and the backer date is close.
- 02
Established brand
Swapped materials, wrong dimensions, quotes that change after production starts, and nobody on the ground to check the line.
The job is making the factory read your drawing the way you meant it
You write a tolerance, a material and a finish. The factory owner thinks about machine time, yield and the next order. Most sourcing problems start in that gap, and language is only a small part of it.
DFM review before tooling
A design that looks finished isn't always one a factory can make. We check it for manufacturability before you pay for moulds or dies.
Critical dimensions flagged
We mark the dimensions, materials and finishes the factory must hold, then measure samples against them.
Catch the cheap quote early
A low bid often assumes a different process or material from the one your part needs. We know die casting, forging, stamping, moulding and extrusion well enough to see it.
Leverage from repeat work
A factory listens harder to a partner who brings it ongoing projects than to a one-off buyer.
Planned around the calendar
Chinese New Year and Golden Week can take weeks out of a schedule. We plan backward from your launch date.
Built by specialists in China. Shipped to you.
1M+ products shippedIn Asia since 2006Offices in Stockholm, Ningbo and Seattle
Know who makes it. Know what you can do if it goes wrong.
- 01
Our people at the line
Bilingual delivery managers based in Ningbo visit your factories in person. You know which factory builds your product, and someone checks it there.
- 02
Factories audited before you order
First we confirm it's the actual manufacturer, not a trading company. Then we audit staff size, machines, working conditions, worker safety, social responsibility, process control and management structure.
- 03
An NDA on every project
Signed before your files reach a factory.
- 04
Contracts in Sweden, the US and China
You contract with our legal entity in Sweden, the US or China. If a batch fails, you hold a registered company responsible, not a factory you've never visited.
- 05
One point of contact
From drawing review to delivery. Not a chain of agents, inspectors and forwarders who each own one piece.
A go/no-go decision at every step
The worst outcome is spending months and learning too late it won't work. So the work comes in stages, and you decide after each one whether to go on.
1. Drawing and DFM review: files made production-ready before tooling.
2. Sourcing and quoting: audited factories and one quote covering parts, assembly, packaging and shipping.
3. Samples: measured against your critical dimensions and approved by you.
4. Production: in-process and final inspection at the factory.
5. Delivery: protective packaging, customs documents, worldwide freight, and warehousing and fulfilment if you need them.
148 components. 72 suppliers. 6 countries. On time.
A consumer product company needed a full assembly line built from scratch in Asia. We selected, vetted and managed every supplier, and ran tooling, component production, assembly and logistics. The client dealt with one point of contact.
Prototype to 5,000 units shipped: 200+ components from 18 suppliers, assembly line set up, QC and logistics managed.
Pilates reformer line: frames, machined rails, springs, wheels and upholstery sourced, jig-based assembly with in-process QC, shipped worldwide.
Cooling systems: thermal, electronic and housing parts sourced, with pressure and performance testing and certification support.
Crowdfunded launches shipped on the date backers were promised.
What buyers ask before hiring a sourcing agent in China
A China sourcing agent manages manufacturing in Asia on your behalf. At Sourcing Allies that means reviewing drawings for manufacturability, finding and auditing factories, getting one consolidated quote, approving samples, running in-process and final inspection, and handling packaging, customs and shipping. The real job is making sure the factory builds what you specified, with one partner accountable from drawing to delivery.
Check three things before you hire a sourcing agent in China: whether they have their own people visiting factories, whether they sign an NDA, and which legal entity you contract with. Sourcing Allies has bilingual delivery managers in Ningbo, signs an NDA on every project and contracts through entities in Sweden, the US and China. We have worked this way since 2006.
A trading company buys from factories and resells at a markup, and often won't name the factory. A sourcing agent works for you and manages quality. A China sourcing company like ours also runs assembly: our audit confirms the actual manufacturer, you know which factory builds your product, and you contract with our entity in Sweden, the US or China.
China sourcing agent fees depend on the model: a percentage of order value, a project fee, a retainer or hourly billing. At Sourcing Allies, our fee is built into the unit price rather than charged as an upfront retainer or hourly fee, so we earn when your product ships and keeps selling. For a full breakdown, see our guide to China sourcing agent fees.
Often not. For a single simple or commodity part, a sourcing agent adds cost without much benefit, and we'll tell you so. We add the most value where many suppliers have to be coordinated: multi-component products, assembly, custom castings, stampings or moulded parts, and launches with a fixed delivery date.
Not always. Many supplier problems come from unclear specifications or missing inspection, and fixing those can be faster than moving production. We look at the factory, your drawings and your QC first. If a move does make sense, we plan it so deliveries continue and tooling ownership is settled before any production is transferred.
Yes. Our manufacturing network covers China, Vietnam and India. We recommend a location based on your product, cost target and delivery needs, and split production across regions where that makes sense. Our aim isn't to leave China at any cost. It's to plan for tariff changes wherever you manufacture.
Yes. Sourcing Allies has offices in Bellevue WA, Djursholm in Sweden and Ningbo in China, and delivers to clients in the UK, US and EU. See the pages for your market: Sourcing for UK businesses (/uk), Sourcing for US companies (/us) and Sourcing for EU businesses (/eu).
Tell us what you're making. We'll tell you if we fit.
Bring CAD files, a working prototype or a product already in production. In the first meeting we look at your drawings, volumes and dates, and tell you straight whether a sourcing partner will help. If it won't, we'll say so.
A drawing, a sketch or a paragraph is enough to start.