China sourcing agent for UK companies: your spec, built the way you wrote it
For UK manufacturers and product brands under price pressure from their own customers. Chinese factories can make your part. Projects break in the gap between how you write a spec and how a factory owner decides what comes first. We work in that gap, on the factory floor, so the batch that lands matches your drawing. Since 2006 · Over 1 million products shipped from Asia · Offices in Ningbo, Djursholm and Bellevue
Price brought you to China. Misunderstanding is what costs you.
China's real advantage is a complete, efficient supply chain, not the lowest price. It only works for you if the factory knows what matters to you. The part was right. The priorities were wrong.
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Critical means different things
You mark a tolerance as critical. The factory treats it as one note among many and runs for output.
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Quiet substitutions
A material, coating or fastener is swapped for one the factory thinks is equivalent. You find out when the batch lands.
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Prices that move later
The price is agreed before anyone works out what your finish or packaging needs. Then production starts and it changes.
Jeff Crawshaw: one contact at both ends of the supply chain
Your factory may read your drawing differently from you. Jeff Crawshaw, our Director of Operations, works in the UK and Ningbo and closes that gap.
148 components, 72 suppliers, 6 countries: a full assembly line built from scratch and delivered on time, with one point of contact.
Nothing lost in translation, because someone owns the translation.
Drawing review before tooling
Critical dimensions, materials and finishes agreed with you and the factory before any steel is cut.
Checks on the factory floor
Bilingual delivery managers based in Ningbo visit the factory in person and compare what's being built with what was agreed.
Contracts you can enforce
You contract through our legal entities in Sweden, the US or China, so there is a party to hold to account.
One contact, not twelve
We handle the factories, inspectors and freight forwarders.
Built by specialists in China. Shipped to you.
1M+ products shippedIn Asia since 2006Offices in Stockholm, Ningbo and Seattle
Quality checks built for UK firms selling into Europe and the US
Selling into Europe and the US means strict product safety and compliance rules. So we check at every stage of production, not once the goods are in a container.
Cooling systems project: thermal, electronic and housing components sourced, with pressure and performance testing and certification support.
Caught in Ningbo, not at goods-in.
Pre-production sampling: samples approved against your critical dimensions before mass production
In-process inspection: problems caught on the line, while they can still be fixed
Final inspection before goods ship, with a report you can file
Supplier certificates checked: first that you're dealing with the real manufacturer, not a trading company, then that certificates are current and verifiable
Protective packaging planned so a well-made product doesn't arrive damaged
Staged audits, with a go/no-go decision at every step
Your biggest risk is spending months before finding out a project won't work. Every step ends with a clear decision, and you can stop at any of them. Sometimes we'll tell you not to switch. If your supplier can make the part but communication has broken down, fixing that may beat moving. For one simple commodity part at the lowest price, a marketplace costs less than we do. New to sourcing agents? Read our China sourcing agent overview or see how our fees work.
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1. Factory audit
Staff numbers, machines, working conditions, worker safety, social responsibility, process control and management structure.
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2. Consolidated price
One price for parts, assembly, packaging and shipping, with materials and finishes stated so you can compare bids.
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3. Samples
You approve samples against your critical dimensions. If they aren't right, you haven't committed to production.
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4. Production
Planned back from your launch date, with Chinese New Year and Golden Week built in.
Know who makes your product before you sign
Most questions UK buyers ask us come back to two things: who is really making the product, and who answers for it if something goes wrong.
What does a China sourcing agent do?
A China sourcing agent manages manufacturing in Asia on your behalf. That covers finding and vetting factories, negotiating prices, reviewing drawings and specifications, running factory audits and quality inspections, and handling shipping and customs paperwork. The point is to have one partner accountable for the result, so you aren't coordinating factories, freight forwarders and inspectors yourself.
How much does a China sourcing agent charge?
China sourcing agent fees usually follow one of three models: a percentage of order value, a flat project fee or a retainer. At Sourcing Allies, fees are scoped to each project, and we sign an NDA before you share drawings. For how the models compare, see how our fees work.
What's the difference between a sourcing agent and a trading company?
A trading company buys from factories and resells to you. It owns the stock and adds a mark-up, and you often don't know who made the product. A sourcing agent works for you: it connects you with manufacturers, negotiates in your interest and manages quality control. Sourcing Allies works as your sourcing and manufacturing partner, and you always know which factory is building your product.
How is Sourcing Allies different from finding a supplier on Alibaba?
Alibaba gives you a list of suppliers. It doesn't tell you which ones are real factories, which deliver consistent quality or which meet lead times. Sourcing Allies has worked in China and Vietnam since 2006, with bilingual delivery managers in Ningbo who audit factories in person. We also contract through legal entities in Sweden, the US and China, which gives you legal recourse that a direct Alibaba deal doesn't.
Is there a China sourcing agent for UK companies with someone in the UK?
Yes. Jeff Crawshaw, Sourcing Allies' Director of Operations, splits his time between the UK and our manufacturing hub in Ningbo, China, so UK clients have one contact who understands both ends of the supply chain. Our European office is in Djursholm, Sweden, and contracts go through our entities in Sweden, the US and China.
Is moving production to China from the UK worth it?
Moving production from the UK to China can be worth it, but not for price alone, and China is not always cheaper. The case is strongest for products with many components, where China's supply chain is most efficient. Plan for samples and approvals before volume, and for Chinese New Year and Golden Week, which can take weeks out of a timeline. We will tell you if it doesn't add up.
Do you work with UK startups and first-time manufacturers?
Yes. Much of our work helps founders and product companies manufacture in Asia for the first time. If you have CAD drawings, a prototype or an existing product to move, we can take it from there. We know crowdfunding and investor deadlines: one project went from prototype to 5,000 units shipped, with over 200 components from 18 suppliers.
Do you source from Vietnam and India as well as China?
Yes. Sourcing Allies' manufacturing network covers China, Vietnam and India. Depending on your product, cost targets and delivery needs, we recommend the best production location, or split production across countries where that makes sense, for example to manage tariff risk.
Find out where your spec is getting lost
Bring your drawings and the last batch that came back wrong. Jeff Crawshaw will go through where your spec and the factory's priorities split, and what to fix first. Sometimes that means staying with your supplier.
NDA signed on every project · Founded in Sweden in 2006 · Contracts through entities in Sweden, the US and China
A drawing, a sketch or a paragraph is enough to start.