- Under FOB the factory delivers once the goods are on board; quality, quantity and lead time are not in the rule
- A sourcing agent checks the supplier, confirms samples, follows production, inspects before shipment and checks export documents
- Pre-shipment inspection samples by AQL: quantity, appearance, dimensions and function, packing and marks
- Pay the balance after the inspection report, or the inspection has no teeth
- An agent provides a service; if you want a Hong Kong company to contract and collect, choose an outright purchase
- Avoid "agents" who take your money, pay the factory for you and issue no inspection report
- An FOB price covers loading — who is responsible for quality and lead time?
- What does a China sourcing (follow-up) agent actually do?
- What does a pre-shipment inspection check, and what is AQL?
- What goes wrong most often after ordering at the Canton Fair or in Yiwu?
- An agent, or a Hong Kong company that buys outright?
- Export customs, documents, payment: how far can an agent help?
- How do you tell whether a China sourcing agent is reliable?
1. An FOB price covers loading — who is responsible for quality and lead time?
Under FOB, the factory delivers once the goods are on the vessel the buyer names, and risk passes to the buyer at the same moment; Incoterms deal with delivery and risk, not with whether the goods are right. Quality, quantity and lead time depend on your contract and on someone watching on the ground.
The trouble is that overseas buyers are usually not in China. If you only find the problem when the container is opened at destination, the goods are already yours and have been at sea for weeks — returns, rework and claims often cost more than the goods.
2. What does a China sourcing (follow-up) agent actually do?
In one line: they look at the steps you cannot see. There are six common stages — supplier checks, sample approval, production follow-up, pre-shipment inspection, export document checks and handover to your forwarder — and you can choose only the ones each order needs.
| Stage | What the agent does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier check | Checks the business licence and scope; factory or trading company? | The booth is not always the factory |
| Sample approval | Signs off a sealed golden sample as the acceptance standard | Without one, inspection has no reference |
| Production follow-up | Tracks schedule, materials and mid-production progress | Lead-time problems are easier to fix early |
| Pre-shipment inspection | Samples to the agreed AQL and issues a photo report | The basis for paying the balance |
| Export documents | Checks invoice, packing list, descriptions and quantities match the customs data | Mismatches block export and destination clearance |
| Forwarder handover | Works with your nominated forwarder on ready date and loading | Under FOB, booking is the buyer's job |
You can look up any mainland company on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. Our Xiamen team handles the mainland side — factories, warehouses and export formalities.
3. What does a pre-shipment inspection check, and what is AQL?
A pre-shipment inspection usually takes place when production is essentially complete and packed. Samples are drawn to an AQL plan to check quantity and cartons, visual defects, dimensions and function, and packing and marks, ending with a photo report so you decide whether to release the goods.
- Quantity: total units, cartons and units per carton against the packing list
- Appearance: scratches, stains, colour differences, classed as critical, major or minor
- Dimensions and function: measured and tested against the golden sample and specification
- Packing and marks: carton marks, barcodes and labels as you specified
AQL (acceptance quality limit) comes from ISO 2859-1, with GB/T 2828.1 as China's equivalent: lot size decides how many units are sampled and how many defects are allowed. Agree the inspection level and acceptance numbers with the factory in the contract so the inspection has a standard to apply.
4. What goes wrong most often after ordering at the Canton Fair or in Yiwu?
The five most common: bulk production does not match the fair sample, the booth turns out to be a trading company, lead times keep slipping, quantities and carton specs from several Yiwu stalls do not add up, and the balance is paid before inspection.
| Problem | Our advice |
|---|---|
| Bulk differs from the fair sample | Seal a golden sample when ordering; inspect against it |
| The supplier is really a trading company | Check first — using a trader is fine, not knowing is the problem |
| Lead times slip | Put ready date and milestones in the contract; follow up by milestone |
| Yiwu stalls' quantities do not match | Count and inspect each stall separately, load together when all pass |
| Balance already paid | Tie the balance to the inspection report; pay when it passes |
5. An agent, or a Hong Kong company that buys outright?
If you already know the factory and only need someone on the ground, use an agent service: you contract and pay the factory directly, and we charge a service fee to follow up and inspect. If the factory needs proper domestic payment or you want to contract with a Hong Kong company, choose an outright purchase: the Hong Kong company buys from the factory and sells to you.
| Agent service | Outright purchase by a Hong Kong company | |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | Buyer contracts with the factory directly | Factory → Hong Kong company → overseas buyer |
| Payment | Buyer pays the factory directly | Buyer pays the Hong Kong company, which pays the factory |
| Our role | Checks, follow-up, inspection, document coordination | Contracting party carrying the trading risk |
| Suits | Buyers who know the factory but lack people on site | Cases without export rights or needing proper collection |
How the outright model works compliantly is covered in our previous note: No export licence? How a Hong Kong trade agent can export from China.
6. Export customs, documents, payment: how far can an agent help?
Under FOB, export customs clearance is the factory's job (or the trading company it appoints); the agent aligns the documents — invoice, packing list, descriptions, quantities and codes matching the actual goods — and passes them to you and your forwarder before sailing. Under the agent model you pay the factory directly; we do not collect or pay on your behalf.
- Before sailing you should have: the inspection report, commercial invoice, packing list and the bill of lading details from your forwarder
- Any certificate of origin or other certificate your country needs should be raised with the factory when ordering, not at shipment
- For shipping after the goods are on board, see: Buying FOB from China? Why the buyer should nominate the forwarder (forevergain.com)
7. How do you tell whether a China sourcing agent is reliable?
Ask five questions: is there a real company behind it, how are fees calculated, does it take commission from factories, can it show you a sample inspection report, and will it ask to pay the factory on your behalf. Clear answers — including about what it cannot do — are what make an agent worth talking to.
- Vague about fees and just "very cheap" — ask where the money is made
- Unwilling to say whether it takes factory commission — you need to know whose side it is on
- No sample report with photos, sample size and defect classes — the inspection is probably a formality
- Asks you to send the payment to it to "pay the factory for you" — that is pass-through payment, and the risk is yours
Quick check: how many of these can you answer?
| Question | Can you answer it now? |
|---|---|
| Is your supplier a factory or a trading company? | No → check first |
| Which golden sample is the acceptance standard for bulk? | No → inspection has no reference |
| Does the contract state the AQL level and acceptance numbers? | No → disputes will be unclear |
| Is the balance paid only after the inspection passes? | Yes → inspection has teeth |
| Are the FOB port, ready date and your forwarder fixed? | Yes → follow-up can start |
Not in China? Let us watch the order for you
Forever Gain HK Holding Ltd has long handled China import and export trade agency for clients. As your agent, we check factories, follow production, inspect before shipment, check export documents and hand over to your forwarder; where you need a Hong Kong company to contract and collect, we can buy outright case by case.
To be clear: scope, inspection standard and fees are agreed in writing per order; we do not collect or pay on behalf of others, do not sell documents, and do not take non-compliant business.
Please tell us: product category, factory city, order quantity, ready date, and whether a contract is signed.
This note covers our agent service for overseas buyers sourcing in China — follow-up, inspection and export coordination. Forever Gain HK Holding works across Hong Kong, Xiamen and New Zealand; our two New Zealand lines have their own sites.
Our import & export trade agent service →Sources: ICC Incoterms® 2020 FOB rule (ICC Academy: FCA or FOB); ISO 2859-1 and GB/T 2828.1 sampling procedures for inspection by attributes; China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. Inspection standards follow the sales contract.
Frequently asked questions
Does an FOB price include inspection?
No. FOB only requires the factory to clear export and load the goods on the vessel the buyer names; quality and quantity checks must be agreed separately in the contract or arranged by the buyer.
If I am not in China, how do I make sure the factory follows the sample?
Seal a golden sample when ordering, arrange production follow-up, run an AQL pre-shipment inspection, and tie the balance to the inspection report so you pay only when it passes.
When is a pre-shipment inspection done?
Usually when production is essentially complete and packed, so the sample represents the whole lot and there is still time for rework if problems are found.
What does AQL 2.5 mean?
AQL is the acceptance quality limit from ISO 2859-1, with GB/T 2828.1 as China's equivalent; the lower the number the stricter it is, and the inspection level and acceptance numbers should be agreed with the factory in the contract.
Will a sourcing agent pay the factory for me?
Not when we act as your agent; you pay the factory directly. Where you need a Hong Kong company to contract and collect, we buy outright case by case rather than passing payments through.
Can goods from several Yiwu stalls be inspected together?
Yes, but each stall should be counted and sampled separately, with its own carton count and findings recorded, and the goods loaded together only when all pass.