What we do, exactly
Every engagement runs through the same six stages. What changes is the craft, the workshop and the quantity. Below is what is included, what is not, and what it costs.
Sourcing & shortlisting
We work from your brief, not from a catalogue. Typically we contact five to ten workshops and present two to four that can genuinely meet the specification, with photographs, quotations and lead times.
Sample verification
We order samples on your behalf, photograph and measure them, and give you a written note on quality, finish and any deviation from the brief. We tell you when a sample is not good enough.
Workshop communication
Quotations, artwork files, tolerance questions and production scheduling, handled in Chinese and reported to you in English. One point of contact instead of five chat threads.
Pre-shipment inspection
Against a checklist agreed before production: quantity, dimensions, colour match to the approved sample, stitching or joint quality, packing method and labelling. Written report with photographs, sent before the goods leave the workshop.
Consolidation
Multiple workshops, one shipment. We receive, check and re-pack goods at a Nanjing consolidation point, then hand over to your forwarder or one we recommend.
Export coordination
Commercial invoice, packing list, and coordination with the freight forwarder. We do not act as importer of record, and import duties in your country are your responsibility.
Pricing
One fee, agreed in writing before sourcing begins, invoiced separately from the goods. You pay the workshop directly for the goods, so there is no margin to hide inside the price.
| Order value (goods only) | Service fee |
|---|---|
| Under US$5,000 | US$300 minimum |
| US$5,000 – US$10,000 | 8% of goods value |
| Above US$10,000 | 6% of goods value |
Included in the fee
Sourcing and shortlisting, sample coordination, workshop communication in Chinese and English, pre-shipment inspection with a photographic report, consolidation, and export document preparation.
Passed through at cost, with original receipts
Sample cost and courier, domestic freight between workshops, consolidation and storage, international freight and insurance, and duties or taxes in your destination country.
Quoted separately
Orders containing more than three distinct SKUs (US$80 per additional SKU), custom artwork or packaging development, third-party laboratory testing, and on-site factory audits.
Why 10% and not less. Sourcing agents in China commonly quote 5–10%, and the large volume agencies advertise the low end. That pricing works for container-loads of commodity goods. It does not work for cultural craft, where the work is in identifying the right workshop and proving the piece is what it claims to be. We would rather quote a fee we can honour than win the order and recover the difference somewhere you cannot see.
How the commercial relationship works
This section is not boilerplate. It is the structure that protects both sides.
We act as your purchasing agent
CnCraftAgent is your agent in China. We are not the seller of the goods and we do not take title to them.
The sale is between you and the workshop
The contract for goods is between you and the workshop. Payment for goods is made by you directly to the workshop. Where you ask us to handle the transfer, we do so as a disclosed collection agent only, and the funds are not our property.
Our fee is invoiced separately
A 30% deposit is payable before sourcing begins; the balance is payable before shipment.
Our liability is capped at the service fee
We warrant that we sourced and inspected the goods as agreed. We do not warrant the goods themselves, and our liability for any order is limited to the service fee received for that order.
Inspection follows a written checklist
Inspection is carried out against a checklist agreed before production. Items outside that checklist are not covered. This is why we insist on agreeing it in writing first.
Title and risk pass at handover
Title and risk in the goods pass to you when they are handed to the carrier or your forwarder in China, unless your agreement states otherwise.
Categories we do not accept
Food, tea, alcohol, dietary supplements, cosmetics, essential oils, liquids and pastes, plant-based incense and herbal sachets, medicines, and any material from protected species. These require food-safety, phytosanitary or CITES certification that we do not hold. We decline rather than risk your shipment at the border.
Ceramics and glass are accepted only where the intended use does not involve food or drink contact, or where the required FDA or LFGB documentation is provided by the workshop and verified before production.
Ready to start with one order?
Most of our client relationships began with a sample or a single test carton. Send us the brief and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right partner for it.
Send a sourcing request