7 Tips to Buy Kitchen Cabinets from China (Part 1)

7 Tips to buy kitchen cabinets from China (Part 1)

Due to the use of advanced production processes, Chinese kitchen cabinets are usually cheaper compared to cabinets made in other countries.

Nowadays more and more international buyers are buying from China, and also the direct end user. While buying from China is not easy like buying from Amazon or local supplier, but not as difficult as some customer imaged. You just need to solve the communication and also the shipping issue, especially for kitchen cabinet and any customized furniture.

1. Where to buy kitchen cabinet in China?

The Yangtze River Delta(YRD)has the highest production output and strongest integrated support capability. With its edge in product quality and operations management, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai. The furniture industry in the YRD region is developing fast, with the highest average growth rate in the country.

And after you find the supplier, you need send the specific requirement, like the quantity, the floor plan or the shop drawing if you have. And the supplier will make the quotation based on drawing. And you can compare with several suppliers about the price, quality, service and etc., and then decide one supplier as the final choice. Go to the next step to make detailed shop drawings for your approval.

The most important issue to decide the supplier is their trusted service than price. Because you can always find cheaper price, while it is not easy to find a reliable supplier that support you finish the whole complicated order.

2. Get one professional shipping agent to help you

If this is your first time to buy from China and are not familiar with the shipping procedure, do not worry, there are a lot of custom clearance agent in your local country, or import and export company. You just need to contact them and know their procedure and also the commission. And also you can ask your supplier to quote DDU cost to you directly, means the price from the supplier’s factory to your job site directly. And the third way is to find the shipping forwarder company in China, using that one with NVOCC certificate and get quotation for the DDU cost also. So you can compare and use the most comfortable way to you. The shipping issue now is very easy to solve today.

3. Issue payment and wait for goods ready

Depends on the different cabinets you ordered, the time can be ranged from 25 to 45days. And that is usually counting from the date the supplier got the deposit (30% to 50%) and also you have confirmed the drawing with them. So remember to leave enough time for production.

And for the payment, there is TT, LC and OA. While for normal order, usually the supplier will ask at least 30% deposit for the whole order by TT, or 100% LC at sight. The balance usually you can pay before shipment, or paid against the bill of lading after the supplier shipped. But if by this case, the supplier will ask to use their forwarder agent. So if the quote is okay, this is also acceptable.

If you are not available to pay directly to the supplier, still you can find the import and export company in your local, and they will help you to pay with a little commission.

4. Care about the shipment and buy the insurance

When the goods is ready in China, you can ask the supplier to send you details and buy the insurance for the goods. Cause the long shipment has many risks, while buy the assurance can lower your risk like breakage, the unexpected things.

Leave around 7 days for the goods when the supplier loaded the goods in China, and also adding the sailing time,normally 20 days for north America, 35 days for south America, 15 days for Australia, 15 days for middle east, and 35 days for Africa. There will be different shipping lines with different sailing time and cost, choose the one that suitable for you, and better no transshipment in third port. And then leaves 7 days for the agent for customs clearance and send goods to your job site. That is the whole time you need consider for the whole shipment.