Since a few months ago, many customers have contacted us by mail, hoping that we can help them import furniture from China. There are thousands of furniture companies, so they think it is very difficult to find a good supplier. For them, negotiating prices and identifying quality is a headache. Read on and learn how to find the right supplier, avoid problems, negotiate prices, pay for, and ship your goods.

1. Why Import Furniture from China?

Furniture is a major cost of any home or office, and buying and importing furniture from China at wholesale prices can greatly reduce the cost. A person may be reluctant to go to China to buy furniture, but the price of Chinese furniture is much lower than the retail price in their home country, so there is a reason to go to China to buy furniture.

In 2004, China began to become the world’s largest furniture exporter. Most of the furniture of the world’s top designers is made in China. There is no mention of this fact by these furniture designers.

The furniture from China is uniquely designed to avoid nails, screws, and glue. This type of furniture can last for centuries if made of high-quality wood.

This engineering surprisingly connects the different pieces of furniture without any trace of connection. It’s as if the entire furniture is made from a single piece of wood.

There are nearly 50,000 furniture manufacturers in China. Most are small and medium manufacturers. Most companies produce generic or unbranded furniture, although some companies have started producing branded furniture.

Sourcing from China, you will discover a magical world of furniture. There are so many beautiful furniture options to choose from that you won’t find at your local market. But how do import good and cheap goods? That’s the question!

2. Import Furniture from China

Furniture made in China is favored by importers. Importing furniture from China is a difficult process.

1) Procurement

Most Chinese furniture is displayed in furniture malls, as most potential customers choose to go to malls rather than individual furniture stores. In these malls, you will find a wide variety of furniture with different price structures. Considering that most sales reps do not speak English and they do not provide shipping services, in this case, you are better off hiring a purchasing agent to act as a translator and handle all exporting matters. Typically, these agents will charge 5% to 10% of the total purchase value to handle all aspects of the shipment.

2) Alibaba

One of the most important steps in building an online business is finding reliable suppliers who can make your product idea a reality. Most online businesses that are just starting out are often faced with the dilemma: Where and how do I find products and suppliers? The answer is Alibaba.

Alibaba has become one of the top B2B marketplace players, relying on affordable products that are either resellable or have their own private labels. China is the main source of products and suppliers.

3) Shunde Furniture Mall

Shunde is an area in Foshan City, China that specializes in furniture manufacturing and sales. It is called China Furniture City, China Furniture Wholesale Market. In Shunde, you can see more than 1,500 furniture manufacturers and more than 3,000 Chinese and foreign furniture dealers. Their furniture is displayed in shops in the 5km-long market with more than 20 streets.

 China Foshan Furniture Mall

  • Louvre furniture store. In this mall, you can find high-quality and cost-effective high-end furniture. It’s very comfortable and easy to explore. This mall is a major source of the Chinese furniture industry. The stores in this mall are notoriously reliable and not easy to get scammed. The price is definitely not cheap.
  • Xinlian Furniture Wholesale Market. This market has Southern Furniture Center and Northern Furniture Center. The product quality of the North Center is higher than that of the South Center. You can also get a better shopping experience north of downtown.
  • Tianyi International Furniture City. This mall also has some good options (cheaper products than the two markets above) if you have time to check it out. From our past experience, if we shop at the mall, it takes almost a week, but usually, our customers don’t have that much time to shop and buy slowly.

4) Furniture Fair

China International Furniture Fair (CIFF)

This is the oldest and largest furniture exhibition in China, and probably the largest in the world. Each year, it is held in March and September.

Canton Fair (CF): every April and October (phase II)

It is worth noting that most furniture manufacturers in China specialize in one type of furniture in each category. If you need bedroom sets, living room sets, and dining room sets, you may have to deal with different supplier sets.

5) The Most Common Chinese-Made Furniture Include:

  • sofa
  • Bedroom Furniture
  • bed
  • Living Room Furniture
  • restaurant furniture
  • children’s furniture
  • bathroom furniture
  • hotel furniture
  • office furniture
  • Wood furniture
  • metal furniture
  • wicker furniture
  • plastic furniture
  • office furniture
  • hotel furniture

3. The Minimum Order Quantity

Minimum order quantity (MOQ) has always been one of the most important considerations when looking for Chinese furniture suppliers.

For wholesale, some manufacturers have high MOQ but low prices. But some small and medium importers can’t reach it. Chinese furniture suppliers are flexible at times and compromises are always possible, especially if you order a variety of different types of furniture.

For retail, please pay attention to asking the supplier if they have in-stock items that are easily available, but the price is usually 20%~30% or higher than the wholesale price.

4. Bargaining

If you can’t go to a furniture store in China or attend any furniture fair in person, you can choose to cooperate with a purchasing agent in China. This person or company can help you source the furniture you need.

You can start by browsing the website of a future furniture supplier and have a purchasing agent check the quality and design. A purchasing agent can also help you negotiate, get the best price, and will help ship your order along the way. A purchasing agent as your representative in China.

5. How to Pay Chinese Suppliers

The best way to choose to pay your Chinese furniture supplier depends on the amount you will be paying.

Chinese suppliers may be notorious for late deliveries, but they are not considered scammers. This photo doesn’t give importers a reason to be careless, because even in distant examples, there are real liars.

The following are common ways for importers to pay Chinese suppliers:

1) International Wire Transfer

This is the oldest payment method and is most commonly used for small to medium transactions. The buyer pays the deposit before the start of production and pays in full according to their agreed payment terms.

If something goes wrong, the importer runs the risk of losing money. After the down payment and production, the buyer loses the interest on the order for whatever reason, and the supplier also loses.

2) Letter of Credit

This is one of the safest payment methods. This is typically used for transactions over $50,000. However, a letter of credit involves a lot of paperwork for the bank. Banks also charge exorbitant fees to obtain letters of credit.

3) Online Hosting

This payment method is suitable for small transactions typically under $5,000. You can find escrow services online. This is not a very secure method of payment as it does not require much paperwork, which makes future disputes difficult to resolve.

4) Purchasing Agent/Company

It’s not actually a payment method, but if you work with a purchasing agent or company, you can pay through them. Small buyers often take advantage of this payment method as it is more secure than online hosting services.

The purchasing agent/company will pay the Chinese supplier by cash on delivery or in Chinese escrow. This is a good option because the purchasing agent/company can choose to reject the supplier and not pay the supplier if the quality of the delivery is not in agreement.

5) Paypal

PayPal is similar to credit card payments, except you don’t reveal your credit card details. All you need to do is link your credit card to your PayPal account and pay the supplier via your email account. PayPal deducts fees when funds in the account are transferred to a bank account. Suppliers typically charge buyers for this type of fee.

This payment method is feasible for small orders.

6) International Credit Cards

International credit cards are rarely used when the supplier is a factory. International credit cards are often used when importing small electronic accessories.

7) Cash

Although risky, most furniture orders are paid in cash, especially when the buyer has a purchasing agent or company in China. This payment method is usually the cheapest. The cash payment method should only be used for small orders or when the buyer has complete confidence in the supplier.

8) Western Union Telegraph Company

After PayPal, Western Union is the easiest way to pay. For small orders and sample orders, most Chinese suppliers prefer this payment method. This is a high-risk payment option for importers, as it is the individual, not the company, who will receive payment. But WU is fast and charges very low. Paying via Western Union is often associated with online scams.

6. How do I have to book, load, and ship the imported furniture I purchased in China?

1) Choose between grouped or full container loads

The furniture you want to import from China must be shipped by sea.

Ocean freight is packed in 20 x 40-foot containers. A 40-foot container can hold 250 square meters / 2500 square feet of cargo.

If your shipment has at least 5 pallets, the most ideal option is via Full Cargo Shipment (FCL). If your cargo is small in size, the most ideal option is through group or bulk cargo (LCL). This means that your cargo will share container space with other cargo.

If you want your goods not to come into contact with other goods, you can choose the whole box, even for small volume goods. The best thing to do is to put furniture together with other goods like floor tiles, sanitary ware, etc.

2) Delivery management

When importing furniture (or other related goods) from China, you can let your supplier handle the shipping. This is common for most first-time importers as it is the easiest process. It is possible that you will end up paying more than you expected. Other shipping options can help you save time and money.

Handle shipping yourself.

This requires booking directly with the shipping company and managing customs declarations for China and your country.

If you choose to use this shipping option, you will need to monitor the carrier’s shipments yourself and handle them directly. This is a time-consuming process.

Small and medium importers should not choose this option. But larger companies can choose this option well because they have more manpower.

Do you have a freight forwarder in your country to handle your shipment

This is a convenient option as you will be dealing with a local agent in your country. This is the most common method used by small and medium importers.

The downside of this shipping method is that most forwarders in your country may not have offices in China. They will work with an agent in China and add a premium on top of what the local agent charges.

This option can be inefficient and expensive.

Let a freight forwarder in China handle your shipment.

This is the fastest way and you will receive your shipment, so most importers use this shipping option. Freight forwarders stay in close contact with your suppliers and inform them of the status of your shipments. This option also offers the best interest rates.

Find a freight forwarder in your country and China to handle your shipment.

This is probably the best option for small and medium importers. You have a direct connection with the forwarder who sent your shipment and the forwarder who will receive your shipment. You are in control when you choose this option.

7. Traffic Times

If importing from China, you should know the delivery time

When you order furniture from China, you should consider both the time it takes for the supplier to prepare your order and the shipping time. Chinese suppliers are known to often delay deliveries. Combined with shipping time, it means it will take a while for you to receive your order.

The transit time from China to the US is between 14 days and 50 days, plus customs clearance time. This does not include delays due to unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather. Therefore, it is best to estimate that it will take about 3 months for your furniture to be shipped from China.

If you have a high inventory turnover in your store that needs to be replenished immediately, it might be a smart idea to use air freight. This is only possible if you’re shipping a small amount of furniture. Air freight is more expensive, but faster.

Importing furniture from China can be relatively easy or relatively difficult. If you have a good understanding of the process, it will be a pleasant experience. Otherwise, there will be pressure.