How to Find Good Suppliers in China? What Are the Best Online Sites like Alibaba?

What Are the Advantages of Importing Products from China?

Sourcing Products to Sell online can be Daunting. So if you are looking for an alternative to Alibaba, then read on.

The Alibaba group is possibly the main B2B (business to business) marketplace in the world today, with a current market capitalization of over $500 billion.

The idea behind Alibaba is to bring online sellers, manufacturers, and suppliers together on one platform, providing a cost-effective way for companies and individuals to source products and services that they can then sell on for a profit.

How to Find Good Suppliers in China

There has been a lot of debate about whether or not Alibaba has become a hotbed for fake products, suppliers, and go-betweens. Mainly because of its size and monopoly on the online marketplace which has created challenges for consumers as they try to avoid being scammed and fraud.

This throws open the question how do you find sites like Alibaba.com? and minimize the risk of being scammed, but you still get the benefits that Alibaba offers namely cheap products.

Unfortunately, no matter whom you decide to use to source your products there is a risk, so always do your research first and make sure they offer some type of guarantee. Most B2B marketplaces will offer you a guarantee, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a refund immediately if something goes wrong, you may have to wait!

What are the Alternatives to Alibaba?

The question is “How to find good suppliers in China” knowing how to source products to sell is a minefield! Especially if you want to keep your risks and costs low and your potential profit high, this is where the Chinese marketplace can offer you the right deals at the right prices.

Here is a list of the Top 10 Best Sites like Alibaba

• A. Made in China

Website: https://www.made-in-china.com/

Made in China is very similar to Alibaba. It has an extensive stock of products that are produced in China, which guarantees you a low price and the ability to bilk buy. So if you are on the look-out for the best possible rates so that you can maximize your profit margins, then Made in China will be worth your while taking a look at.

• B. Global Sources

Website: https://www.globalsources.com/

Global sources is a Hong Kong-based Business to Business media company that is also well worth looking at. They do prefer to work in bulk and offer wholesale prices!

A vast range of products appears to be of high quality, such as bags and luggage, hardware, fashion apparel, mobile electronics, smart living solutions, auto-parts and accessories, and much more.

Similar to Alibaba, you can also register as a buyer or seller on Global Solutions.

• C. DHgate

Website: https://www.dhgate.com/

Similar to Alibaba, again, this site is very competitive, with process varying between sellers.  Some people can find the website a tad hard to fathom, and it has been noted that everyone seems to use the same images in their descriptions, even though the sellers and prices are different, so don’t let this put you off. If you can get to grips with the site and the masses of pages you need to scroll through, you will see a vast selection of products available at very reasonable prices.

• D. TradeKey

Website: http://www.tradekey.com/

Since it began in 2006, Tradekey has become one of the leading online competitors for Alibaba, providing around 9 million customers a year with excellent wholesale services.  They have a massive selection of products at incredibly low prices and boast and fast shipping services.

TradeKey connects customers, businesses, buyers, importers, and exporters from over 240 countries worldwide.

They have a few services on offer, such as their premium services, Silver Key Membership, Gold Key Membership, Gold Key Plus Membership, and VIP Membership that offer different benefits depending on what you need.

TradeKey is a marketplace for Agriculture products, energy products, fashion apparel and accessories, automobiles, health and medicines, minerals and metallurgy, and many more.

• E. EC21 – Global

Website: http://www.ec21.com/

EC21 began in 1997 and is based in China but has a global presence, offering its services to buyers from over 150 countries. This site works on the principle of sourcing products from various countries, so for example, if you want a Korean product, you can scroll to Korean suppliers and find your product on those pages. Other countries you can buy products from are China and the USA.

The only slight snag with EC21 is that you have to buy bulk, hence the wholesale prices on their website. There are over 7 million products on sale, such as electronics, personal care, agriculture, construction and real estate, manufacturing machinery, and much more.

There are three options when you join EC21, you can opt for the free basic package, OK, and Pro, which are both paid services and have better features.

• F. ECVV

Website: https://www.ecvv.com/

Founded in 2006, this site has a more limited selection, but the website is easy to navigate and very well set out.  It advertises itself as China’s first end-to-end purchasing service website with quality assurance and warranty!

With a far less crowded marketplace, it makes it easier to find high-end products without scrolling through pages upon pages of items, making it a lot easier to find new opportunities and product ideas.

• G. DIYTrade

Website: https://www.diytrade.com/

This is an excellent trade site offering mainly products produced in China and gives you the opportunity to source products from all over the world. They offer reasonably priced goods that seem to be of high quality. They also offer speed and excellent shipping terms.

• H. Amazon

Website: https://www.amazon.com/

This really wouldn’t be a list without Amazon. Undoubtedly, Amazon is the largest e-commerce portal in the world. Amazon is slightly different from sites like Alibaba because they offer their own products as well, and you can purchase things singularly.

One issue there could be with Amazon is that their B2B service is restricted to electronics only. Still, their B2C services seem to offer quite a lot of choices in products in many categories such as electronics, fashion apparel and accessories, eBooks, food, home improvement, handmade stuff, and more.

• I. LeelineSourcing

Website: https://leelinesourcing.com/

Make the whole process of importing goods from China easy for you. There are no hidden fees, and there is always someone ready to help if you get stuck or need answers. In-fact their customer services are second to none; they can help you from start to finish no matter how big or small your company is.

They offer factory verification for all their products, so you are pretty much guaranteed there will be no little surprises when your delivery arrives. They also consistently provide quality control, which means you don’t need to worry about that; attention to detail and high standards make Leeline Sourcing stand out in the crowd.

• J. Eezee

Website: https://eezee.sg/

It was founded in 2017 and is based in Singapore, and is looking to expand into Asia. This site offers products at excellent prices and specializes in safety gloves, helmets, and industrial hardware.

Other sites like Alibaba

• A. IndiaMart

https://seller.indiamart.com/Website:

You probably aren’t aware of this, but IndiaMart is the second biggest B2B and B2C marketplace after Alibaba.

What makes IndiaMart different is that it doesn’t charge you for joining, unlike many other B2B sites. There are so many categories to look through on IndiaMart, including industrial machinery, mobile and telecom, automobile parts, fashion accessories, building and construction, and more.

This platform not only boasts a vast array of goods, but it is also a platform for sellers such as Finolex, Force JCB, Motoros, Kohler, Lenovo, Philips, and many more.

• B. Alibaba US – Alibaba’s USA Suppliers

Website: https://www.alibaba.com/us

This is a relatively new site; yes, it is in the US and not China, so the prices may be slightly higher, but you will cut down on the wait you have before you get your goods. Plus, the costs of postage may be less, and you have the added advantage of being able to communicate a lot easier with your supplier, which can prevent miscommunication! Some of the channels still need a bit of work, but it is well worth checking out!

• C. Exporters India – India

Website: https://www.exportersindia.com/

If you have been looking to source products from India, then try this website out. Scroll through and find the product you want; once you have clicked on the product title, it will bring up a contact form that you can use to get in touch with the supplier. It is pretty limited in terms of supplier information and products, but you can still find a few bargains to be had, so it is worth looking.

• D. HKTDC

Website: https://www.hktdc.com/

HKTDC (Hong Kong Trade Development Council) was founded in 1966 and has almost 50 offices worldwide. The goal at HKTDC is to create business opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.

• E. Europages

Website: https://www.europages.co.uk/

Europages is unlike Alibaba, not a B2B marketplace, but rather a business directory.

Europages lists companies in Europe. You can search the directory for suitable suppliers. The website is available in any language.

• F. Thomas Net

Website: https://www.thomasnet.com/

Thomas Net has been serving the needs of B2B buyers for 120 years.

At Thomas Net, you can not only find suppliers for products but also service companies such as marketing agencies.

• G. 1688

Website: 1688.com

1688.com is only available in Chinese and is aimed at the Asian market. However, this should not prevent you from contacting one of the manufacturers on 1688.com.

You can use tools like Google Translate and communicate with them.

Since Asian sellers are much more price-sensitive than European ones, the manufacturers are also more price-flexible.

Thus, 1688 is a great opportunity to get some bargains.

Definitely worth a look!

Conclusion

There are many great B2B and B2C sites like Alibaba available to you. You don’t have to stick with Alibaba because they are the most prominent online B2B company.

Do your research before you choose an online B2B company. That way, you will find that you can still source products at ridiculously low prices, but without the headache of being scammed or becoming the victim of fraud, which can be costly and time consuming whether you are a large or medium-sized business.

Related:

• Household Appliances Inspection in China
• Coffee Machine, Coffee Makers Inspection Service
• Electric Fan Inspection Service

Author: AQI Service as a professional quality control service company in China specialized in providing a complete range of quality inspection and testing certification services in China & Asia for global importers, buyers, retailers, and sellers.