Why the best time to import from China is right now?

If you’re considering importing from China, we have some fantastic news for you! After years of struggling with the critical epidemiologic situation globally, now is the best time to import from China. In this article, we will present 6 reasons why we think this way.

1. The cheapest transport from China in the last 10 years

One of the main reasons for starting your import from China is the lowest prices for maritime transport in the last 10 years. In 2022, moving a 40’ container from China by ship would cost you over 11.000 USD; in 2021, the recording was 20.000 USD. However, due to China’s withdrawal from the “zero-COVID” policy, their economy is returning to normal. Since March this year, you can pay less than 1.000 USD for the transit of a container from China to Europe. Nonetheless, these prices will most likely not be more beneficial than now. Thus, it would be best if you didn’t postpone the decision.

If you’d like to use a free service of getting a quote for your possible transport and searching for freight forwarders, we encourage you to visit our website, www.ShipHub.com, where you can fill in a short form and send a quote request.

2. The current situation in China

The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging time for the whole world and China, which was closed for a long time. Chinese manufacturers notably suffered since the non-possibility to attend trade fairs and organize factory tours, or showrooms made them lose many significant customers. The circumstances affected factories of all sizes, from the smallest to the big ones. Now, freshly after China’s reopening, is the best time to start negotiations and business with Chinese companies. The amount of entrepreneurs entering China is increasing rapidly, so it’s crucial not to miss your chance.  

3. China’s reopening

As mentioned above, the long-awaited opening of China restored many possibilities. Currently, you can travel to Chinese factories and production basins and participate in the most famous trade fairs in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and other cities. The variety of goods presented at Chinese trade fairs is enormous. Thus, such a visit will surely be fruitful. Verifying suppliers and their products in person is much more thorough and effective, so it’s worth using this opportunity.

4. New forms of cooperation

Recently, we could notice a popularization of new cooperation types, which don’t necessarily need to base on importing a ready-made product with your logo. There’re many other cooperation forms in China, e.g., creating your own product from scratch in a Chinese company. In this way, you have complete control over the manufactured goods. There’s also a possibility of becoming a distributor of a Chinese brand that wants to enter the European market. Such a solution eliminates the necessity to create a product and can be an excellent idea for a business. However, in this case, you should go to China in person to find suppliers and start cooperation.

5. The highest quality of Chinese products

Chinese brands are no longer associated with low-quality goods, as a couple of years ago. The quality of Chinese products has been increasing recently, also during the pandemic, and it’s never been higher than right now. Chinese factories currently manufacture the best quality in the world, and many high-end brands, such as Lenovo, Xiaomi, or Nio, come from China.

6. Better distribution

There’re many more distribution forms than a few years ago. There’s been a significant development in e-commerce. Therefore, a sale is not limited to traditional stores but can be conducted on e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Using online sales grants access to a much wider range of consumers since the distribution doesn’t need to be only within one’s country but can also reach other countries, e.g., in the European Union and the whole world.

Summary

To sum up, the conditions to start a cooperation with a Chinese company are incredibly favorable right now. However, even though now is the best time to import from China, one should not make hasty decisions. The entire importing process requires proper preparation to be successful and, above all, safe.