The purpose of this guide is to show you how to import furniture from China in three steps.
The furniture sector in China is among those that are doing better. The minimum order quantity (MOQ) is almost never high, and many suppliers allow you to customize products even for relatively small orders. I would say that the furniture sector is easily accessible even to small importers (as opposed to, for example, electronics and toys where competition from multinationals is much stronger).
First Step: Find a Chinese Supplier
If ordering furniture judging from a photo is somewhat complicated, having one or more samples sent to you can be too expensive. My suggestion is therefore to invest in a plane ticket and visit some suppliers directly here in China. If you decide to follow my advice, you will have to decide between two possible alternatives:
Option A) Trade Shows
Attending a trade show is probably the most effective way to get to know enough Chinese suppliers (although it’s possible, you can’t expect the first one you meet to do the trick). During the fair you can visit the stands of countless suppliers and get an idea of the quality and characteristics of the products they can offer you by judging the mounting samples inside the stands. The “con” is that you won’t be able to visit the factory.
Here are the most important fairs (as far as furniture is concerned):
Canton Fair (Phase 2)
- Bathroom furniture.
- Living room furniture.
- Home accessories.
- Outdoor furniture.
- Office furniture.
- Furnishings for the hotel.
Hong Kong Houseware Fair
- Artificial flowers.
- DIY.
- Bar accessories.
- Personal care items.
- Bathroom furniture.
- Home accessories.
- Candles and perfumes.
- Cleaning products.
- Accessories for animals.
- Electrical accessories.
- Gardening accessories.
- Paintings and art objects.
Option B: Independent travel
Chinese suppliers normally have no problem with you to visit their factory. However, it is important to prepare the trip a little in advance. In particular, you will have to:
- Put together a list of possible suppliers in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Shandong and Shanghai. Suppliers based on the east coast generally have more experience and offer higher quality products than suppliers you can find in inland provinces such as Anhui, Henan, Jiangxi or Sichuan.
- Confirm the specifications, certification standards, and pricing before arriving in China. This way you can “skim off” suppliers who can’t offer you what you need without having to visit them.
- Ask the supplier to send you a copy of the fire certification tests (e.g. M1 certificate). Importing furniture that does not comply with European standards is illegal.
Second step: customized and certified products
Importing furniture from China is very different from going to Ikea, choosing your favorite bookstore and having it delivered to your home the next day.
Chinese suppliers are used to making products based on the specifications required by the importer. You will then have to decide on the materials, colors, components and measurements of the furniture you intend to import. If you leave the responsibility to the supplier, the results could be disastrous.
In addition, most Chinese manufacturing companies make products mainly for the domestic market. This is why companies capable of producing goods that comply with European or American standards are rare (about 5%). If you do not have the necessary experience to select Chinese suppliers capable of producing goods in accordance with European standards, then I can only advise you to contact a professional. This is a service that we also offer, through our “Find a Supplier” service.
During the years I worked as a business intermediary between China and Europe, I received several requests from importers who wanted to buy “ready-made” furniture in China. This is certainly possible, but using this strategy has several downsides:
- Chinese suppliers normally only stock furniture designed for the domestic market. Such products rarely comply with European certification standards.
- You will not have any option to customize or put your own branding on the product.
- Most Chinese wholesalers do not hold a license to export goods outside of China.
One last recommendation! Some types of furniture are protected by copyright (such as the famous Barcelona armchair). However, many suppliers have no qualms and shamelessly copy these designs and then sell the reproductions to you. Importing such products is just as illegal as bringing a counterfeit iPhone, and the responsibility lies entirely with the importer, i.e., you.
Third Step: Shipping
The furniture usually takes up a lot of space (in relation to the weight) so the only option is to transport it by sea. Also specify what type of packaging you need or suppliers will use the cheapest footpegs possible. These platforms will obviously fall into a thousand pieces under the weight of the furniture and will not only risk ruining the goods but will greatly complicate transport from the port of destination to your warehouse.
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