In an increasing globalized market, the dimension of importation is getting more complex. Although there are many ways of buying available for any importers, there are still certain inherent benefits of using a trader. I came across an article which summarize the trader benefits as follows, which I found quite interesting and worth sharing with any importer looking to buy from China:
"The manufacturer gets paid by the traders, so he has to listen to them. It translates in better compliance, as well as time savings. For example, they can do the QC inspection, and then wire money immediately after all is confirmed."
"They have experience buying a certain type of product, especially in the region where they are based. They also understand the destination markets’ requirements, and can make small adjustments/approvals on the fly."
"The importer can call someone and have a quick, effective, and sensible conversation.
In the eyes of the importer, the trader is the supplier. He is more likely than local suppliers to take responsibility in case of problems."
"Similarly, the trader is not expected to play cat-and-mouse games."
Also, traders can be your back up vendor, even though you already have existing suppliers. Think of traders as specialized agent who have their unique source of supply. It does not hurt to get to know someone, especially when you factory quits, which does happen once in a while.