Search platforms make it easy to find possible suppliers. They do not remove the work of comparing those suppliers or proving that the business behind a listing can deliver your exact order. The value of a sourcing agent is not access to a catalogue; it is disciplined decision-making on the ground.
What should a China sourcing agent do?
The scope should be clear before work starts. It may include turning your need into a supplier brief, finding and comparing factories, collecting samples, checking licences, coordinating technical questions, visiting a facility, arranging inspection, consolidating goods, reviewing documents and handing the cargo to a forwarder.
Not every order needs every service. A simple repeat product may need a smaller check than custom machinery or regulated electrical equipment. The important point is that the checks match the commercial risk.
1. Verify the legal company—not only the sales contact
Ask for the Chinese legal company name and business licence. Compare that identity with the quotation, contract, invoice, export documents and bank beneficiary. If another company will receive payment or export the goods, the relationship should be explained before payment.
Confirm whether the business is a manufacturer, a trading company, or a group using more than one entity. A trading company is not automatically a problem, but the role and margin should be visible so you know who controls production and who is accountable.
2. Check that the supplier can make your specification
Capability is product-specific. A factory may be genuine and still be wrong for your order. Review the production line, relevant equipment, quality records, material sources, capacity, lead time and experience with similar requirements.
For custom products, identify which parts are made in-house and which are subcontracted. Ask who owns the tooling, drawings and production files. If the supplier cannot explain how the critical feature will be controlled, that risk will probably reappear during production.
3. Make every quotation comparable
Send one written request for quotation to each candidate. It should specify product, material, dimensions, performance, quantity, packaging, branding, compliance, Incoterm, destination and target timing. Ask suppliers to separate unit price, tooling, packaging, testing, certification and local delivery where relevant.
A quotation is useful only when its basis is visible. Compare minimum order quantity, sample cost, production lead time, payment milestones, validity period and what is excluded—not just the unit number.
4. Treat samples as controlled evidence
Label samples and record which factory made each one. Review measurements, materials, finish, function, packaging and any safety or performance requirement. Send the approved comments back in writing and make the final approved sample or specification part of the production reference.
For a colour, material or performance-sensitive product, photographs are rarely enough. Physical samples or reliable testing give both sides a clearer standard.
5. Verify compliance before production is locked
Kenyan import requirements should shape the factory brief. Check product standards, labels, plugs, voltage, manuals, test reports, PVoC steps and Certificate of Conformity requirements with the relevant Kenyan authority and your clearing agent.
A strong sourcing agent coordinates with the destination-side compliance team early. The goal is to avoid discovering after production that a label, test, document or design feature is missing.
6. Build a quality-control plan around failure points
Define the defects that matter most and how they will be checked. Depending on the order, controls may include incoming material checks, first-article approval, during-production inspection, function tests, quantity verification, packaging checks and a pre-shipment inspection.
Inspection reduces risk; it does not guarantee a perfect order. The inspection scope, sampling method, acceptance criteria and response to failure should be agreed in advance. A report should identify the order, inspected quantity, findings, photos and result.
7. Protect payment and document consistency
Match payment milestones to evidence: approved sample, production progress, passed inspection or released documents. Avoid sending funds to an unexplained personal account or unrelated company. Confirm bank changes through a known channel because invoice fraud often relies on last-minute account substitutions.
Before shipping, reconcile the product description, quantity, value, origin and parties across the commercial invoice, packing list, conformity certificate, Certificate of Origin and transport document.
Questions to ask a sourcing agent
- What exactly is included in your fee, and what is charged separately?
- How do you verify the legal supplier and payment beneficiary?
- Will I see the factory quotation and comparison basis?
- Who owns the supplier relationship, tooling and product files?
- How are samples labelled, approved and tied to production?
- Who performs inspections, and what happens if the order fails?
- How do you coordinate Kenyan conformity and destination documents?
- Can you consolidate orders from more than one supplier?
- How will progress, changes and exceptions be reported?
Red flags to slow down for
Be cautious when a supplier refuses basic company information, changes the receiving account without a clear reason, avoids written specifications, offers a price far below comparable factories, promises certification without documentation, or pressures you to release the final balance before agreed checks.
Also watch for a sourcing intermediary who will not explain fees or disclose which company is contracting, manufacturing, receiving payment and exporting. Complexity can be legitimate; unexplained complexity is the warning.
One accountable route
Jade combines the China-side supplier work with the East Africa handoff: product brief, comparison, samples, factory and quality checks, consolidation, freight coordination and customs-ready documentation. Start with a product link, photo or specification and the destination market.