1. Find Reliable Suppliers
Online B2B platforms such as Alibaba, Global Sources, and Made-in-China. These platforms host thousands of suppliers offering a wide range of products, with endorsed trust and secure payment transactions. However, top-ranking suppliers may not always be the best in terms of overall capabilities, and many are trading companies rather than manufacturers, which can pose quality control risks.
Participate in renowned Chinese trade shows like the Canton Fair and Hong Kong Lighting Fair. These large-scale exhibitions offer opportunities for face-to-face interaction with potential suppliers, showcasing their capabilities and willingness to cooperate. Unlike B2B platforms, exhibiting at trade shows requires higher financial and personnel investments but provides a more comprehensive view of the latest technologies and products.
Collaborate with professional sourcing agents who can handle various aspects of the purchasing process, including sourcing, quality inspection, logistics, and documentation. While this option saves time and effort, it may increase import costs due to commission fees, especially for smaller-scale purchases.
Utilize search engines like Google or social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook to discover suppliers and access more detailed information about their offerings. However, exercise caution and thorough vetting when selecting potential partners.
Seek recommendations and referrals from personal or business networks to obtain reliable supplier information from trusted sources.
2. Contact Suppliers
If you are a wholesaler: Inquire about their product catalog, price list, minimum order quantity, and trade terms. Additionally, ask about production lead time, factory or product certifications, packaging requirements, etc. Some factories you find may lack export experience and may collaborate with domestic trading companies. Their product standards, packaging content, packaging methods, marketing materials, and quality inspection standards may adhere to Chinese standards. I suggest you provide specific requirements for each aspect of distribution.
If you are a projector: Besides stating basic product requirements such as quantity, brightness, illumination, installation height, and power, it’s essential to articulate your project timeline, application scenarios, road width, installation distance, sunlight duration, hours of full-power operation required, and endurance during overcast days. Requesting DiaLux simulation reports will facilitate project progress.
3. Some Problems that You Should Know
- Currently, the majority of suppliers in the solar lighting industry convey information to customers based on the power of LED fixtures. However, this alone does not represent the brightness of the fixture; it needs to be combined with the luminous efficacy of the LED to calculate the true brightness. The formula for calculation is as follows: Brightness (luminous flux) = Power * Luminous Efficacy. The luminous efficacy of solar street lights on the market is generally between 100-160LM/W, with a few suppliers reaching 180LM/W; while for solar floodlights, the luminous efficacy is typically between 100-140LM/W. You cannot directly compare the power and brightness of solar lights with traditional grid-powered lights. Currently, the maximum brightness of individual solar lights is limited by the technical conditions of the photovoltaic panels and the solar energy system, with a maximum luminosity of around 20,000 lumens, recommended for installation heights not exceeding 15 meters. The maximum brightness of solar floodlights is around 2,300 lumens, recommended for installation heights not exceeding 5 meters. If the supplier you find only talks about power and not about brightness, or promises a brightness far exceeding these values, you need to communicate clearly.
- Regarding the issue of after-sales service, do not assume that if the supplier promises a certain period of after-sales guarantee, all product issues will be resolved during these years. If the supplier you find has been established for a short time, mainly produces ABS material solar lights, and has a relatively limited range of styles, whether it is a trading company or a factory, you need to be more cautious. We have learned that not only one factory has promised customers 2 years, 3 years, or even 5 years of after-sales service, but once there are serious quality issues, they will not provide after-sales service. Most suppliers selling ABS material solar lights do not have strict quality control. They may not even know the luminous flux of the lights they produce. Because the products follow a low-end route and engage in homogeneous price competition in the market, they have not considered after-sales costs. Therefore, once serious quality issues arise and are pursued by customers (usually domestic customers in China), they may choose to close the factory, register a new company name after a period of time, and continue production under a different name. Such situations are not uncommon in China, so I suggest you cooperate with companies that have been established for some time, preferably with their own privately developed products, production equipment, and production lines, which also means that their abandonment costs are high.
- The scope and method of after-sales service should also be agreed upon. Will it be after-sales for the entire fixture or individual components? Will new components be replaced free of charge, and who will bear the shipping cost? When and how will the replacement components be transported to you? These need to be communicated with the supplier before placing an order.
- Whether the supplier is equipped with equipment for incoming material consistency testing. Before discussing this topic, you need to understand a fact: the vast majority of solar light factories do not produce their batteries and solar panels; instead, they purchase them externally. Therefore, whether the supplier has the capability to conduct incoming material testing on critical components, how the testing standards are defined, and whether the standards are strictly adhered to, all have a significant impact on your business. As for the consistency testing, an example to illustrate is when the specified full power of a solar photovoltaic panel in the order is 100W, but the actual power of the photovoltaic panel procured by the solar light factory is 95W, then the consistency is 95%. Similarly, if the required battery capacity is 100Ah, but the actual test result shows only 80Ah, the consistency is 80%. As a reference, our company’s internal requirement for consistency of key components is above 95%, and for some project engineering, it needs to reach 100%.
BTW, Gcots is famous for its high-efficiency solar street lights. Their street lights can reach a maximum of 210LM/W. And we have a complete set of testing machines for solar lights. You can see this article “Delivering Excellence: A Tale of Commitment, Quality, and Customer-Centricity in Solar Street Light Production” and learn about how we control quality and treat every order well.
3. Request Samples
Before placing bulk orders, request samples from potential suppliers to assess product quality, design, and performance. Clarify with suppliers any discrepancies between ordered products and samples to avoid disputes in the future. Regarding sample costs, for low-value products, you can ask suppliers to provide samples for free while you cover shipping expenses. Buyers typically bear both sample and shipping costs for high-value products, which may seem disadvantageous but reflect mutual commitment. It’s essential to deduct sample costs from future bulk orders and ensure proper packaging and labeling to prevent confusion when receiving samples from different suppliers.
4. Negotiate Terms
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, delivery conditions (FOB, CIF, EXW, etc.), and any customization or branding requirements with selected suppliers. If you are new to importing and lack a reliable freight forwarder, you can opt for CIF or CFR terms, where the supplier handles transportation. Once you have a trusted logistics partner, you can choose FOB or EXW (if your forwarder has a nearby warehouse). Additionally, clarify liability and cost-sharing arrangements for damages caused by inadequate packaging during transportation.
What are the most common three incoterms for importers: EXW, FOB, and CIF mean?
EXW (Ex Works: Place of Supplier)
EXW means that you as the buyer are responsible for arranging to have your goods picked up at your supplier’s factory and delivering them to your destination (and all of the other costs in between). Your supplier’s factory may be hundreds of miles away from the seaport where they will be loaded onto a ship. This means you will be responsible for this overland freight. If your supplier lacks certain export documentation, you will be responsible for this as well. You will also pay for all sea freight and other import/transportation fees in your destination country.
FOB (Free on Board: Chinese Port of Shipment)
This is the most common shipment term. Your supplier pays to have your goods loaded onto a ship in China, including the local transport costs in China and the cost to clear the goods for export. You pay for the cost of sea freight and importing your goods into your country (e.g., customs, taxes, domestic transport, etc.).
CFR (Cost and Freight: Your Home Port) and CIF (Cost Insurance and Freight: Your home port)
CIF and CFR are essentially the same, except that CIF includes the cost of insurance and CFR does not. For CIF and CFR freight, your supplier will pay all the costs to get your shipment from their destination to the desired port in your destination country. You will stay and pay for any import fees and overland transportation in your destination country.
5. Inspection Products
Request photos from suppliers during the key production process and before shipment to ensure products meet your standards and requirements. Pay particular attention to packaging to ensure adequate protection of the lights, as solar panels are fragile and prone to damage during long-distance shipping.
6. Arrange Payment
Make payments according to agreed terms, typically through telegraphic transfer (TT), letter of credit (L/C), or other secure payment methods. The most common payment method in the solar light industry is a 30% advance payment via TT, with the balance settled upon presentation of the bill of lading, or full payment via an immediate letter of credit after shipment. Actual payment methods depend on the specific circumstances, and the examples provided here are for reference only.
7. Receive and Distribute Goods
Upon receipt of the goods, promptly inspect them for any issues. In case of problems, document with photos and videos and notify the supplier for resolution. If no issues are found, distribute the goods to your desired destination, whether it be your warehouse or directly to customers.
By diligently following these steps and collaborating closely with reliable suppliers, you can successfully import solar lights from China to meet your business needs.
