Ars Mercatoria · Product Sourcing from China← Return to the scriptorium

We go and see the factory floor.

Product sourcing from China, for buyers in the EU and Tunisia.

Photos from the floor, not from the brochure.

Reply within XXIV hours · no obligation

Goods we source
Six families
Who we buy from
Factories, not phone numbers
Before you pay
Inspection, with photos
Getting it to you
Freight and customs handled
I
Inspected before you pay

Goods are checked while the supplier still wants the balance.

II
Photos we took ourselves

Dated pictures from the line, not the seller’s catalogue.

III
One landed cost, not three

Unit price, freight and duty quoted as one number.

IV
The supplier is yours

We hand over the contact whenever you ask for it.

I. What we source

Six families, one standard.

We buy things that ship in boxes and survive the journey.

I

Ars Domestica

Home & Kitchen

Housewares, storage, small kitchen tools.

II

Ars Textoria

Textiles & Apparel

Workwear, bags, caps, plain garments.

III

Ars Electrica

Electronics & Accessories

Cables, chargers, lighting, small devices.

IV

Ars Ferramenti

Tools & Hardware

Hand tools, fittings, fasteners, spares.

V

Ars Involvendi

Packaging & Print

Boxes, labels, pouches, printed inserts.

VI

Ars Signandi

Branded & Promotional

Merch, gifts, giveaways with your mark.

No food, no medicine, no counterfeits. Ever.

II. The Passage

Six steps, none skipped.

The same passage for one carton or one container.

I

Definiamus

We define

We write the product down before we go looking for it.

In practice
Spec sheet · target price · quantity
II

Inveniamus

We find

We shortlist factories that make the thing, not desks that resell it.

In practice
Supplier search · business licence · references
III

Temptemus

We try

Samples come to us first, then to you with our notes.

In practice
Samples · photos · written notes
IV

Pangamus

We settle terms

We agree price, MOQ, lead time and payment stages in writing.

In practice
Quote · Incoterms · staged payments
V

Inspiciamus

We inspect

Someone checks the goods against the approved sample before they ship.

In practice
Pre-shipment QC · report · photos
VI

Mittamus

We ship

We book the freight, clear customs, and tell you where the boxes are.

In practice
Air or sea · customs · delivery
III. The Assay

Nothing ships unseen.

If we wouldn’t accept the carton, it doesn’t leave China.

Request a Sourcing Quote →
01

The spec is written first

Colour, material, tolerance and packaging are agreed on paper before production starts.

02

One golden sample, kept

We hold the sample you approved and check the run against it.

03

Eyes on the line

An inspector we appoint walks the floor and sends dated photos we can trace.

04

Checked before the balance is paid

Inspection happens while the supplier still has money to collect from you.

05

Papers read, not assumed

Test reports, certificates and HS codes are reviewed before anything is booked.

IV. The Refusals

Four things we turn down.

What a house will not do says more than what it will.

01

Counterfeits and lookalikes

No branded copies, no “same factory as” goods, no exceptions.

02

Anything you eat, drink or take

Food, supplements and medical goods need licences we do not hold.

03

Orders priced below the spec

If the target price cannot make the sample, we say so instead of finding a worse factory.

04

Suppliers we cannot verify

No licence, no address, no order.

V. What we handle

Eight jobs, one desk.

  • Supplier searchWe find factories that make your product, and check they exist.
  • Factory auditLicence, capacity, and a walk through the floor before you commit.
  • Sample handlingSamples come to us, get opened, and reach you with notes.
  • Price negotiationWe negotiate unit price, MOQ and payment stages in your name.
  • QC inspectionGoods checked against the approved sample before the balance is paid.
  • Private label / OEMYour brand, your packaging, artwork proofed before production.
  • Freight and customsWe book the shipment and clear it with a licensed broker.
  • After-salesIf a carton is wrong, we chase the supplier for a fix or a credit.
VI. Terms of Engagement

Three ways to buy.

Choose by how much of the import you want to carry yourself.

I

Expeditio

One-Off Sourcing Project

One product, found, sampled, inspected and shipped once.

  • Written spec and a target price agreed up front
  • Supplier search with a shortlist and our reasons
  • Samples handled, opened and sent on with notes
  • Price and payment stages negotiated in your name
  • Pre-shipment inspection with photos before the balance
How it is priced
A flat fee per project · agreed before we contact anyone
Best for
A first import, or one product you need done properly.
II

Mercatura Continua

Ongoing Sourcing Retainer

A standing desk in China for a catalogue that keeps moving.

  • Repeat orders placed and tracked without a new brief each time
  • New products sourced as your range grows
  • Supplier relationships held and renegotiated for you
  • Inspection on every shipment, not on the big ones only
  • One monthly report on orders, costs and what slipped
How it is priced
A monthly retainer · plus a percentage of order value
Best for
Shops and brands reordering month after month.
III

Via Tota

Full Import Management

You approve the sample. We do the rest, to your door.

  • Sourcing, negotiation and ordering handled end to end
  • Payments staged and released against inspection
  • Freight booked, insured and tracked
  • Customs cleared at destination with a licensed broker
  • One invoice showing the landed cost of each line
How it is priced
A percentage of landed cost · quoted per shipment
Best for
Buyers who want boxes, not a shipping education.

Not sure which? Send the brief and we’ll tell you which one we’d choose.

The Balance

We inspect while the money is still ours to hold.

Payment is staged. The last stage is released after inspection, not before.

Written into the engagement letter. Not a handshake.

VII. Questions answered

Asked before, answered plainly.

VIII. Benediction

Tell us what you want made.

One page is enough. Product, quantity, and where it ships.

No spam. No obligation. Just a conversation.