We connect Australian sellers to verified Chinese manufacturers — handling sourcing, quality control, private labelling, and direct fulfilment to your customers. No stock, no hassle.
A complete end-to-end service so you can focus on growing your store, not managing supply chains.
The model is simple — you sell, we handle the rest. Here's what that looks like day to day.
Pricing
Factory price. Transparent freight.
One service fee.
You see what the supplier charges, what the freight provider charges, and what we charge — separately.
Sourcing fees are calculated on the supplier's initially quoted ex-factory goods value, excluding freight, insurance, customs duty, import GST and other third-party costs.
Any price reduction we negotiate after that point is passed entirely to you and does not reduce our fee.
You receive the supplier's original quotation, so you can see exactly what our fee is calculated on.
| Initial quoted ex-factory value | Sourcing fee |
|---|---|
| First A$5,000 | 15% |
| A$5,001 – 20,000 portion | 10% |
| A$20,001 – 50,000 portion | 7.5% |
| A$50,001 – 100,000 portion | 5% |
| Above A$100,000 | Custom quote / retainer |
| Minimum sourcing fee | A$250 |
Rates apply progressively to each portion of the order — not as a single rate across the whole value. All fees are exclusive of GST unless otherwise stated.
What that looks like on a A$30,000 order
Initial quoted ex-factory value
- First A$5,000 @ 15%
- A$750
- Next A$15,000 @ 10%
- A$1,500
- Remaining A$10,000 @ 7.5%
- A$750
An effective rate of 10%. The larger the order, the lower the effective rate — and it never falls as the order grows.
Included in the sourcing fee
- Supplier identification and screening
- Business licence and capability checks
- Price and terms negotiation
- Sample coordination
- Order placement and production follow-up
- Pre-shipment quality check against agreed specifications
- Freight and customs coordination
Freight & third-party costs
- Ocean and air freight
- Customs duty and import GST
- Insurance
- Local delivery
Charged separately, based on the freight forwarder's quoted or invoiced amount. Any rebates or commissions retained by ExploreChina Pro are disclosed where applicable.
Optional services
- Formal AQL / third-party inspection — from A$250
- Laboratory testing and certification — quoted
- Private label and packaging — from A$150 + supplier cost
- Warehousing and fulfilment — quoted
- Trade fair sourcing — day rate
Questions we get asked
If your fee is a percentage, why would you negotiate my price down?
Because our fee is locked to the supplier's initial quotation, not the final price. If we negotiate the unit price down by 8%, you keep all of it and we earn exactly the same.
You also receive the supplier's original quotation, so the number our fee is calculated on is one you can see for yourself.
What counts as "ex-factory goods value"?
The value of the goods themselves as quoted by the supplier — before freight, insurance, customs duty, import GST, inspection fees or any other third-party charge. Those are billed separately at their actual cost.
Are your fees inclusive of GST?
All service fees are exclusive of GST unless otherwise stated. GST treatment for overseas clients is determined based on the circumstances of the engagement.
How does freight work?
Freight is charged separately, based on the freight forwarder's quoted or invoiced amount. Any rebates, commissions or other financial benefits retained by ExploreChina Pro will be disclosed where applicable.
We are not a freight forwarder and we do not build a margin into your shipping.
What does the quality check actually cover?
Products are checked against the agreed specifications before shipment. Inspection scope varies by product and order size, and typically covers quantity, appearance, packaging and conformity to the approved sample.
Formal AQL sampling, laboratory testing, certification and independent third-party inspections are quoted separately.
When do I pay?
50% of the estimated sourcing fee is payable once you approve the supplier and commercial terms. The remaining balance is payable before the order is released for shipment.
The initial 50% is non-refundable once the supplier has been approved and sourcing work has commenced.
My supplier quotes in USD or RMB. How is the fee converted?
Foreign-currency goods values are converted to AUD using the RBA published exchange rate applicable on the date of the supplier's proforma invoice.
I place several orders a month. Do they combine?
Fee bands apply per approved purchase order. Separate purchase orders are not automatically aggregated unless agreed in writing.
If you order regularly, a monthly procurement retainer is usually a better fit than per-order fees — talk to us about it.
What about repeat orders with a supplier you already found?
Repeat-order discounts may apply where the same approved supplier, product specification and supply chain are reused. The minimum fee still applies.
What is actually free?
A free sourcing review for your first 3 products. That includes one round of supplier options and indicative pricing per product, normally provided within 5 business days.
Supplier disclosure, samples, negotiation, factory verification and order management commence once a paid sourcing engagement begins.
Free sourcing review for your first 3 products. No obligation.
We're not a generic middleman. We're an Adelaide-based team with on-the-ground presence in Beijing and Shenzhen.
Generic marketplaces give you access. We give you a complete supply chain built for Australian compliance.
| Feature | ExploreChina | AliExpress / DHgate | Generic sourcing agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verified factory audits | Every supplier | Unverified listings | Varies widely |
| Pre-shipment QC inspection | Included | None | Extra cost |
| Private label & branding | From 50 units | 500+ MOQ usually | Sometimes |
| GST & ATO compliance docs | Included | None | Rarely offered |
| Shopify / Amazon integration | Auto order sync | Manual only | Manual only |
| Australian point of contact | Adelaide office | None | None |