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Managing a Chinese supplier from the UK: the monthly routine (2026)

Last updated: · By Sarah Liu, Thornfield Resources

Short answer: surprises from a Chinese supplier rarely come from nowhere. Quality drifts, dates slip and prices rise a little at a time, and the signs are usually visible weeks earlier to anyone who asks the right questions in Chinese. The fix is a fixed rhythm: a short weekly check on open orders, a monthly review of quality, dates, prices and the supplier's public records, an inspection before every balance payment, and a yearly review of samples, moulds, contracts and the holiday calendar. Set the baseline once, then keep to the routine even when things look fine.

Why things go wrong when no one is watching

Most problems with a long-standing supplier are not fraud. They are small changes nobody told you about: a cheaper material, a subcontractor, a new salesperson. Each one is cheap to correct early and expensive after shipping. Each common risk has an early warning sign:

  • Quality drift: small differences from the approved sample, or vague answers about materials.
  • Late shipments: dates given as "next week" instead of a day, or no photos of goods in production.
  • Price rises: talk of raw material costs or the exchange rate before any formal notice.
  • Moulds: nobody can say exactly where your tools are or what condition they are in.
  • A key contact leaving: replies from a new person, or a personal WeChat account that suddenly goes quiet.

If the supplier has already gone silent, start with our guide what to do when a Chinese supplier stops answering. This guide is about making sure it does not get that far.

Set the baseline once

A routine needs something fixed to check against.

  1. A written specification in English and Chinese. Materials, dimensions, tolerances, finish, packaging and labelling.
  2. A golden sample. An approved sample, signed and sealed by both sides, kept at each end. It is what you compare every order against. See bulk order worse than the sample for what happens without one.
  3. A mould register and a mould agreement. Each tool listed with an ID, photos, location and who owns it, and a written agreement on ownership, storage and return. Our guide on a factory holding your moulds explains why this matters.
  4. A clear price basis. The currency you pay in, and, for metal or plastic-heavy parts, which raw material price any adjustment follows and how often.
  5. A named Incoterm. Write "FCA Ningbo, Incoterms 2020" or similar, not just "FOB". For containerised goods the ICC Academy recommends FCA rather than FOB. Incoterms 2020 are still the current edition: the ICC has only begun work towards a 2030 revision.
  6. More than one contact. Your salesperson, plus the owner or sales manager, the quality lead and the company's main landline. Ideally in one WeChat group, not a single private chat.

The routine: a table to save

WhenWhat to doWhy
WeeklyAsk for a status on each open order: stage, a dated photo or video, and a firm ship date.A slipping date shows up as vague answers weeks before it shows up as a late container.
WeeklyKeep important agreements in writing in the shared chat, and confirm anything said by phone.Chinese courts accept instant messages as electronic evidence, but only if you have kept them.
MonthlyReview quality from the last deliveries: defects found, complaints, any change from the golden sample.Drift is gradual. Comparing month to month catches it before a whole order is affected.
MonthlyCheck the supplier on gsxt.gov.cn and zxgk.court.gov.cn.A new legal representative, a changed address, an abnormal-operation listing or a court enforcement record is a warning you can act on early.
MonthlyTrack the exchange rate and the raw material price your contract follows.You see a price request coming and can test it against the agreed basis.
MonthlyA call in Mandarin with someone senior, not only the salesperson.Managers tell you about capacity, staff changes and other customers' demands. Salespeople often do not.
Per orderConfirm the spec version, materials, packaging and ship date in writing before the deposit.Most disputes start with two sides remembering different versions.
Per orderPre-shipment inspection against the spec and golden sample, using an AQL sampling plan (ISO 2859-1). Pay the balance only after it passes.Once the balance is paid and the goods have shipped, your leverage is mostly gone.
Per orderCheck the bank details on the invoice match the company you contracted with.Changed bank details are a common route for fraud. See changed bank details.
YearlyVisit the factory, or have someone visit for you.You see the real line, the real staff and whether your work is done there or subcontracted.
YearlyAudit the moulds: photos, ID marks, location, condition and wear.Tools wear, get moved or get used for other customers. You find out before you need to move them.
YearlyCheck the supplier filed its annual report on gsxt.gov.cn by 30 June.Chinese companies must file between 1 January and 30 June. A company that does not can be put on the abnormal-operation list.
YearlyReview prices, payment terms, the Incoterm and the contract. Renew the golden sample if the product changed.Terms agreed years ago may no longer match what you buy or how you ship.
Yearly (by autumn)Build next year's Chinese holiday calendar into your order plan.Chinese New Year and National Day decide when you must order to avoid gaps on the shelf.

Plan around Chinese holidays in 2027

Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February. The State Council publishes the official holiday dates for the coming year each autumn: the 2025 notice came out on 12 November 2024 and the 2026 notice on 4 November 2025. At the time of writing, the 2027 notice has not been published, so treat any exact 2027 dates you see elsewhere as provisional.

The official days are only part of the effect. DHL notes that factories often run well below capacity for several weeks after the holiday, that some workers do not come back, and that quality control has to be re-established with new staff. So order early for anything due around the holiday, and inspect the first batch made after it with extra care. October's National Day week has a similar, smaller effect.

Prices: currency and raw materials

Ask which currency your price is really set in. If you pay in US dollars but the factory's costs are in renminbi, a stronger renminbi squeezes its margin and a price request often follows. If you pay in renminbi, the exchange risk sits with you.

For products where metal or resin is a large part of the cost, agree in writing which published price an adjustment follows, for example a monthly average from the London Metal Exchange or the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and how often prices are reviewed. A price rise then becomes a calculation you can check.

When your key contact leaves

In China, much supplier contact runs through WeChat, and often through a salesperson's personal account. When that person leaves, the history and the relationship can leave with them. A group chat that includes a manager, plus your own records of every agreement, keeps the account alive. When a new person takes over, confirm in writing the open orders, prices and specs they have inherited.

How we help

We run this routine for UK companies that have no one on the ground. We call your suppliers in Mandarin, keep the weekly and monthly checks, visit factories, book and review inspections, and report to you in plain English. We are paid only by you, never by factories. Our China representative service works by project or on a monthly retainer from £1,500. Not sure whether you need a formal office instead? Read do you need a representative in China. If you want a one-off check of a supplier's status and records first, start with a Supplier Check.

Frequently asked questions

Is a monthly call really necessary if orders are going well?

Yes. A short call in Chinese with someone senior is often where you first hear about staff changes, capacity limits or price pressure.

Do I need a pre-shipment inspection on every order?

For a new supplier, a new product or a large order, yes. For a long, stable relationship you may inspect less often, but then the golden sample and monthly quality review matter more.

Should we use FOB or FCA?

For containerised goods, the ICC Academy recommends FCA. Whichever you use, write the place and "Incoterms 2020" in full.

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