Cambridge China Bridge
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Getting started (Page 4)

A leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskCosmetics PIF: safety assessment and retentionHow a GB importer acting as Responsible Person can assemble a cosmetics PIF, check assessor qualifications and track the retention deadline.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to notify imported cosmetics through SCPNPrepare your SCPN account, factory formulation details, label artwork and submission records before placing imported cosmetics on the GB market.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to commission cosmetic stability testingCommission stability and microbiological testing for imported cosmetics, with final-formula samples, production packaging and assessor evidence.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskCan cosmetic prototypes be used in public trials?Check when imported cosmetic prototypes become public supply, what must be ready before a feedback trial, and how to control the trial batch.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskUK sourcing company terms: what should I check?Check exclusions, liability caps, cancellation costs and claim procedures before accepting a UK sourcing company's standard terms.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskUK trade mark costs: choosing classesBudget UK trade mark application fees for an imported brand, choose classes that match your products, and separate official fees from advice costs.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to check a brand name or logo for UK conflictsCheck your proposed brand name and logo using IPO searches, assess similar marks and know when to seek advice before factory packaging is printed.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskUK seller supply terms: what should buyers check?Check specification priority, acceptance clauses, warranty costs and liability caps before buying China-sourced goods from a UK seller.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to advertise a lifetime guarantee in the UKDefine whose lifetime your guarantee covers, show significant exclusions and give UK customers full terms before they commit to the guarantee.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskProduct labels for imports into Great BritainCheck importer details, product identifiers, warnings and English instructions on China-made goods before approving labels for Great Britain.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to turn supplier instructions into a UK manualTurn a factory's English instructions into customer documentation with technical review, safety checks, assembly trials and version control.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskBrief a Chinese factory for a sample from a sketchTurn a rough sketch into a factory sample brief with annotated views, dimensions, open questions and drawings to approve before making.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskWhat goes in a product technical file?Build a product technical file for China-made goods with the applicable UK rules, risk assessment, drawings, test evidence and revision control.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskDoes the factory test report cover your order?Check model identity, tested components, standard editions and laboratory authenticity before relying on a factory test report for your order.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskProduct listing removed for safety: what now?Get the precise removal reason, hold affected stock, check notification duties and prepare corrective evidence before asking for reinstatement.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to build and keep a product compliance fileBuild a product compliance file for UK imports: map applicable rules, organise evidence, control revisions and secure access to factory documents.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to brief an Amazon UK compliance agencyBrief your Amazon UK compliance agency on approved files, account access, claims and submission records while keeping UK product duties clear.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskUK sanctions checks when buying from ChinaScreen a China purchase for UK sanctions: check suppliers, owners, banks and goods, keep evidence and know when to seek specialist advice.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to check UK import licences and restrictionsCheck tariff measures, product restrictions and the right licensing authority before committing to a China order, with a practical buyer checklist.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskWho can approve China orders and payments?Set delegated authority for China purchases, approve new suppliers, control purchase orders and payments, and record urgent exceptions.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskCan I modify or rebrand imported products?Check how modifying or rebranding imported products affects your UK compliance role, and what evidence to gather before releasing stock for resale.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to check a declaration of conformityCheck who signed your declaration of conformity, which product it covers, and whether its legislation, standards and evidence match.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskTechnical compliance file: UK importer checklistWhat UK importers should request, check and retain in a product technical file, and how to assign responsibility for updates.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskDoes inspection approval authorise shipment?Record separate inspection, packing, shipment and balance payment decisions, with evidence, conditions and named approvers for an order in production.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskOwn-brand imports: am I the manufacturer?When branding imported goods makes you the manufacturer, what evidence to obtain, and how to manage production changes and safety problems.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to plan your first public design revealKeep factory sampling confidential, plan your first UK public reveal and retain launch evidence for possible supplementary unregistered design protection.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskEtsy or craft fairs: hobby or business?Buying a small batch from China to resell? Check HMRC’s trading guidance, gross income, Self Assessment and the trading allowance.2 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskCan I keep my EORI when I become a limited company?Changing from sole trader to limited company? Check EORI registration, VAT, broker authority and shipment records before the company imports.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskDo I need an import licence for goods from China?Check tariff measures, product restrictions and the right licensing authority before ordering goods from China, then plan applications before shipping.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to buy from 1688 in the UK without an accountCannot register or pay on 1688 from the UK? Learn how a buying agent handles orders, checks, consolidation and shipping, and what to budget.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskRFI, RFP and RFQ for buying from ChinaChoose the right supplier request, control specification changes and compare China quotes, with a worked cotton T-shirt duty and VAT example.5 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskSourcing agent vs your own China officeSourcing agent or your own China office: cost, control, headcount, representative office or WFOE, when each makes sense, and hybrid models.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskRecent sourcing projects: who asked, what we didSix anonymised September 2026 projects, from exact-size craft parts to a CNC router quote checked before payment: what each buyer needed and what we did.3 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskSourcing agent or seller: who you contract withAn agent buys for you; a seller sells to you. Which one you contract with decides who you claim against, who imports and which costs you see.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskImporting from China without a warehouseA registered office counts as being established for an EORI number. The real obstacle is not legal, and nor is the offer to import under somebody else's number.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskSelling China-made goods from the UK into the EUSelling UK-imported consumer goods on into the EU needs an economic operator established in the Union. Who can hold that role, and why your UK company cannot.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskWhich UK tax number does a supplier want?UK businesses hold several numbers that all get called a tax number. Knowing which does what tells you when the request is routine and when it is not.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskCan a sole trader import from China? UK rulesYou do not need a limited company to import into the UK. What you do need is an EORI number, and to understand that the liability is personal.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskAliExpress vs Alibaba vs DHgate: UK costsAliExpress vs Alibaba vs DHgate: compare UK landed cost per sellable unit, delivery, order quantities and customisation.7 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskBuying from China when you are not in the UKOverseas buyers can use the same China sourcing, supplier-management and quality services; destination import rules and door-to-door terms need separate checks.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskIs a sourcing agent worth it for 100 units?Is a sourcing agent worth it for 100 units? Why percentage-fee agents decline small orders, which minimums are real, and four ways to get a run made.9 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to choose a Chinese sourcing agent: five checksCompare China sourcing agents for UK buyers: where staff are, how they are paid, who imports, minimum orders, failed inspections. Five questions, our answers.7 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskSourcing agent vs freight forwarder vs customs brokerThree different jobs that get confused constantly. Who does what, who carries the liability, and which one you actually need.4 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskDo you need a China sourcing agent? A UK buyer's guideA straight answer to whether a sourcing agent is worth it for your situation — the signs you do, the signs you don't, and what it costs.6 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskAlibaba agent UK: when you need one, and when you don'tNot always: for simple, low-risk goods many UK buyers order direct on Alibaba. An agent pays off when the factory needs verifying or every batch inspecting.5 min readA leather folder, notebooks and a pen laid out on a wooden deskHow to import from China to the UK: a complete guideThe full journey for a UK business — finding and vetting a supplier, samples, shipping, EORI, commodity codes, duty, VAT and customs clearance — in one place.5 min readA single small cardboard box, opened and emptyDropshipping or bulk buying: which is better?Dropshipping vs bulk buying from China: one risks no capital but gives no control or margin; the other gives both and leaves you owning the stock.5 min readSomeone holding a printed checklist on a clipboard in a meetingYour first China order: a step-by-step checklistA simple, ordered checklist for placing your first order from China without the classic first-timer mistakes.5 min readTwo warehouse workers walking between racking with parcelsChina sourcing for e-commerce and Amazon sellersWhat online sellers need to get right when sourcing from China — compliance, packaging, inspection and fulfilment.5 min readA long production line running down the middle of a factory hallOEM vs ODM vs OBM: private-label manufacturing explainedOEM builds your design; ODM brands the factory's existing product. Either way, selling under your own name usually makes you the manufacturer in UK law.7 min readA team of four gathered around a laptop in an officeSourcing agent vs UK wholesaler vs online platformCompare a UK wholesaler, China sourcing agent and B2B platform on landed price, importer responsibility, quality control and the work your team must manage.6 min readTwo people in a site office reviewing a large technical drawing on a tableProduct specification sheet: template for China factoriesA product specification sheet a Chinese factory and an inspector can both use: the fields, a worked tolerance example, defect classes and change control.4 min readMaterial and fabric swatches laid out on a table with colour samplesMOQ and sampling: starting with small ordersWhat minimum order quantities really mean, how to lower them, and why you should always sample before you commit.5 min readAerial view of a container terminal, with stacked containers and gantry cranesChina sourcing: sourcing from China, step by stepA step-by-step guide to sourcing from China: compare routes, verify suppliers, agree MOQs, approve samples, manage payments, inspect and import.6 min read

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