China sourcing service
Buying from 1688 and Taobao, done for you from inside China
1688 and Taobao list goods at China's domestic prices, but they work in Chinese and need Chinese payment. Cambridge China Bridge buys for you through our own staff in China, checks the goods when they arrive and ships them to the UK with customs, duty and VAT handled.
What you get
- Our own staff in China place and pay for the orders in Chinese.
- Sellers checked before buying, and goods checked on arrival before anything ships to you.
- Goods from several sellers combined into one shipment.
- One landed price to your UK door, including freight, UK customs, duty and VAT, or an itemised quote.
- No minimum order on our side, so small first orders are normal work for us.
Cambridge China Bridge in brief
- Buying from Chinese factories since 2021, for our own businesses and for clients on the same terms.
- Our own staff are based in China, at two bases: the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan) and the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu). They visit factories themselves.
- £0 sourcing fee, commission or retainer on goods orders. Supplier checks are included; audits and inspections are usually included in the quote, with third-party checks charged extra.
- No minimum order on our side, from a single-unit trial to full containers; the factory's own minimum applies separately.
- In one project, a UK EV charging operator cut unit cost by 70% and scaled 3× faster. In another, a multi-site Cambridge café chain saved 50% on packaging.
- Free landed-price comparison within 72 hours for an off-the-shelf product. A reference call with a past client can be arranged, with that client's agreement.
- A UK company in Cambridge and London: Cambridge China Bridge is the trading name of Piggy Pineapple Ltd, company number 14385590.
How it works
- Send the 1688 or Taobao links, with quantities and any options such as colour or size.
- We check the sellers and return a landed price.
- Our staff in China place the orders and pay the sellers.
- The goods are received and checked in China.
- They are shipped together, cleared through UK customs and delivered to your door.
Questions buyers ask
Why not just order from 1688 myself?
1688 works in Chinese, expects Chinese payment and usually ships only within China. Our staff buy, check and consolidate the goods, then ship them to the UK.
Can you check the goods before they ship?
Yes. Goods are received and checked by our staff in China before they are packed and shipped.
Can I mix 1688 goods with factory orders?
Yes. Goods from 1688, Taobao, Alibaba and factories can be combined into one shipment.