Export to China: finding and checking Chinese importers for UK brands
Cambridge China Bridge helps UK food, drink and skincare brands sell into China. Our own staff in China find and check importers and distributors, and we prepare the registration, Chinese label and shipping steps with licensed partners. It works the other way too: Chinese importers can use us to find and check UK suppliers.
We reply the same working day to confirm receipt and arrange next steps.
What you get
- A Chinese importer has contacted you? Our staff in China check the business licence, the trading history and who is really behind it before you send stock or sign anything.
- Importer and distributor search: a shortlist of Chinese importers for your category, background-checked, with introductions and calls in Chinese.
- We map the gates for your product before you spend money: overseas food manufacturer registration with China Customs (GACC), Chinese labelling, cosmetics filing, and whether cross-border e-commerce is an option.
- Regulated roles stay with licensed partners in China: the importer of record, the cosmetics responsible person and the cross-border e-commerce agent. We prepare the work and coordinate them.
- For Chinese buyers: we search for UK suppliers, check them and their eligibility to export to China, and the buyer pays the supplier directly.
How it works
- Send us the product, your ingredients or specification, and any Chinese contact you already have.
- We check which Chinese rules apply to your product and which route fits: normal trade through an importer, or cross-border e-commerce.
- Our staff in China shortlist and check importers, or check the one who contacted you.
- We arrange introductions and calls in Chinese, and help prepare the registration and label work with licensed partners.
- The first shipment goes through our forwarder partners, with the importer clearing it in China.
Cambridge China Bridge in brief
- Buying from Chinese factories since 2021 (the company was incorporated in September 2022), 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.
- Quotes to suit how you buy: one delivered price, or an itemised quote with the factory cost, freight, duty and our service fee shown separately. Open-book detail is available on request.
- Audits and inspections are usually included in the quote for an order placed with us; complex checks that need a third party are charged extra, agreed first.
- Orders run from a first trial to scheduled full containers; the factory’s own minimum is stated in the quote.
- 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.
- A UK company in Cambridge and London: Cambridge China Bridge is the trading name of Piggy Pineapple Ltd, company number 14385590.
- Send 1–3 products you buy now and what you pay. We compare the same specification, quantity, inspection and delivery scope to establish a cost benchmark.
- A reference call with a past client can be arranged, with that client’s agreement.
How we charge
Quotes to suit how you buy: one delivered price, or an itemised quote with the factory cost, freight, duty and our service fee shown separately. Open-book detail is available on request.
Our margin is included in the quoted price or shown separately as a service fee. The service fee depends on the agreed scope, including products, samples, inspections and ongoing supply.
Questions buyers ask
Do you register us with China Customs (GACC)?
No. The overseas manufacturer applies for its own registration. For 17 higher-risk food categories the UK authorities must recommend the manufacturer; biscuits, confectionery, tea and spirits makers apply themselves. We help you prepare the application and check it before it goes in. Since 1 June 2026 the rules are in China Customs Decree 280 (checked 9 Oct 2026).
Is cross-border e-commerce an easier way in?
Often, for skincare and some foods. Goods on China's cross-border e-commerce retail import list are treated as personal-use articles and do not need first-import registration or filing. They can only be sold to consumers, not resold to shops, and the overseas seller must appoint a registered agent in China and carries the product liability.
A Chinese company wants to import our products. Can you check them?
Yes. Our staff in China check the business licence, the trading record, who the owners are and whether the company really trades in your category, and tell you what to look out for before you agree terms.
Can Chinese importers use you to find UK suppliers?
Yes. We search for UK suppliers, check the company and whether its products can be exported to China, and arrange samples. We work for a fee; the buyer pays the UK supplier directly and we do not resell the goods.
How long does it take?
Plan in months, not weeks. Finding and checking an importer usually takes several weeks; registration and label approval add more, and products such as infant formula, health foods or special cosmetics need longer approvals that we do not take on at the start.