Already have a quote from a Chinese supplier? We check it before you pay
Send us the quotation or proforma invoice you already have. Cambridge China Bridge returns a free preliminary review: the real landed cost to your door, whether the Incoterm and freight lines add up, whether the seller, exporter and bank account match, which compliance documents to ask for, and what to inspect before you pay the balance.
What you get
- A free preliminary review of the quote you already have, written for you in plain English.
- Landed cost built from your quote: duty, import VAT, UK port and destination charges, customs clearance and delivery to your address.
- Freight lines checked: a very low sea-freight figure on a CIF quote can be recovered in UK destination charges, so we confirm those costs before you pay.
- Supplier checks: the seller on the invoice, the exporting company, the business licence and the bank beneficiary should be the same company, and we tell you exactly what to ask for.
- The compliance documents to request for your product, such as the Declaration of Conformity for the exact model, the English manual and test reports, not just a generic certificate.
- Before the balance: a pre-shipment inspection of the actual goods or a factory audit can be arranged, and like-for-like quotes from other factories if you want a comparison.
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 quotation or proforma invoice, the product specification and your delivery address.
- We review the price terms, freight, supplier details, commodity code and documents.
- You receive a written preliminary review with the questions to put to the supplier.
- If you want, we price the UK-side costs, an inspection before the balance, or quotes from other factories.
- You decide how to go ahead.
Questions buyers ask
Is the review really free?
Yes. The preliminary review of a quote you already have is free. Inspections, factory audits, freight and quotes from other factories are priced separately if you want them.
What should I check before paying the balance to a Chinese supplier?
That the finished goods match the order, through a pre-shipment inspection of the actual goods; that the seller, the exporting company and the bank beneficiary are the same company; and that the compliance documents for the exact model are in hand. We set these out for your order in the review.
My supplier quoted CIF with very cheap sea freight. Is that a problem?
Not necessarily, but on a CIF quote the UK destination charges usually fall to the buyer, and a very low freight line can be recovered there. Ask for the UK destination agent and its tariff, and compare the full landed cost rather than the CIF figure.
Do I have to use you after the review?
No. You can go ahead with your own supplier using the review. If you want help with inspection, shipping, UK customs or a comparison with other factories, we quote for that.