First cross-border sale from China: what to prepare, and how to get to the first order?
Answer
First decide who you sell to, what, and in which country. Then check whether you may sell it there, what each order costs, and who handles delivery and tax. Until those are clear, test with samples and a cost sheet; opening a store or running ads does not replace this. The 8 steps below each have a "done when" mark and no promise of how fast you will sell. The first order means a real transaction that is paid, delivered and checked after sale, not an inquiry or a checkout.
- Applies to
- Small Chinese sellers and factories exporting or selling cross-border for the first time. Overseas buyers should start with the supplier check, RFQ and landed-cost pages.
The 8-step roadmap
| Step | Question to answer | Done when | Related pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Pick one concrete business | Selling to consumers (B2C) or companies (B2B)? Which country? Which product? What evidence of demand? | One "product–buyer–country" card; if no evidence, search and ask first | Which platform, RFQ |
| 2 Check product and supplier | Can it be sold legally there? Who is responsible for compliance? Do sample and certificate models match? | Spec, responsible party and document checklist; no big payments while core compliance is unclear | Verify a supplier, Certification, FCC/UL/CE |
| 3 Cost each order | Purchase, freight, tax, platform, payout and returns all counted? Maximum loss you can take? | A cost sheet with assumptions and unknowns; per-order contribution, not "net profit" | Missed fees, DDP quotes, Payout costs (in Chinese) |
| 4 Confirm entity and sales channel | Can your company or you as an individual sell on the target site? Content, ad and shop accounts differ. Does the payout account name match the contracting party? | An "entity–site–model" eligibility list; never buy someone else's account | TikTok, HK bank account (in Chinese; only if you need one, not required to sell), Frozen funds (in Chinese) |
| 5 Build a product page or quote that can close | Spec, price, lead time, taxes, returns and contact clear? Rights to the images? | The buyer understands exactly what they get | RFQ, Who is liable under DDP (in Chinese) |
| 6 Find the first buyers on a small scale | Start with one channel; log valid inquiries; run ads only once payment and delivery work | A creative and inquiry log, with a test-spend cap and stop rule | Facebook, LinkedIn, Real or fake inquiry |
| 7 Confirm the order and ship | Who is importer? Who declares and pays tax? Do goods match the declaration? What if refused? | An order, commercial invoice, shipping and declaration responsibility pack | China export codes, US parcel tax, EU €3 |
| 8 Reconcile, support, review | What did you actually receive? Returns? Where did cost differ from the estimate? Continue or stop? | A record of actual income, costs and issues | Returns and duty refunds, Returning exports to China, Platform appeals (in Chinese) |
What you can do yourself
- Copy the table as your own checklist and fill each "done when". Research can run in parallel, but make no payments or shipments while key eligibility or compliance gaps remain.
- In the step 3 cost sheet, mark blanks "to check", never 0.
- Before step 6, set the most you will spend on testing and when you will stop.
- Look up new terms in the beginner glossary.
When to use a licensed professional
- Product compliance unclear: a testing and certification body recognised in the target country.
- Importer or tax registration unclear: a customs broker or tax adviser in the target country.
- Large contracts: a lawyer.
Check before you pay, and warning signs
- "Store set-up plus guaranteed sales" or "payback in X days" are warning signs. Do not buy an account as a substitute for meeting seller eligibility; check the target platform's transfer rules.
- For paid courses and agencies, check the exit terms, who owns the accounts, and itemised bills.
Unknowns
- Platform eligibility for Chinese entities changes often; this page does not replace official platform rules. Platform-by-platform pages will follow.
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