For many business owners and entrepreneurs across the globe, the repercussions of importing building materials from other countries can be quite challenging. Thus, everyone’s in search of a country from where high-quality materials can be imported for a reasonable price. The throne of importing building materials goes to China.
Finding reliable manufacturing brands is the first step. The type of materials that can be imported need to be researched and then shipped and imported carefully. Building materials from China are cheap and better than other countries but they do have their setbacks.
That was just a teaser for the whole movie, as when it comes to importing things to China, there will always be more than meets the eye. Several hoaxes will be debunked along with providing you proper procedures of successfully importing build materials from China. All that you will need to know about this topic, you will find it here, so buckle up and keep scrolling!
Table of Contents
3 Major Advantages of Importing Building Materials from China
If quality, cheap labor price, and meeting of demands is your end goal, then China will house all sorts of advantages in the act of importing building materials.
Choosing China as your main sourcing for building materials can be considered quite the smart move! China has been active in the importing business for decades now and they are a popular hotspot for builders all around the world to import materials for building.
To give you a much more profound idea, I will be listing down the benefits. Here they are as follows:
The manufacture of building materials in China is low
A lot of you may ask, “Is it cheap to order building materials from China?” To answer your question, yes, it is, as opposed to most developed countries, Chinese labor has a much lower rate.
This is mainly because China’s labor is rated at $5 per hour whereas its European competitors have a much higher labor rate. The labor is low enough to only accommodate only 20-25% of the total manufacturing cost. Thus, you can get perfect building materials at a low wholesale price when importing from China!
Quality assurance is certified
The building materials are built on better infrastructures than other Asian countries. China has always been a favorite hotspot for western countries to manufacture goods from, as a result, they have implemented the taste and design sense quite meticulously.
Therefore, compared to Vietnam and India; China certainly boasts a higher standard in terms of quality of products despite the online hoaxes. Speaking of hoaxes, do not buy into those online myths and trolls demeaning the products made in China, if the quality wasn’t delivered, European companies wouldn’t keep investing in Chinese manufacturers! More on this later.
Can keep up with Demands and instructions
The large masses of trained and available labors in China make up for any rise in demands on the market and much more. The well-trained workers will be able to manufacture building materials according to your guidelines perfectly and specifically!
The high skill-sets and efficiency of Chinese Laborers make them a perfect fit to meet your high volumes of building materials demand on a narrow deadline!
Types of Building Materials You Can Import from China
The building materials available for being imported from China are limited to two types, Interior and Exterior.
Interior building materials: There is a huge range of interior building material products from China that can be considered to be sold at wholesale price when imported. These include kitchen materials such as sinks, cabinets, faucets, and so on. On the other hand, doors, windows, tiles, roofs, bathtubs, toilets, etc.
Exterior building materials: When it comes to importing building materials for the exterior part of the construction, China doesn’t hold back at all. Roofing and siding, deck and railing, dry walls, EIFS, and Stuccos are some of the best-selling exterior building materials you can import.
What Kind of Construction Materials Can be Imported from China?
Raw Materials are the most common construction materials that come from China. These raw materials are both man-made or are known too naturally. These mostly include marble, glass, cement, and bricks!
What Type of Construction Material Supplier in China is Right for you?
The best type of supplier from China when it comes to importing construction materials can vary depending on your needs.
If you are looking for building materials to accommodate tiling per se, then you should vouch for Dongpeng, Monlisa, and Kentier. A more profound listing of these suppliers will be given at the end of this article.
What are the Types of Wholesale Building Materials you can Import from China?
Interior, exterior, and raw materials needed for construction are some of the high-grade building material types that are supplied by wholesale material suppliers! To provide examples, here are a few products that are usually sold for each type.
Interior building materials include: Kitchen cabinets, faucets, sinks and so on.
Exterior building materials include: Dry walls, Stuccos, Roofing and siding.
Raw materials include: Ceramic tiles, marble, concrete, bricks and much more
How to Find A Reliable Building Material Manufacturers in China?
This is a step that you may have a hard time doing on your own, given that there aren’t many SEO results popping up when you Google in search of finding one. Thus, it’s more of a manual thing that you will have to do. Hence, here’s an easy step-by-step process to aid you in your search!
Pick The Right Type Of Supplier
Choose the right supplier, whether it’s for construction or building materials. The supplier’s list ranges from trading companies, sourcing agents to wholesale material manufacturers.
Get In Touch With Them
You have to manually look for the best manufacturers in the market on a global scale. Watch locally hosted online import/export manufacturer expos. You can also visit globally recognized online marketplaces for suppliers such as Alibaba, Mfg, and Amazon, etc.
Or you can just simply rely on Ssourcing, a reliable sourcing agent from China who can aid you in your way to find the best manufacturing products and such!
Do Some Background Checking
Find out if the supplier of the building materials owns a factory or is just a trade agent. To verify this, simply ask for a copy of their registered capital, business license, and ISO-9001 certification. After you have verified them, ask for pictures of their factory and compare their price rates. The lower price they offer the better.
Choose Only Niche Suppliers
Choose a manufacturing company that specially produces a specific category of product. They are more commonly known as one-stop suppliers of building materials. Only individual types of products are manufactured by these factories and they are highly trained and can manage large bulks in a short amount of time!
Pick Suppliers Form The Industrial Zones
Choose a supplier whose factory resides in Industrial zones of China rather than Downtown urban zones. These factories or manufacturers are usually more productive and deemed reliable. Check Chinese websites like Baidu to determine the location of such suppliers!
How to Import Materials from China?
As this is a very crucial step, please patiently read the following steps to get a good idea of how to import building materials from China.
Verify Your Import License
You must verify and show your import license. This varies within different countries. As different countries have different means of identifying the rights to import.
Select Your Building Materials
Select the type of building material you want to sell through your company. This is a crucial step, remember, a successful business person always expects a profit margin before the sale even starts. Find the product of your choice, weigh its content and value on the market, and then set your audience. IF you’re confident you can make tons of sales once you get your hands on them then you have chosen the perfect product for your company!
Make Sure The Materials Are Legal
Only import permitted products to your country. This is a responsibility that you will be expected to research thoroughly. When it comes to importing products from another country, the policies and regulations of imported products from your country must be known. Failure to comply may end up with pricy fines or even having your products snatched.
Do the overall cost calculation
After you have classified the products, you are importing, you can get on with the calculation. Before confirming the order, mitigate any future repercussions in advance by knowing the price from the supplier, confirm the shipping cost from the freight company, clarify the cost for transport, tax, and custom clearance ahead.
Doing so will save you the hassle of making last payments that may lower your business enthusiasm. Making estimates is crucial to manage your budget and expectations and plan accordingly. You might never be able to accurately pinpoint your cost but a good estimate can only do you so much good in the long run!
Find a reliable supplier of building materials
To do this, follow back to the previous subheading for more information. You must have access to the proforma invoice that has the pricing, weight, dimensions, and terms mentioned in your order. Do not finalize orders unless the terms or any of the numbers have been altered.
How to Ship Building Materials from China?
When it comes to the shipping aspect, it is the most important aspect to consider when you are shipping building materials from China. A lot of considerations and confirmations are to be made as it is a risky process. Thus, carefully follow through the steps I’ve assigned below to get a more profound idea about shipping building materials from China.
Ask Manufacturer To Ship Through A Specific Port
Ask your manufacturer to ship the products from their nearest shipping port/airport. Set these terms AKA ‘FOB’ terms to gain stronger control over the shipment process and manage the pricing.
Place Your Orders Early
Place orders at least 2-3 months before the need of your order. Building materials are crucial products that need to be imported on time. Besides planning, your suppliers will need to be done with documenting, clearing customs, and handling terminal conditions. On top, traveling by sea is not the fastest option to transport goods.
Hire A Freight Forwarding Partner
Having a logistic partner can surely ensure better business in the long run. When it comes to handling large bulks of imported materials as delicate as building materials, the process of handling transportation is a bummer. These freight partners can help manage direct and hidden costs in the whole shipping process.
When dealing with shipping in China, container fees, terminal fees, broker fees, and packaging are some factors that are to be considered and dealt with internally. The best way to do them is through the help of a freight forwarder.
Keep Track Of Your Shipment
Always track your cargo to estimate arrival time and be pre-prepared. Usually, it takes quite a while for shipments to arrive internationally, days if not whole months may be taken. You need to prepare for early documentation to release the freight cargo supplying your products before early release from the customs of your country.
Managing these documents and providing clearance at your country’s border is very crucial given that all responsibilities will lie on you.
Manage The Fees Before Shipment Arrives
Custom broker fees are to be managed at the earliest convenience of your shipment arrival. As long as you have readied all the necessary papers, you can get your hands on them or have them delivered to your designated location.
After you have checked the packaging, documents, and instructions, let your build material supplier know through an email about your feedback.
3 Things to Consider When Importing Building Materials from China
Pricing, Instructions and trust are the most fundamental considerations to be made in order to establish a closed transaction in China.
1. Cheaper is not always better
Constantly hunting for the best deal is not a smart business move. Raise a red flag if you find a supplier who is charging far less for selling building materials than others. You should be aware that in China, there is no such thing as cheap; instead, there are just lower prices comparatively.
The lowest price always comes with its compensation, whether it’s in terms of quality, quantity, or reputation. Thus, choosing a reliable sourcing agent/ manufacturer can help you work with them further in the future.
2. Be crystal clear about your Demand
Failure to provide clear product information can result in a vital blow to your business and a negative experience.
If you aren’t very explicit with your requirements to your provider, you may end up with building materials you don’t want. Not being specific about your demands to the factory will have them base their designs on the lowest manufacturing cost option possible.
Hence, you have to be careful about double-checking each material’s quality and manufacturing method so you can have peace of mind once you confirm your order.
It is crucial to confirm that your supplier has triple-checked all of your target product’s specifications, including the packaging and handling conditions. Sometimes, you might need to send your products back for a re-check evaluation if things don’t go smoothly.
3. Trust is vital
Mutual trust is the basis of international trade, without it, there can’t be a profitable business for both sides. Remember, a two-way business is all about making profits for both sides.
If you spend too much time loitering around your supplier’s pricing and keep throwing complaints then you will tar the relationship. Nobody will watch after your production in the factory if your supplier feels you mistrust them. In case, things go wrong in customs or handling, your supplier may not have your back if a good relationship is not pursued.
4. Use air freights for faster delivery
Do not use Ship freights if you want your building materials delivered earlier. Instead, use Air freight.
A tight delivery schedule or bulks of materials hovering over 250 KG could use this method of transport.
5. Have the proper papers ready
Always verify credentials. This depends from country to country. A simple SEO search regarding importing documentation required for your respective country will be sufficient. You may also talk to lawyers, entrepreneurs, and such to get a better idea.
6. Never pre-order
Do not always take pre-orders. If you do, make sure you provide crystal clear instructions to the factory workers and have thoroughly evaluated and reviewed them.
If you are buying building materials wholesale then you might as well ask for samples to be sent before the confirmation of high-volume orders.
Is It Worth Importing Building Materials From China?
Yes, most definitely due to its lower labor rate compared to Vietnam, India, and other Asiatic competitors. They have also been in the manufacturing business for a long and have been considered a reliable importing destination for some European countries.
China’s manufacture of good quality building materials for a low price have put them atop a high pedestal. They are a popular hotspot for retailers and construction firms from the U.S.A to import building materials from.
What Are the Prices of Building Materials in China?
The prices of building materials in China heavily vary depending on the type you are importing. For example, exterior building materials cost more than some interior ones. Raw materials such as marble, glass, and concrete may also be expensive compared to other places around the world.
There’s also a minimum order quantity (MOQ) limit set, for example, MOQ when importing artificial grass from China is around 1000 sqm, priced around $1.4-$2.
How are Chinese Building Materials Better than Other Countries?
The first reason you should consider Chinese building materials over others is obviously the cost. Due to their low wage demand, you can get better quality and higher quantity compared to any country in the world.
Also, China is the center of technological advancements and has fierce competition in the market. The amalgamation of both results to the highest quality of building materials that you can find.
Issues With Sourcing Materials from China
Let’s be clear about something before, the drawbacks of sourcing materials from China usually stems from the lack of experience of the import manager when managing transactions. Hence, the best way to source materials is through a sourcing agent, and the best one you can get is surely from Ssourcing.
Nevertheless, here are the most common setbacks novice importers may face when sourcing materials from China.
A lengthy Process for Confirming Purchase: Due to language barriers, the difference in culture, and political differences, it usually takes a lot of time for production to even begin. The initial step is to initiate contact and come to amicable terms. For novice importers, this will not go smoothly the first few times.
Quality is Subjective: A specific building material may be considered good enough for the standards held by the suppliers and manufacturers. Hence, you need to be crystal clear about the quality you are expecting to ensure you don’t get scammed in your investments.
Mistakes are Imminent: When you are trying to order in high volumes, this is a very big setback. Lack of communication or giving proper instructions may halter your business ventures as you may end up with faulty products. Hence, failure of business transactions is quite high in China if you’re not communicating and haven’t been doing proper research.
Expensive in terms of Time and Money: Many investors may feel like traveling to China to supervise the production of their products. This only accounts for additional expenses and a waste of time. Therefore, you should always rely on sourcing agents. A trusted and experienced source partner can close deals as they have experience and are more familiar with the culture.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Importing Building Materials from China?
Here is a table that can act as a snippet for those who require a short and easy advantages and disadvantages list.
| Pros | Cons |
| Manufacture of Building Materials is low | Lengthy process for closing transactions |
| Better building materials than other Asian countries | Mistakes made during production |
| Products can be customized if proper instructions are given | Products may not meet expectations |
| Large bulks of products can be made in a narrow deadline | Expensive in terms of time and money |
3 Myths About Importing Building Materials from China
Myth 1: Chinese suppliers don’t trust foreigners
Do not let anti-China propaganda blind you from considering what’s good for business. Politics is politics, and business is business. China is the world’s biggest exporting country. Hence, facts weigh more value here than opinion.
Myth 2: China only provides bad-quality building materials
This is also a big hoax because of the notorious reputation of some Chinese vendors from wish.com. Remember, you will be exporting products from reputable suppliers, thus as long as you pay the proper amount, you will get excellent building materials.
Myth 3: Cheap labor, hence, cheap products
This is false as China’s labor is not ‘cheap’ rather it is ‘cheaper than most western countries. However, it is not cheap enough for you to expect the lowest prices for building materials. As mentioned above, you will get what you pay for.
Can I Import Building Materials from China?
Yes, you can! As long as you are from a country that holds a strong economic partnership with China, then you can easily import building materials with ease. Just make sure you have all the legal documents and licenses to avoid repercussions.
Are there any Countries that are Restricted from Importing Building Materials from China?
No. No matter which country you are in, there are no restrictions up till now on importing to China. There are no policy restrictions whatsoever as of now either. For better reference, please check this article out.
However, different countries have different policies when importing building materials. Thus, it is crucial to be familiar with the regulatory laws and such before confirming a purchase.
7 Best Building Materials Manufacturers in China
Here is a list of building materials companies in China suited for your required needs!
| Brand | Specialty |
| Monlisa | Wholesale Suppliers of Tiles |
| Borcci | Top notch manufacturers of kitchen cabinets |
| Nabel | International supplier of Wholesale Tiles |
| RongGao Door | Manufacturers of Aluminum exterior materials |
| TATA | Largest manufacturer of wooden doors in China |
| JOMOO | Top-tier Manufacturers of bathroom fittings. |
| Kentier | Leading manufacturer of wood flooring |
| Dongxing Stone | Raw building materials supplier for Marble, Granite and luxury stones |
China is a world leader in the export business. They are always utilizing the latest technologies and sometimes bringing new innovations to provide their global customer the best quality possible and the lowest price.
So, whatever your next project might be, taking advantage of the lucrative Chinese market is going to be a step in the right direction.
