Guides for importers paying China
Practical, no-jargon guides on rates, documents, avoiding supplier fraud, and paying your Chinese supplier safely from East Africa.
Split Payments and Partial Shipments, Done Safely
Splitting an order across shipments is common and useful — but it multiplies the ways a payment schedule can go wrong. Here is how to structure it.
AML Checks: Why Your Payment Gets an Extra Question
Being asked what a payment is for is not suspicion — it is a legal obligation on the people moving your money. Here is what is being asked and why.
Sample Payments: When the Fees Beat the Goods
Our sampling guide covers what to order and how to judge it. This one covers what it costs to pay: why a fixed fee is punitive at sample size.
What a SWIFT Code Does Not Prove About a Supplier
Correctly formatted bank details feel like verification. They are not. Here is what each field proves, what it does not, and where the false comfort sits.
Paying Chinese Suppliers Around Chinese New Year
Factories shut for weeks around Chinese New Year and payments slow down with them. Here is how to time your deposit so your order does not slip a month.
WeChat etiquette for dealing with Chinese suppliers
Why business runs on WeChat, how to open professionally, voice-note and timing norms, and the discipline that keeps chat deals payable and provable.
Importing to Tanzania from China: TRA duties and Dar port
Tanzania's EAC CET bands, 18% VAT, railway levy and TBS rules, plus how Dar es Salaam clearance and TANSAD declarations actually run.
Importing to Uganda from China: URA taxes and clearance
Uganda's EAC CET duty bands, 18% VAT, 6% WHT and infrastructure levy explained, plus the Mombasa vs Dar corridor choice and clearance steps.
10 mistakes first-time importers from China keep making
From skipping supplier checks to ignoring duty math and paying mystery bank accounts — the ten costliest first-order errors and their cheap fixes.
How to read a Chinese supplier's quotation line by line
EXW vs FOB unit prices, tooling and packaging lines, validity windows and the hidden assumptions that decide what you'll actually pay per landed unit.
Letter of credit, TT or RMB transfer: paying China compared
LCs, bank TT wires and documented RMB transfers compared on cost, speed, protection and supplier acceptance for East African import orders.
Currency risk for importers: when the shilling moves mid-order
A 3–5% FX swing between deposit and balance can erase an import margin. Practical hedges for KES, UGX and TZS importers paying Chinese suppliers.
Sample orders from China: test suppliers before you commit
How to order and evaluate samples, what sampling should cost, golden-sample discipline, and what a supplier's sampling behaviour predicts about bulk.
Negotiating MOQs with Chinese factories: a practical guide
Why factories set minimum order quantities, and seven levers—price, mixed SKUs, stock fabrics, trial orders—that get MOQs down without killing the deal.
How to read a Chinese business licence before you pay
Decode the 18-digit USCC, check registered name, capital, scope and status on official registries, and match the licence to the bank account you pay.
Pre-shipment inspection in China: is it worth paying for?
What a third-party QC inspection covers, the USD 100–300 price band, AQL sampling in plain English, and when to inspect before paying your balance.
KEBS PVoC explained: certificates for Kenya-bound imports
What Kenya's Pre-Export Verification of Conformity requires, which goods need a CoC, what inspection costs, and how to avoid 5x penalties at Mombasa.
Consolidated shipping from China: how groupage works
How consolidators combine many small importers' cargo into shared containers, what per-kg and per-CBM rates include, and the risks to watch.
Sea vs air freight from China to East Africa: cost and time
Realistic transit times, cost ranges and break-even rules for choosing sea or air freight from China to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Canton Fair guide for East African importers (2026)
When the Canton Fair runs, what each phase covers, budgeting for the trip, and how to turn booth visits into safe, RMB-paid supplier orders.
Bill of lading basics: the document that controls your cargo
The bill of lading is receipt, contract and title in one document. How originals, telex release and seaway bills work — and the mistakes that strand containers.
Incoterms for China imports: FOB, CIF and EXW in plain English
The three-letter term on your quote decides who pays freight, who carries risk, and where. FOB, CIF and EXW explained for East African importers.
Alibaba Trade Assurance: how much protection do you really get?
Trade Assurance protects orders paid through Alibaba against non-shipment and quality gaps — within limits. Here is what it covers, what it does not, and when it lapses.
How exchange-rate spreads work when you pay a Chinese supplier
The "rate" you are quoted is the mid-market rate plus a spread. Here is how spreads are built, what they typically cost, and how to compare providers fairly.
Yuan, renminbi, RMB and CNY: what is the difference?
Renminbi is the currency, yuan is the unit, and CNY is the bank code. Here is what each term means and when it matters for paying a Chinese supplier.
Telegraphic transfer vs paying in RMB: a cost comparison for importers
A USD telegraphic transfer feels familiar, but it carries hidden costs. Here is how a TT compares with paying your Chinese supplier directly in RMB.
What is CIPS, and why Chinese suppliers prefer to be paid in RMB
CIPS is China's cross-border payment system for the RMB. Understanding it explains why paying suppliers in RMB is faster and cleaner than sending dollars.
How to confirm a Chinese supplier's bank account is genuine
Wrong-account fraud is the single biggest risk when paying a Chinese supplier. These checks confirm the bank details are real before any money moves.
Import duty, VAT and IDF on China shipments in Kenya: a plain guide
Bringing goods from China into Kenya means import duty, VAT, IDF and the railway levy. Here is what each charge is and how to estimate your landed cost.
1688 vs Alibaba: where should East African importers buy?
1688 is cheaper but built for the Chinese market; Alibaba is built for exporters. Here is how to choose between them as an importer in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania.
The 30/70 rule: deposits and balance payments with Chinese factories
Most Chinese factories ask for a 30% deposit and 70% balance before shipping. Here is how the split works and how to protect yourself at each step.
How long does it take to pay a Chinese supplier from East Africa?
Most RMB payments to Chinese suppliers settle within one to two business days. Here is what drives the timing and how to avoid the usual delays.
RMB vs USD: which currency is cheaper for paying Chinese suppliers?
Most East African importers pay Chinese suppliers in US dollars — but paying in RMB is usually cheaper and faster. Here is how the two stack up.
Proforma Invoice vs Commercial Invoice: What Your Chinese Supplier Should Send
Two documents, two jobs. Here is the plain-English difference between a proforma and a commercial invoice, and which one you need to pay your Chinese supplier.
How to Verify a Chinese Supplier Before You Pay: a 7-Point Checklist
Before you send a single yuan, run your supplier through these seven checks. A simple, repeatable way for East African importers to avoid paying the wrong party.
RMB or USD? Choosing the Right Currency to Pay Your Chinese Supplier
Most Chinese suppliers quote in RMB but accept USD — so which should you pay in? Here is how the choice affects your price, speed and risk as an East African importer.
What Will It Really Cost? Budgeting the Total Cost of Your China Import
The supplier price is only part of the story. Here is a clear framework for budgeting the full cost of importing from China to Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania — so there are no surprises.
How Long Does an RMB Payment to China Actually Take? Realistic Timelines
From "submit request" to "supplier paid" — here are realistic timelines for paying a Chinese supplier in RMB from Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania, and what affects the speed.
How to Pay a Chinese Supplier from Tanzania (TZS to RMB): The Complete 2026 Guide
A practical, step-by-step guide for Tanzanian importers paying suppliers, factories and sourcing agents in China — in RMB, safely, and with every step tracked.
How to pay a Chinese supplier in RMB from Kenya: the complete guide
Everything a Kenyan importer needs to pay a Chinese supplier in yuan — what to prepare, how the rate and fee work, the step-by-step process, and how to keep the payment safe and documented.
Alipay vs WeChat Pay vs bank transfer: how to pay your Chinese supplier
Your supplier may ask for Alipay, WeChat Pay or a bank transfer. Here is what each method is, when it is used, the trade-offs, and how to pay each one safely.
What documents you need to pay a supplier in China
A clear checklist of what to prepare before you pay — it speeds up review, keeps your records clean, and reduces the risk of a held or frozen transfer.
How to avoid supplier-payment fraud when importing from China
Fake suppliers, switched bank details and pressure tactics cost importers real money — almost always at the payment step. Here are the warning signs and the checks that stop them.
How SilkBridge’s Rate of the Day works — and how to read a quote
Cross-border cost confusion almost always comes from a rate you cannot see. Here is how the Rate of the Day works, how the service fee is applied, and how to read your total.
Paying 1688 suppliers from East Africa: a practical guide
1688 has the factory-direct prices importers want, but it is built for domestic Chinese buyers. Here is how to actually pay a 1688 supplier from Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania.
Factory deposits: how much to pay upfront and how to protect it
Most factories ask for a deposit before production. Here is what is normal, how the balance usually works, and how to protect that first payment.
5 red flags a Chinese supplier might be a scam
Genuine suppliers are the norm, but scams exist — and they show warning signs first. Learn the five biggest red flags and what to do when you see them.
Why banks freeze China payments — and how to avoid it
A held transfer or frozen account mid-import is one of the worst surprises for an importer. Here is why it happens and how documentation prevents it.
KYC explained: why we verify, and what it means for you
Verification can feel like friction, but in cross-border payments it is what protects your money. Here is what KYC is, why it exists, and what it means for you in practice.
Paying Chinese suppliers from Uganda: MTN MoMo, Airtel Money and bank
A Uganda-specific guide. Uganda does not use M-PESA — here is how to fund an RMB supplier payment with MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money or a bank transfer, and how the process works.
Sourcing-agent and consolidator fees: what is normal and how to pay them
Agents and consolidators make importing easier, but what should you actually pay them, and how? A clear, honest guide to fees and paying them safely.
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