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Finding a partner in China
How to pick a distributor, a Tmall Partner, or a Douyin Partner in China, and check one before you sign. From the team behind Compass.
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LatestMarket StrategyDistributor sell-out report template for ChinaThe one-page monthly report to demand from a China distributor, Tmall Partner or Douyin Partner: six lines and where each number must come from.8 min read · Nov 2026Read the article 
Market StrategyChina distributor KPIs: an eight-line scorecard
Score a China distributor every quarter on eight KPIs, from sell-out to weeks of cover and payment days, with a band and weight for each line.
Market StrategyHong Kong as a base for selling into mainland China
A Hong Kong company can be your Tmall Global or Douyin seller, hold stock and sign contracts. It can't import for general trade. What each use needs.
Market StrategyChoosing a baby products distributor in China, one product at a time
A baby products distributor in China is picked product by product. Formula needs a SAMR registration to reach shops. Cross-border needs none.
Market StrategyChoosing a cosmetics distributor in China starts with the filing
A cosmetics distributor in China needs your NMPA filing and a responsible person before it sells. Cross-border needs neither, so hire a TP or a DP.
E-CommerceChina agency fraud in two police cases: the upfront fee and the guarantee
Two Shenzhen police cases show how China agency fraud works: a big upfront fee, a sales guarantee and a firm with no record. Three checks catch it.
Market StrategyChoosing a supplements distributor in China: blue hat or cross-border
A supplements distributor in China needs a blue hat to sell your product, and your manufacturer holds it. No blue hat means cross-border and a TP.
E-CommerceTmall brand authorization letter: your lever over resellers
A Tmall brand authorization letter decides which store a reseller can open. What each store type needs, and why every letter needs an end date.
E-CommerceWhen to take ecommerce in-house in China
When to take ecommerce in-house in China: compare the costs, build the team, and plan a Tmall Partner handover around orders and refunds.
E-CommerceTmall agency cost: retainer, commission and extras
Tmall agency cost, line by line: the TP retainer, sales commission and extras, with year-one totals at three sales levels and what to negotiate.
E-CommerceBrands leaving Tmall Global: what exits tell you
Read brand exits by channel, stated reason and store economics before deciding whether to change your Tmall Partner or close your flagship.
Market StrategySelling to JD self-run and Hema via a distributor
JD self-run buys your stock, guarantees itself a margin and pays about 60 days later. A distributor carries that gap. Here is how to price it in.
Market StrategyMinimum order terms with a Chinese distributor
Minimum order terms with a Chinese distributor: size the first order to launch, tie yearly minimums to exclusivity, keep consignment for tests.
Market StrategyPet food distributor in China after the 10% tariff
China's duty on imported dog and cat food rose from 4% to 10% in 2025. Check what a pet food distributor holds before you compare its price.
Market StrategyChina supermarket listing fees: check the charges
Check supermarket listing, barcode, and display fees in China. Agree who funds each charge and what proof your distributor must provide.
E-CommerceTmall Partner onboarding: your first 90 days
Set your new Tmall Partner’s first 90 days: store access, launch checks, cash approvals, and weekly reports that show whether the work is on track.
Compliance & SetupMy distributor registered my trademark in China
A distributor filed your trademark in China. Check the opposition deadline, preserve evidence, and compare invalidation with a negotiated transfer.
E-CommerceDouble 11 agency review: what to measure
Review your China partner on sales after returns, ad spend, new buyers, and stock. Includes a printable agenda for agreeing changes before 618.
Market StrategyRegional distributor in China: how to choose
Compare regional and national distributors in China. Check active accounts, sub-distributors, costs, and online rights before granting territory.
KOLs & LivestreamDouyin livestream agency vs DP: who does what
A Douyin livestream agency sells creator time; a Douyin Partner runs your shop, live room and ads. What each one costs, and what you keep.
KOLs & LivestreamDouyin affiliate commission: what a brand really pays creators
Douyin affiliate commission runs 5% to 80% of each kept sale, and big hosts add a slot fee that returns don't refund. How to price both per kept order.
Compliance & SetupChina distribution contracts: Chinese language, chops and arbitration
A China distribution contract needs a controlling Chinese text, a chop that matches the license and arbitration that can reach the partner's assets.
Market StrategyChoosing a food and drink importer in China
A China food importer holds your factory registration, signs off your Chinese label and runs your cold chain. The checks to run before you sign.
Market StrategyState-owned or private importer: which one to sign
State-owned importers bring licenses, deep pockets and state retail, and move slowly. Private ones sell harder, with more credit risk. How to choose.
E-CommerceRed flags in a Tmall or Douyin agency proposal
Guaranteed GMV, commission on gross sales, ad spend in the agency's account, a team you never meet: what each proposal line costs you, and what to ask.
Market StrategyHow to tell a real China distributor from a trading company
A real China distributor holds stock and retail accounts. A trading company takes an order and leaves. Eight checks tell them apart, six from a desk.
Compliance & SetupTmall Global importer of record: who fills the role
Tmall Global has no importer of record. Your overseas company owns the stock, a mainland agent clears it and a TP runs the store. What each one costs.
Market StrategyChina distributor exclusivity: what to give, and what to keep
How to grant China distributor exclusivity: by region and channel, each tied to a yearly target and a review date, with your online flagship kept apart.
Compliance & SetupDouyin cross-border brand verification: what it changes for your partner
Douyin cross-border brand verification asks brands to prove they are made and sold abroad. Your partner can file it, but only you hold the evidence.
E-CommerceCan the same agency be your Tmall Partner and Douyin Partner?
One agency can run your Tmall store and Douyin shop if its live-room team has its own Douyin results. How to check that team and write the contract.
Market StrategyTmall Partner vs distributor in China: who to hire first
Hire a distributor if your product needs a shelf, a Tmall Partner if shoppers search for it, a Douyin Partner if it sells on camera. Costs side by side.
Compliance & SetupChanging your cosmetics responsible person in China
Since July 29, 2026, a foreign cosmetics brand can replace its China responsible person without the old distributor's consent. What to file and sign.
Market StrategyChina distributor margin and imported product price
How China distributor margins, duty and VAT turn an ex-works price into a shelf price, with a worked ladder and the cross-border comparison.
Compliance & SetupChina distributor price control: a clause that held
A Shanghai court held a cosmetics distributor to a 200,000 RMB diversion clause. What works against parallel sales, and what China bans.
Market StrategyChina trade fairs to find a distributor in 2026-27
The China trade fairs where foreign food and beauty brands meet distributors in 2026-27, who is buying at each, and what to book before you fly.
E-CommerceDouyin agency cost: retainer, commission, creators
Douyin agency cost, line by line: the retainer, GMV commission, creator fees and Qianchuan ads, with a worked year at RMB 5 million of sales.
E-CommerceDouyin return rate by category and what it costs
The Douyin return rate runs from about 5% in food to 50% or more in women's apparel. What it does to cost per kept order, and how to pay a partner.
Market StrategyPayment terms with a Chinese distributor
Prepayment or a letter of credit first, open terms after a payment record, then insurance. What each payment term costs with a Chinese distributor.
Market StrategyReplace a China distributor without losing the shelf
How to replace a China distributor: sign the new partner first, give written notice, clear old stock, then move labels, filings and store rights.
Market StrategySell-in vs sell-out with a Chinese distributor
Sell-in is what your distributor buys. Sell-out is what shoppers buy. How to spot stock pushing in China, and the one ratio to check every month.
Compliance & SetupWhen a Tmall agency fakes orders, the brand pays
When an agency fakes orders on your Tmall or Douyin store, your deposit, listings and name are on the line. What China's courts and rules say.
E-CommerceTmall Partner agency vs distributor: who sets price
A service Tmall Partner runs your store for a fee while you own the stock and the price. A buy-out partner buys your stock and sets the price.
E-CommerceTmall Partner contract terms that decide your exit
Tmall Partner contract terms that decide a clean exit: store ownership, data handover, notice, KPIs, commission base, ad spend and a sabotage penalty.
E-CommerceTmall and Douyin partner ratings: what they mean
Tmall Global rates partners Gold, Silver or Bronze Star, Tmall certifies five- and six-star operators, Douyin grades Diamond, Gold or Silver.
E-CommerceWho owns your Tmall store when a partner runs it
A Tmall store or Douyin shop belongs to the company that registered it. What to keep in your name when a Tmall partner runs it, and what to sign.
Market StrategyVerify a Chinese company on Qichacha and GSXT
How to verify a Chinese company before you sign: the eight fields to read on GSXT and Qichacha, and the court records that should stop a deal.
Market StrategyChina distributor vs own store: honest comparison
A distributor gets you into China with no cash and no team. Your own store costs money up front. Here is what each one really costs, row by row.
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