7 Questions You Must Ask Suppliers at the Booth

At the Canton Fair, you have about 5 minutes per booth to decide if a supplier is worth your time. Most buyers ask "What is the price?" and "What is the MOQ?"

That’s a mistake. Bad suppliers will lie about price to get your contact info. Smart buyers ask questions that dig deeper.

Here are the 7 questions you must ask to filter out bad suppliers immediately.

1. "Is this product your main product line?"

If a supplier sells headphones, humidifiers, AND socks, they are a trading company. A real factory specializes. You want a specialist, not a generalist.

2. "What are your main export markets?"

  • If they say "Africa and Middle East", their quality standard might be lower (focus on price).
  • If they say "USA and Europe", they likely have FDA/CE/RoHS certifications and higher quality control.

3. "Do you have the tooling (molds) for this design?"

  • "Yes, it's our private mold": Great. They own the design, and you won't see it in every other booth.
  • "No, it's a public mold": Anyone can sell this. Expect a price war.

4. "Can I visit your factory during this trip?"

Watch their body language.

  • Confident: "Yes, anytime!" (A real factory).
  • Nervous: "Uh, we are very busy... maybe next time." (Likely a middleman or a very small workshop).

5. "What is your defect rate policy?"

Don't ask if there are defects. Ask what happens when there are defects.

  • Good Answer: "We replace defective units in the next shipment."
  • Bad Answer: "We have zero defects, don't worry my friend." (This is a lie).

6. "Who are your current customers?"

They might not name big brands due to NDAs, but they should be able to name regions or types of retailers (e.g., "We supply big supermarkets in France").

7. "Can you make these modifications?"

Pick up a sample and ask for a specific change (e.g., "Can we change this button to metal?").

  • Factory: Will discuss the technical feasibility and cost.
  • Trader: Will just say "Yes, yes, no problem" to everything without thinking.

Summary

The goal is not to interrogate them, but to see if they know their product. A professional supplier will appreciate these questions because it shows you are a professional buyer.