7 Questions You Must Ask Suppliers at the Canton Fair (Before...

# 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.