Guides: sourcing custom parts made to drawing from China

Know-how for purchasing, engineering and quality assurance

Anyone who wants to source parts made to drawing from China soon runs into the same questions: Is it worth it at our quantity? Who owns the tool? How do I find a manufacturer rather than a middleman? And what does the product really cost in the end once customs duty, import VAT and freight are added?

In these guides we answer these questions as concretely as possible – with guide values, worked examples, references to standards and checklists. The content comes from day-to-day series sourcing of cast, turned, milled, sheet metal, plastic and rubber parts, which TOP Asia Technik GmbH has been organising since 2011 for customers in mechanical engineering, plant engineering, vehicle manufacturing and equipment manufacturing.

Topics at a glance

The articles roughly follow the course of a sourcing project: from a clean enquiry through supplier selection and tooling to first sampling and import.

• Before the enquiry: Preparing an enquiry for parts made to drawing and Specifying tolerances correctly – so that quotations become comparable and tight tolerances appear only where they are needed.
• Supplier and tooling: Finding and vetting suppliers in China and Tooling costs in China with an amortisation calculation and notes on tool ownership.
• Quality: First article inspection report (FAIR) – content, procedure and differences between VDA and PPAP.
• Import and delivery terms: Customs duty, import VAT and anti-dumping duties and Incoterms 2020 for imports from China.

A specific question about your part?

General knowledge helps you get your bearings – but a reliable statement on tooling, unit price and shipping route requires your drawing. You can read more about our approach under Sourcing from China; parts and processes are listed under Custom parts. You can send your documents directly via the enquiry form.

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