Sourcing Glossary — importing terms, in plain English
Sourcing from China comes with a wall of jargon — Incoterms, MOQ, AQL, demurrage. This glossary explains the terms that actually affect your money and your risk, in plain language, with no fluff. Each entry is a short, practical guide written for importers, not lawyers.
Who pays, who’s at risk, and who owns the goods at each step.
When the goods (and the risk) become yours.
The seller’s job ends at their door; why importers should be careful.
And why the ICC recommends it over FOB for containers.
The hidden catch: insurance isn’t the same as risk.
Which should you choose, and why CIF can cost more.
And why “DDU” is now called DAP.
The terms you hit when placing and protecting an order.
Minimum order quantity, and how to negotiate it down.
How to keep your supplier source private.
How to define and check quality before you pay.
Quality assurance prevents defects; quality control catches them.
What to include (+ free template).
The 7 sections a good one needs (+ free template).
Knowing the terms is step one. Getting them enforced at the factory is step two — that’s what we do.
Independent QC before you pay.
Vet the supplier before you commit.
Confused by a term in your supplier's quote?
Ask us — we live in this every day.