What is your experience?
Great question. From my experience working between China suppliers and the U.S. market, 1688 can often provide better factory pricing, but the challenge is not just finding a supplier, it’s verifying quality, communication, payment, and production capability.
Alibaba is usually easier for international buyers because of language support and trade services, but you may pay a higher price.
The biggest advantage comes from understanding how to evaluate suppliers, negotiate, and manage the sourcing process.
I recently wrote a guide sharing some of these real-world sourcing lessons from working with Chinese suppliers and U.S. buyers. Happy to share some insights here as well.