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Join Renaud Anjoran, Founder & CEO of Sofeast, in this podcast aimed at importers who develop their own products as he discusses the hottest topics and shares actionable tips for manufacturing in China & Asia today!
WHO IS RENAUD?
Renaud is a French ISO 9001 & 14001 certified lead auditor, ASQ certified Quality Engineer and Quality Manager who has been working in the Chinese manufacturing industry since 2005. He is the founder of the Sofeast group that has over 200 staff globally and offers services (QA, product development & engineering, project management, Supply Chain Management, product compliance, reliability testing), contract manufacturing, and 3PL fulfillment for importers and businesses who develop their own products and buyers from China & SE Asia.
WHY LISTEN?
We‘ll discuss interesting topics for anyone who develops and sources their products from Asian suppliers and will share Renaud‘s decades of manufacturing experience, as well as inviting guests from the industry to get a different viewpoint. Our goal is to help you get better results and end up with suppliers and products that exceed your expectations!
Episodes
Friday Dec 12, 2025
Friday Dec 12, 2025
Hidden commissions and kickbacks can still be found in China sourcing, and many importers are unaware that they’re paying for them. In this episode, Adrian and Renaud unpack how these schemes work, how agents and trading companies quietly erode your margin, and what a more transparent, safer sourcing model looks like.
Episode Sections:
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00:00 – Intro & today’s topic: hidden commissions in China sourcing
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01:32 – Agents vs trading companies: who are you really buying from?
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03:01 – When a middleman does add value (and when they don’t)
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07:48 – Transparent trading companies acting as a factory’s sales office
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12:44 – Buyer-side agents, double commissions, and why it’s so tempting
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18:01 – How traders quietly erode your margin with small opaque factories
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21:48 – Short-term thinking, “circles” of trust, and why you’re outside of it
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24:44 – Red flags with agents: pricing control, commission structure, and resistance to change
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25:47 – Red flags with traders: factory visibility, visits, and compliance documents
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26:56 – Moving to a safer model: when you may need a completely new supply chain
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29:14 – Simple health-check: how well do you really know your supply chain?
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31:00 – Why a lack of visibility puts your IP and business at risk
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31:42 – Wrap-up, “health check your sourcing” call-to-action, and Sofeast support
Related content...
- Agent vs. trader vs. importer: what differences?
- Is My Supplier A Trading Company Pretending To Be A Manufacturer?
- Do you need a sourcing agent to buy from China?
- Chinese Suppliers: “Are you my factory?”
- Hidden commissions between China factories and sourcing agents
Get in touch with us
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- Connect with us on LinkedIn
- Contact us via Sofeast's contact page
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
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