Service 05
Sourcing agent for Asia: Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and beyond
The right supplier for your product is not always in the country you first thought of. We act as your sourcing agent across Asia — Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, India and beyond — and run the whole purchase for you in English, Japanese or Vietnamese from our office in Ho Chi Minh City: supplier search, comparison, samples, inspection, documents and delivery.
- Thailand
- Taiwan
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- South Korea
- India
- And elsewhere in Asia
Each Asian manufacturing base has its own strengths. Thailand is known for automotive parts and food processing, Malaysia for electronics and rubber products, Taiwan for electronic components, machinery and precision parts, and Indonesia for furniture, rattan, coffee and other natural materials. These are examples, not limits: tell us what you need, and we find the country and the supplier that fit.
We also source car accessories: exterior items such as door visors and hood guards, and interior items such as floor mats, cargo liners and seat covers, from factories in Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia — as stock items or under your own brand. We find factories that hold tooling for your vehicle models, test-fit samples and manage delivery.
Working with one sourcing agent across several countries changes what you can ask for. Instead of a separate agent in each country, each recommending its own suppliers, you get one procurement process: one brief, one shortlist that can include suppliers from different countries, and one person who answers for the result.
Because we source in Vietnam and Japan as well, we can put suppliers from different countries side by side on the same terms — the same specification, the same Incoterm, the same documents — so you choose on a real comparison rather than on the first quotation that arrives.
The goods can be delivered to Vietnam, to Japan or to wherever you are. Where a free trade agreement applies between the origin and the destination, we arrange the certificate of origin so the preferential duty rate can be claimed.
Sourcing agent by country
How we work in each country — the registry we check, the certificate of origin, the standards and the ports. All run from Ho Chi Minh City.
- Sourcing agent in Thailand Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing agent in Taiwan Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing agent in Malaysia Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing agent in Indonesia Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing agent in the Philippines Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing agent in South Korea Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing agent in India Suppliers, samples, inspection, origin papers
- Sourcing from Vietnam From our own office in Ho Chi Minh City
- Sourcing from Japan Negotiated in Japanese
What this includes
Supplier search across Asia
We look for suppliers in Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and other Asian countries that actually make your kind of product.
Country-by-country comparison
Quotations from different countries collected on the same specification and terms, so they can be compared line by line.
Samples and quality checks
Samples for your approval, and inspection before shipment — including third-party inspection when you want an independent report.
Documents and certificates of origin
Commercial documents, and the certificate of origin under the applicable free trade agreement where a preferential rate is available.
Delivery anywhere
Shipped to Vietnam, to Japan or to your own country, coordinated with the forwarder of your choice.
Car accessories, stock or private label
Door visors, floor mats, seat covers and similar accessories from factories in Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia, bought as stock items or made under your brand.
One counterpart, three languages
One point of contact for suppliers in several countries, working in English, Japanese and Vietnamese.
How a sourcing request runs
- 01 Brief The product, specification, quantity and destination — and any country you already have in mind, or want to avoid.
- 02 Supplier search We identify the countries where the product is made well, shortlist suppliers there, and check each one against its national company registry.
- 03 Quotations compared on the same terms Suppliers in different countries quote the same specification, quantity and Incoterm, and we add the duty that applies at your destination, so the comparison is on landed cost rather than on factory price.
- 04 Samples Samples from the shortlisted suppliers, sent to you or to us for checking, with your comments passed back in writing.
- 05 Production follow-up and inspection We follow the order and inspect the goods before shipment against the criteria you agreed, or appoint an independent inspector where the supplier is.
- 06 Shipping Export documents, the certificate of origin under the right trade agreement, and delivery — consolidated with goods from other suppliers where that saves cost.
What we handle, and what you decide
A sourcing agent does the legwork; the decisions stay with you.
We handle
- Searching for suppliers that actually make your kind of product, and shortlisting them
- Checking each candidate against its company registry, and any certificate it shows with the body that issued it
- Carrying your specification to the supplier and its questions back to you, in writing
- Collecting quotations on the same specification, quantity and Incoterm
- Moving samples, recording your comments and following production
- Inspection before shipment, export documents and the certificate of origin
- Comparing suppliers from different countries on landed cost
You decide
- The specification, and what counts as a defect
- Your target price, quantity and delivery date
- Which supplier gets the order
- Whether a sample is approved
- Whether the goods ship once you have read the inspection report
- The Incoterm, the forwarder and the payment terms
How our fee is worked out
We do not publish a rate card, because the work behind a sourcing request varies too much for a single number to mean anything. What we can tell you is what the quotation for our work depends on, and we put it in writing before anything starts.
- How we are paid
- Either we act as the trading party and invoice you for the goods, with our margin inside the price, or we act as your buying agent and invoice a service fee while you pay the supplier directly. We agree which model applies before the supplier search begins.
- How much searching the product needs
- A complete drawing or specification with one target country is a different job from a loose description that needs suppliers compared across several countries.
- Samples and visits
- How many sample rounds the product is likely to need, and whether a factory has to be seen in person or checked by an independent inspector.
- Inspection, documents and delivery
- Who inspects and how many lots ship, which certificates and origin documents the destination asks for, the Incoterm you buy on, and whether goods from several suppliers are consolidated into one shipment.
What we do — and the promises we keep
We put both in writing, so you know exactly what to expect from us.
We do
- Source any product from Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and elsewhere in Asia
- Compare suppliers from different countries on the same terms
- Source car accessories (door visors, floor mats, seat covers) as stock items or private label
- Arrange samples, inspection and export documents
- Arrange certificates of origin under applicable free trade agreements
- Deliver to Vietnam, Japan or wherever you are
What we will not do
- We do not quote a price before the specification is clear enough to quote against
- We do not promise a certification a supplier does not hold — we check with the issuer
- We do not ship goods whose export or import is prohibited by law
Before you write to us
You do not need all of this to start a conversation — but the more of it you have, the faster we can give you a real answer instead of a range.
- Drawing, specification or a clear photograph of the product
- Quantity, and how often you will order
- Destination country and preferred Incoterm
- Any country you prefer, or want to avoid
- Certificates or test reports your market requires
- Your current supplier and price, if you are looking to switch
Frequently asked questions
Which countries can you source from?
Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and India, as well as Vietnam and Japan, and other countries across Asia. Tell us the product and we find the country and the supplier that fit. Each of the countries above has its own page on how we work there.
Do you have an office in each country?
No. The work is run from our office in Ho Chi Minh City. We find, check and manage suppliers in each country in writing and by video, and where a site has to be seen or goods inspected on the spot, we agree with you beforehand whether we travel or appoint an independent inspector there.
Can you compare a supplier in Thailand with one in Vietnam?
Yes. We collect quotations from different countries on the same specification, Incoterm and documents, so the comparison is real rather than a comparison of different offers.
Where can the goods be delivered?
To Vietnam, to Japan or to your own country. We coordinate with the forwarder of your choice.
Can we get a preferential duty rate?
Where a free trade agreement applies between the country of origin and the destination and the goods meet its rules of origin, we arrange the certificate of origin so the preferential rate can be claimed.
Which languages do you work in?
English, Japanese and Vietnamese, with one point of contact for suppliers in every country.
Guides for this service
Practical, step-by-step notes written from Ho Chi Minh City, with sources and the date we checked them.
Contact
Tell us what you want to buy or sell — in Vietnam or Japan
Selling into Vietnam or Japan, sourcing from either, or a product made under your own brand. One Japanese-managed team in Ho Chi Minh City, working in English, Japanese and Vietnamese.