How sourcing works
Sourcing through Cheery Supply Chain is a six-step process: specification, factory matching, a written quotation, samples, production with checkpoints, and pre-shipment inspection.
- You can stop after the quotation or after the sample without committing to production.
- The quotation states the price basis, MOQ, lead time, tooling and validity in writing.
- Tooling ownership is agreed up front — it decides whether you can move the programme later.
Buyers do not need a longer brochure. They need to know what happens after they send a specification, what it costs to stop, and what could go wrong. This is the whole process, including the money.
What are the six steps?
- Specification. You send the product, quantity, the parameters that drive cost, the colorway reference, packaging and destination market. You need to send: a specification and a quantity. Typical time: same day. Stop point: free — nothing is committed.
- Matching. We check the specification against verified factory records and tell you which factories can genuinely make it — including when none can. Typical time: 1–2 business days.
- Quotation. A written quotation per factory stating the price basis (FOB port or EXW factory), MOQ, lead time, tooling, what is included and the validity period. Typical time: 2–5 business days. Stop point: free — no order exists until you accept it in writing.
- Sample. We request samples against the quotation, coordinate consolidation if you want one shipment, and tell you what changed between the sample and the production build. Typical time: 7–15 days with existing tooling, 3–6 weeks with new tooling. Stop point: you carry sample and courier cost only.
- Order and production. The order is placed on the agreed terms, and we follow production against the approved sample at agreed checkpoints rather than only at the end. Typical time: per lead time.
- Inspection and shipping. Pre-shipment inspection against the approved sample, defect documentation, then shipping documents and the inspection report handed to you. Typical time: 2–5 business days.
Ready to start
## How big is the Chinese fishing tackle export market?| Measure | 2024 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All fishing tackle (HS 9507) | US$1.93 bn | US$1.77 bn | +9.0% |
| Fishing rods (HS 950710) | US$0.66 bn | US$0.62 bn | +6.5% |
| Fish hooks (HS 950720) | US$0.11 bn | US$0.11 bn | flat |
| Destination countries served | 196 | 197 | -1 |
| Largest single destination | US$546 M | US$445 M | +23% |
Rods account for about 34% of the total and hooks about 6%. The largest single destination takes roughly 28% of the 2024 total — which is why the export markets already on a supplier record are worth reading before you ask for a price.
Who supplies the United States?
| Source | 2024 import value | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| China | US$538 M | 59% |
| Japan | US$74 M | 8% |
| Malaysia | US$53 M | 6% |
| Viet Nam | US$42 M | 5% |
| All other sources (65 countries) | US$199 M | 22% |
| Total US imports | US$906 M | 100% |
The United States bought US$906 M of fishing tackle under HS 9507 in 2024 from 69 source countries. China supplied US$538 M of it — 59% of the total, and roughly 7 times the next largest source. That concentration is why specification discipline matters more than factory discovery: the factories are not hard to find, the comparable quotation is.
Figures retrieved from UN Comtrade (reporter China and United States, HS 9507, 2024) and aggregated across partner countries. They are historical customs values, not offers.
Related: the rules that decide whether a shipment clears customs — lead restrictions, packaging law, product-safety duties and country-of-origin marking — are set out on the fishing tackle compliance page.
To see these six steps next to verification, price bases and inspection in one route, read the China sourcing playbook.
Topics in detail
Three topics from this standard have their own page. Each one can be read, cited and updated on its own, without the rest of this page moving.
- How long a tackle order actually takesA repeat order and a first order with new tooling are different programmes, and the difference is measured in months rather than days.2 questions1088 words
- What gets inspected, and what you receiveInspection measures the order against the approved physical sample, not against a description. What cannot be measured against a sample cannot be inspected.2 questions1083 words
- Three ways to buy, and where programmes go wrongThe model you choose decides who holds the factory contract and who carries the risk when something goes wrong. It is the first commercial decision, not the last.2 questions1162 words