The advantages of the whole industrial chain of China’s household appliance industry, overlaid with the surge in the global household and office demand, which, according to factors such as the Chinese production substitution effect, promotes more good export orders for appliance companies.

As a result, in 2021, China’s home appliance industry exceeded $100 billion for the first time, reaching $104.4 billion. An increase of 24.7%.

Being one of the world’s largest exporters of household appliances, Made in China is no longer synonymous with shoddy manufacturing, and more Chinese home appliance brands are going to the international market too.

If you want to start a small appliance business in the future, please read this article carefully, and I will give you some detailed reference suggestions.

What do you need to know before you prepare to import kitchen appliances from China?

1, what are the categories of the household appliance industry?

In the home appliance industry, we divide the products into four categories. Except for the world’s leading brand companies which will achieve total coverage, most brand companies can not completely cover all the products. It mainly lies in the following points.

• In brand planning, most companies are still willing to do No.1 in a particular segment to put all their resources into this field. For example, some brands selling slow juicers, such as Tribest, Kuvings, Hurom, Omega (a sub-brand of The Legacy companies) Etc. The same can be done to achieve global coverage.
• In Investment planning, full category coverage is an asset-heavy investment. Procurement, shipping, warehousing, logistics, advertising, and matching staff will incur huge costs. If you are a new company, I advise choosing the products you are most familiar with or that best meet the market demand to start. Then do the marketing and product layout step by step.
• Market specialized coverage areas. It will be easier to open awareness if the brand has not been formed and a large area of product coverage will lead to consumer confusion. Each brand should have its core suppliers and products. If it is a new brand, it has a certain degree of visibility after expanding to other categories.

We divide home appliances into three categories.

• White Home Appliance

• Black Home Appliance

• Small Home Appliance

White home appliances mainly include refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and other significant products; if your brand is white home appliances, you should look for some matching Chinese suppliers. Gree, Midea, and Haier are well-known Chinese brands and manufacturers. As the leading manufacturers of white home appliances, they have deep technical precipitation.

Black home appliances mainly include TVs, game consoles, audio, home theaters, etc. Hisense, Skyworth, TCL, Changhong, and other companies are excellent choices. All are well-known Chinese brand names and manufacturers.

There are many small home appliances, and we distinguish between Motor Driving and Heating. The motor-driving small devices are mainly juicers, blenders, meat grinders, food processors, grinders, and other motor-driven products for electrical products, but the electric category is subdivided into DC and AC motors (please read my other article, the difference between DC motor and AC motor). Heating small appliances are mainly electric kettles, rice cookers, induction cookers, baking machines, air fryers, air ovens, and coffee makers (without grinding) to work on the principle of heating tubes. For different product cost control, the heat pipe is also divided into metal heaters and non-metal heaters.

Looking at the household appliance market in 2022, despite the multiple challenges, the product-driven restructuring is still accelerating. Having addressed user needs and meeting user demands as the core values, and the emergence of many new products, fully reflects that the technology of household appliances is not only meeting people’s pursuit of a better life but also leads to the direction of industry innovation and development.

2, Which types of kitchen appliances are included?

According to the insulation level, small appliances are divided into：

• Class I

• Class II

One of the differences is the Insulation level. Class I has single-working insulation. Class II uses double insulation or strengthens the insulation requirements.

Grounding is another difference. Class I has grounding terminals, and grounding wire provisions must be grounded and connected to zero wire. Class I equipment requires grounding wire, dropping wire inspection is also more important than the phase line inspection, phase line fault equipment does not work, easy to find, grounding wire does not work, the product or equipment does not have any impact on regular operation, once the accident occurs, will cause electric shock or even death. Class II appliances have no grounding requirements.

Also, the wire color is different. Class, I grounding wire uses the appearance of yellow and green double-colored copper-core insulated wire, while Class II does not. For Class I, electric shock protection not only relies on essential insulation but also has an additional preventive measure. The method is easy to reach the conductive parts and has been installed in the fixed line protection of the grounding conductor connection so that it is easy to get the conductive components. If the elemental insulation damage does not become an electrically charged body, such as die-casting models of powerful mixers are primarily Class I; horizontal juicer also belongs to Class I, because of its structural limitations, the motor shaft is directly linked to the screw, so it also belongs to Class I.

Class II, in terms of protection against electric shock, not only relies on essential insulation but also has additional safety precautions. The method is to use double insulation to strengthen the insulation structure, but no protective grounding or relying on the installation conditions of the measures, such as centrifugal juicer, food cooking machine, etc. belong to Class II.

According to the international test standard, Class I input without grounding withstands a voltage test of 1500VAC / 1 minute, and Class II input without grounding withstands a voltage test of 3000VAC / 1 minute.

All categories of small kitchen appliances

• The part list of electric heating kitchen appliances.

• The part list of Motor Driving kitchen appliances.

Notes on the use of household appliances

• Do not place it in a humid, heat-source, flammable, dusty place.
• During operation, do not touch the switch or its metal enclosure with wet hands, and do not touch the electrical components. Like hairdryers, soldering irons, and other electrical appliances held by a hand, do not wrap the wire around the hand or small arm, cut off the power supply and do not pull the wire by hand to unplug.
• Use the human body to contact the electric heating apparatus to have an overheating protection device. If there is an abnormal smell or noise, the power should be immediately cut off to check the cause of the strange phenomenon.
• To frequently check the power of electric heating apparatus power leads, shaking the head, and socket, found aging, the degree of insulation decline to be replaced on time.

3, What is the difference in voltage in different countries?

The issue of voltage in different countries will involve a long history. But In general, the current-voltage used for indoor electricity in countries around the world is roughly two kinds; 110-130V & 220-240V.

110-130V is categorized as low voltage such as in the United States, Japan, etc., focusing on safety.

220-240V is classified as high voltage, which includes 220V in China and 230V in the UK and many European countries, focusing on efficiency.

• 100V: Japan, North Korea.
• 110-130V in about 30 countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, etc.
• 220-240V in about 120 countries: China, Britain, Germany, France, Singapore, Italy, Spain, Austria, Thailand, India, Australia, etc.

There are also individual countries where 127V and 220V coexist, for example, Brazil. In principle, the lower the voltage is, the naturally safer users are. In the time it takes to produce fatal harm to the human body, 110V is indeed shorter than 220V, with about 100 milliseconds difference. But whether it is 110V or 220V, it greatly exceeds the range of safe voltage and the actual decision of safety falls on the size of the current.  So whether the danger occurs depends more on the electrocution environment.

4, What is the difference in certification in different countries?

(Read More details about USA and EU Standards)

The popularity of household appliances is significant due to the quality and safety testing of home appliances. In some countries, you need to provide the relevant certification when importing containers to average customs clearance, or in the process of supermarket sales, you will have special security personnel come around from time to time to check to ensure that each product is in line with the safety requirements. We divide the certification into two categories.

1. Factory system certification

ISO system certification/BSCI system certification/Sedex certification system.

2. Products safety certification

Some European countries: CE, RoHS, REACH, WEEE, LVD, ERP.

Germany: GS

United States: FCC, FDA, UL, ETL

Japan: PSE, MIC, METI

Saudi Arabia: SABER

UK: UKCA

Israel: SII

Middle East countries: CB

Brazil: INMETRO

Korea: KC

Malaysia: CB

5, What is the difference between plugs in different countries?

(Reading More Details About Power cord & Plug)

The VDE standard is currently the most widely used in the world. The European Union countries are universal. Specifically, Russia， Germany, France, Norway, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, France, Belgium, and other European countries, as well as most of the Middle East countries. There is also Korea, the same as VDE, but Korea has its certification standards; KTL VDE standard wire. The scope of use is much more comprehensive. Almost 70% of the world’s countries can be shared, and it can be said that the VDE standard power cord is currently the world’s most widely used and the most authoritative!

American-style plugs are used in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Colombia, Philippines, Thailand, Other countries, and Taiwan. The picture is the UL plug used in the United States.

British Standard plugs are used in Hong Kong and the UK, Singapore, Indonesia, Maldives, Qatar, and other countries and regions.

Australian plugs are mainly used in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.

The small South African plug is mainly used in South Africa, India, and Pakistan.

6, How to choose the right channel to find the right supplier.

For experienced buyers, the world’s countries should also participate in many exhibitions. Although due to the current epidemic, the current collection is not as frequent as before, many Chinese manufacturing companies have begun to rely on the main customer acquisition channels in a variety of B2B websites, which is also an excellent way to get suppliers. In addition, some companies will also operate the official website on Google; more convincing, and also not so difficult to choose among various suppliers. A good supplier needs to be cultivated for buyers, and for suppliers, customers are the same. Pay attention to several issues.

Understand the background of potential suppliers, the time of establishment, and the main product categories and customers currently in cooperation. This helps to further understand the strength of the supplier. The company’s sales staff can best reflect a company’s corporate culture. From the attitude toward handling things and the ability to solve problems to various assessments.

On the importance of a detailed quotation, the follow-up will have more trouble if a quote is not understood. A timely response is also a crucial aspect. No one likes to be delayed all the time. Experienced sales staff will be the quickest to solve every problem raised by customers. The sampling process is also crucial. If the samples can’t have a good user experience, the excellent goods are all the same.

The integrity of the certification will indirectly reflect the importance of the supplier to different markets. Generally, mature suppliers can meet the certification needs of any market (except for some highly targeted certifications, such as Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, etc.)

Products are the core competitiveness of enterprises, and a strong R & D team will directly demonstrate the core of corporate survival. Supplier selection criteria, incoming material inspection standards, and finished product inspection standards are the only means to control reasonable quality.

7, How to take the next step after choosing a good supplier.

After the initial contact, when your heart recognizes the supplier and the product’s price can meet the expectations, you will ask the factory to arrange sample testing. The factory usually asks for a sample fee for high-value products, a standard requirement. Typically, the sample fee is three times the value of the goods (the factory does not bear the air freight cost), and if your order quantity can reach the MOQ standard set by the factory, the sample fee will be deducted from the payment, or who will provide the equivalent value of spare parts for replacement.

As a supplier, if the customer is willing to pay the sample fee, it shows how much the customer values this new item. It is beneficial for both parties.

Regarding the sample test, from our company product; the Horizontal Original Juicer, I would ask for the following test for the customer who is in contact with this category for the first time.

• Packaging: We will use two layers of cartons when shipping samples, a color box + outer box, and the liner to protect the product. We need to confirm whether the product is intact.
• Appearance: First ensure whether the fundamental product design can meet the market demand.
• Surface treatment: To determine whether it is injection molding color or oil spraying color. To check the appearance of the sample and know whether there are defects in parts installation according to the manual guidelines.
• To assemble the product and power it on To ensure that the product is not damaged in transit. Stand in the consumer perspective to understand the user experience to avoid similar problems in the production of large quantities.
• Parts installation: According to the manual guidelines to assemble the product and power it on, to ensure that the product is not damaged in transit, stand in the consumer’s perspective to understand the user experience.
• Plug and voltage: You need to check the voltage and plug, in line with national requirements. If there is a mistake with the standard, you need to immediately stop the test and ask the factory to replace it.
• No-loud noise test: In a tranquil environment at a distance of one meter from the power listening to the product work whether the sound exceeds 60dB.
• Food test: Prepare the ingredients you want to test, including a variety of fruits and vegetables. If you try the juice rate following the standard 1KG, only to test the working state can be tested arbitrarily. The most representative is carrots, wheat grass, pomegranate, ginger, celery, etc.

8, How to communicate with the factory about producing small-batch trial orders

For example, the standard MOQ of our factory is 1000 units (1X20GP container) (For more information about the container, please read How to accurately estimate the size of the containers? )

Setting the standard of 1000 units is a careful consideration. We also need to meet our supplier’s MOQ when purchasing materials, especially plastic parts, motors, circuit boards, packaging, etc., to avoid additional costs.

If you are new to the home appliance industry brand, if the order quantity can not meet the supplier MOQ requirements, you can refer to the following suggestions.

• Do not require color, and you can negotiate with the factory whether the warehouse of your choice of this product has a large body in stock, and does not require coloring, as long as there is no other brand LOGO that can accept.
• For other brands to do the same design, it is essential to avoid market conflicts. For example, we have ordered 220V out of Europe. It just so happens that the product you choose is 220V out of Southeast Asia. Therefore, we will combine the two rankings into one order to purchase materials together. That will also not have additional costs incurred.
• Avoid using CMYK four-color printing color boxes. Give up using the color box when your order quantity is less than MOQ. Please use a brown box instead, which can also print your LOGO.
• Avoid making special requests; for example, market exclusive sales in the order quantity does not reach the factory MOQ requirements; in limited circumstances, please emphasize product quality.

9, How to arrange the inspection after the factory finishes the production.

Inspection is the standard of quality. For new brands, inspection is the core issue.

I will give the following advice.

• Small orders can be entrusted directly to the factory to arrange a quality inspection, in the control of good quality and also to avoid additional costs.
• Entrust a friend in China to negotiate a quality inspection, which is a feasible method, provided that you have to pay some fees and can not work ultimately for free.
• Entrust inspection to a third-party inspection agency. The cost will be relatively expensive, a single charge of about USD500. Different inspection agencies correspond to different prices.
• If there is a particular office in China, you can be directly requested to come to the factory to inspect the goods.

10, How to arrange transportation?

(Reading More Details About Trade Terms)

First of all, the container is our first choice, and the most common for large quantities of goods is to go by sea. Next is by rail transport. Taking into account the cost of air transport is not the best choice. According to the FOB terms, for example, the buyer will appoint a freight forwarder, and the freight forwarder will contact your supplier in mainland China after receiving the buyer’s instructions for shipment (by phone or email). Who will make arrangements for shipment? The buyer can find the right freight forwarder.

The buyer’s local portal can search for relevant information. Direct Google search for relevant information. Directly ask suppliers to introduce excellent freight forwarders. The impact of the epidemic, as well as the technological revolution, the Internet wave, the industrialization process, and the challenging factors of globalization, led to an increasingly complex and changing external environment for the home appliance industry.

The official implementation of the national standard for air conditioning energy efficiency, the self-improvement upgrade of China’s smart home appliances, was what reviewed the rise of demand for healthy household appliances. The significant growth of China’s home appliance exports, the signing of RCEP, and other major industry issues and trends to see the highlight of Chinese home appliance companies at the moment. The spirit of exploration continues to develop. Good products have become the key to maintaining the vitality of the consumer market to meet the demand for consumer upgrades.

In the past year, macro factors such as rising raw material prices, soaring shipping costs, and shutting down power restrictions reflect the courage of Chinese appliance people to keep exploring and their resilience to withstand pressure. As a result, hopefully, the future of the household appliance industry made in China will develop more rapidly and steadily.