Furniture sourcing in China for distributors and importers
One company behind your range: the factories that run the production lines, one specification held across repeat orders, one inspection before shipment, and full containers loaded for your warehouse.
One counterparty behind a range that comes from several factories
FBM Furniture, the furniture sourcing line of FBM Sourcing Limited, sources commercial furniture in China for furniture distributors and importers. We find the factory that runs the production line for each product, agree the specification with you, have samples made and approved before production, inspect the goods with our own QC team when production is finished, consolidate them into full containers, and issue every quotation, invoice and shipping document ourselves. You place one order with one company instead of running several factories, several inspections and several freight bookings from another continent.
We are a sourcing agent, working on your side. We do not manufacture, run a showroom or sell a range of our own — so there is no catalogue and no price list, and nothing we put in front of you is stock we need to move. We quote against your list, line by line.
Four things we set up differently for resale stock
Replenishment, sampling a range, packing for a warehouse, and the paperwork that lands on the importer.
01
01 · Replenishment by the container
Our minimum order is a full container, and product groups can share a container, so one replenishment order can combine several product groups from several factories into a single loading.
- Full-container orders, consolidated from several factories
- Product groups in the same order share containers
- A loading report with every shipment, showing what went into each container
- EXW as standard, C&F on request, and DDP for certain markets such as the United States
Once a category has been bought from a factory, we keep it for your following orders so quality stays consistent. Any change is agreed with you in advance.
02
02 · Sampling a range before you commit
A range is fixed at sample stage, not at order stage. For large orders, samples are couriered to you for approval before production, and the approved sample becomes the reference for bulk production and for the inspection.
- Samples couriered to you for approval before production
- Fabric and finish swatches couriered with them
- Selections walked through on video calls if you cannot travel
- One product group priced first as a reference, before the rest of the range
Where your range fits our service, we can price one product group first as a reference; if quality and terms fit, we continue with the rest. Send us your current quote for a few items and we will price the same specification line by line.
03
03 · Flat-pack or assembled, packed for your warehouse
On a resale order the packing method matters as much as the product, because stock cannot arrive with transit scuffs. Packing is part of the specification you sign off, not something left to the factory.
- Flat-pack or assembled, as your warehouse needs
- Carton labelling as your team asks for it
- Packing and packing protection checked against the signed-off specification
- Goods from several factories consolidated into full containers before loading
Tell us whether you need flat-pack or assembled furniture and we quote accordingly. Our own QC team checks packing with the goods, before they are loaded.
04
04 · The paperwork your market asks the importer for
Our main markets are North America and Australia, where contract furniture is specified against local standards, so the first step in choosing a factory is checking that it holds the test report or certification for that specific product — confirmed before we quote.
- Office seating, North America — ANSI/BIFMA X5.1: the test report for the specific model
- Office seating, Australia and New Zealand — AS/NZS 4438, certified by AFRDI: the certificate for the specific model
- Upholstered furniture, California — flammability to Technical Bulletin 117-2013, with the required label
- Composite wood, United States — TSCA Title VI compliant and labelled
In the United States part of the duty sits with the importer and the distributor, not only with the factory: 40 CFR 770.30 requires importers, fabricators, distributors and retailers to take reasonable precautions that the composite wood products they sell comply, and requires importers to keep, for three years, bills of lading, invoices or comparable documents that include a written statement from the supplier that the goods are TSCA Title VI compliant. These are examples, not a complete list.
From your product list to loaded containers
01
Your list, quoted line by line
You send your product list or range with quantities, and tell us where you sell. We collect quotations from the factories that run the production line for each product, compare them, and quote you per line: item, specification, materials, fabric and finish, dimensions, quantity, packing and lead time — like-for-like against your list, any substitution flagged.
02
Samples and sign-off
For large orders, samples are couriered to you for approval before production, with fabric and finish swatches. Revisions go back to the factory until the sample matches your specification, and the approved sample becomes the production reference.
03
PI and deposit
Once your selection is final we issue a proforma invoice. You pay the deposit stated on it only to the company account named on the PI — never to an individual, never to a factory. We do not change bank details by e-mail; if you receive such a message, video-call us before sending anything.
04
Production follow-up
We follow production at each factory against the signed-off specification and keep you posted. For custom pieces the factory prepares shop drawings and a material list, and nothing goes into production until you have signed them off.
05
One inspection before shipment
When production is finished and before shipment, our own QC team checks quantities, dimensions, finish, fabric and foam, hardware and packing against the signed-off specification, and you receive a QC report with photos and video. Anything below standard is reworked, then re-inspected before shipment. Your own team is welcome to attend the inspection with us.
06
Consolidation, loading and documents
After the balance is paid we consolidate the goods from the different factories, load full containers and send a loading report. We arrange sea freight and documents, normally with our own forwarder; if you nominate a forwarder, we book with it. All quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing.
We can also manage the orders you place with your own suppliers
That is our second way of working. You keep your supplier; we check the specification and the PI, coordinate drawings, follow production, run quality control, consolidate into full containers, load, and prepare the export documents. After-sales is not included: claims fall under the supplier’s own warranty, and we can help you coordinate.
Both ways, all quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing, and you pay only the company account named on the PI. What each way covers is set out in full on our FAQ page.
Questions distributors and importers ask
Do you work with furniture distributors and importers, or only with project contractors?
Both. Our clients are companies buying furniture for a project or for resale: FF&E contractors, developers and hotel owners, general contractors, interior design and construction companies, and furniture distributors — with a schedule, drawings or a product list, and volumes that ship in full containers. Our clients are companies, not private individuals furnishing a single home.
What is the minimum order for a replenishment shipment?
A full container. Product groups in the same order can share containers, and we consolidate goods from several factories into full containers. We do not ship loose cargo, shared containers, or e-commerce single units.
Can we approve samples of a range before bulk production?
Yes, for large orders. Samples are couriered to you for approval before production, together with fabric and finish swatches, and we walk you through selections on video calls if you cannot travel. The approved sample becomes the reference for bulk production and for the inspection before shipment. Where your range fits our service, we can price one product group first as a reference; if quality and terms fit, we continue with the rest.
Can the furniture be shipped flat-pack?
Tell us whether you need flat-pack or assembled furniture and we quote accordingly. Packing, packing protection and carton labelling are part of the specification you sign off, and our own QC team checks them with the goods before loading. Every shipment goes out with a loading report showing what went into each container.
Who takes care of compliance paperwork when we are the importer?
We check that the factory holds the test report or certification for that specific product in your market before we quote, and we ask for that paperwork with the goods. The obligations that sit on you as importer or distributor stay yours: in the United States, 40 CFR 770.30 requires importers, fabricators, distributors and retailers to take reasonable precautions that the composite wood products they sell comply, requires importers to keep, for three years, bills of lading, invoices or comparable documents that include a written statement from the supplier that the goods are TSCA Title VI compliant, and, since 22 March 2019, requires importers of articles that are or contain regulated composite wood products to comply with the import certification regulations at 19 CFR 12.118 to 12.127; under 40 CFR 770.45(c), where a finished good is not individually labelled, the importer, distributor or retailer must keep a copy of the label, be able to identify the products associated with it, and make that information available to potential customers on request. These are examples, not a complete list: requirements differ by product and market, and your certifier or your customer’s specification decides what applies.
Will we know which factory made our furniture?
For products we source, no: all communication runs through us, and factory names, contacts and quotations stay with us. We contract with the factory in our own name, and that contract is what protects you — how non-conforming goods are handled, penalties for late delivery, warranty terms. For suppliers you nominate yourself, they are your relationships, and during the order communication runs through us.
What happens if stock arrives damaged or a product fails in your customer’s hands?
Every product we source carries a warranty period stated on the PI. Within warranty we replace free of charge — the replacement is supplied ex-works China and you pay the freight — or compensate. For transit damage, send us photos or video within 3 working days of arrival so a claim can be raised with the carrier, insurer or factory.
To get a quotation, send us
- Your product list or range, with quantities — plus drawings for any custom pieces
- The specification or a reference photo or link for each item: dimensions, materials, fabric and finish
- Your fabric and finish selections, or ask us to propose them; tell us if fabric is supplied by you (COM)
- Where you sell, so we check the standards your market requires
- Whether you need flat-pack or assembled, and how your warehouse wants cartons labelled
What the quotation shows. Per line: item, specification, materials, fabric and finish, dimensions, unit price, quantity, packing and lead time — like-for-like against your list, any substitution flagged.
Where to look next
A mixed seating order from two specialist factories, inspected when production was finished and shipped in one container to Rotterdam.
The standards our main markets ask contract furniture to meet, and the evidence to request from any supplier.
Task and meeting chairs, workstations, meeting tables and storage, from factories holding the test reports your market asks for.
Have a range to price?
Send your product list and our team will price it line by line, against the standards of the market you sell into.