# Sourcing guides for India and China buyers > Free, answer-first sourcing guides from a 15-year India and China sourcing engineer: finding factories, AQL, audits, landed cost, Incoterms, HS codes and CBAM. Source: https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/ Intelligence · free guides # Sourcing guides, written from the factory floor. Straight answers to the questions buyers ask when they source from India and China: how to find and check factories, how many units to inspect, what a part should cost and what it costs landed. Each guide links to a free tool so you can run the numbers yourself. Browse the guides Get The Sourcing Brief 16 evergreen guides 5 topics, from sourcing to compliance 30 free tools linked from the guides 48 h free sourcing teardown Start here ## Three guides to start with * [ Sourcing · 7 min read **How to find manufacturers in India: a six-step method that works** To find a good manufacturer in India, start from the manufacturing process your product needs, go to the cluster where that process is done at scale, and screen named factories on evidence: registrations, equipment, customers and a sample made to your drawing. Read the guide ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/how-to-find-manufacturers-in-india/) * [ Quality · 8 min read **AQL sampling explained: how many to check and when to reject** An AQL sampling plan tells your inspector how many units to pull from a lot and how many defects the sample may contain before the lot is rejected. Read the guide ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/aql-sampling-explained/) * [ Costing · 7 min read **Landed cost: how to calculate what an import really costs** Landed cost is the total cost of getting a product into your warehouse: the supplier's price plus freight, insurance, import duty, customs fees, port charges and delivery, divided by the units in the shipment. Read the guide ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/landed-cost-guide/) All guides ## Find the answer you need. Search the guides All _16_ Sourcing _4_ Quality _4_ Logistics _2_ Compliance _4_ Costing _2_ Showing all 16 guides * [ Sourcing7 min **How to find manufacturers in India: a six-step method that works** How to find and vet manufacturers in India: start from the process, pick the right cluster, check GST and IEC records, run an RFQ, audit, and approve samples. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/how-to-find-manufacturers-in-india/) * [ Sourcing7 min **China plus one sourcing: how to add a second source without losing the first** A practical China plus one guide: which products move well, India versus Vietnam, tooling transfer, landed-cost comparison and a realistic 12 to 20 week plan. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/china-plus-one-sourcing-guide/) * [ Sourcing6 min **Payment terms with Asian suppliers: how to balance risk on both sides** Payment terms for buying from India, China and Vietnam: 30/70 deposits, balance after inspection, letters of credit, collections, escrow and open account. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/payment-terms-with-asian-suppliers/) * [ Sourcing7 min **Tooling and mould ownership: how to protect the tools you pay for** How to own and control moulds, dies and fixtures made by suppliers in India and China: tooling agreements, payment, marking, shot life and safe transfer. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/tooling-and-mould-ownership/) * [ Quality8 min **AQL sampling explained: how many to check and when to reject** How AQL sampling works under ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 and ISO 2859-1: inspection levels, code letters, accept and reject numbers, and a worked plan for a 3,500-unit lot. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/aql-sampling-explained/) * [ Quality7 min **Pre-shipment inspection checklist: what your inspector should check** A pre-shipment inspection checklist for goods from India and China: timing, quantity, packing, AQL workmanship, measurements, on-site tests and the report. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/pre-shipment-inspection-checklist/) * [ Quality6 min **Factory audit checklist: how to judge a supplier on site** A factory audit checklist for India and China suppliers: legal checks, capacity, equipment, calibration, process control, traceability and CAPA, with scoring. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/factory-audit-checklist/) * [ Quality6 min **Golden samples and sample approval: how to lock in the standard** How sample approval works with Asian suppliers: first article, pre-production, golden and top-of-production samples, what to record and how to seal them. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/golden-sample-and-sample-approval/) * [ Logistics7 min **Incoterms 2020 for importers: which rule to use and why** Incoterms 2020 for buyers in India and China: all 11 rules, where risk passes, who pays freight and duty, and why FCA often beats FOB for containers. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/incoterms-2020-for-importers/) * [ Logistics6 min **India festival production calendar: plan orders around the holidays** Plan production around Indian festivals from October 2026 to December 2027: Diwali, Dussehra, Chhath, Pongal, Holi, Eid and regional holidays by cluster. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/india-festival-production-calendar/) * [ Compliance6 min **HS codes explained: how to classify a product correctly** HS codes explained for importers: the 6-digit Harmonized System, national digits in the EU, US, UK and India, the interpretative rules and a worked example. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/hs-codes-explained/) * [ Compliance7 min **CBAM for EU importers and Indian exporters: what applies now** CBAM from 2026: covered goods, the 50-tonne exemption, authorised declarants, certificate prices and the 2027 deadlines, plus what Indian exporters need. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/cbam-for-importers-and-indian-exporters/) * [ Compliance9 min **Rules of origin and CAROTAR 2020 for Indian imports and FTA claims** CAROTAR 2020 explained: what importers claiming FTA duty cuts in India must declare and hold, Form I, timelines, and how UK and EFTA buyers prove Indian origin. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/carotar-rules-of-origin-fta-claims/) * [ Compliance8 min **Organic certification for food ingredients from India: NPOP, USDA NOP and EU organic** Organic food ingredients from India: NPOP, USDA NOP and EU organic rules, scope and transaction certificates, how to verify them and the lab tests to ask for. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/organic-certification-npop-usda-eu/) * [ Costing6 min **Should-cost modelling: how to work out what a part should cost** How to build a should-cost model for a manufactured part: material, machine time, labour, setup, overhead, profit and tooling, with a worked moulding example. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/should-cost-modelling-guide/) * [ Costing7 min **Landed cost: how to calculate what an import really costs** How to calculate landed cost per unit: EU and UK duty on CIF value, US duty on transaction value, FY2026 MPF and HMF, import VAT and a worked example. ](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/landed-cost-guide/) **No guide matches that yet.** Try a broader word, or ask us: a principal replies within one working day. [Suggest a guide](mailto:anirudh@sourcesquid.co?subject=Guide%20request) By topic ## Five topics, one sourcing program * ### Sourcing Finding, qualifying and contracting the right factories. * [Find manufacturers in India](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/how-to-find-manufacturers-in-india/) * [China + 1 guide](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/china-plus-one-sourcing-guide/) * [Payment terms](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/payment-terms-with-asian-suppliers/) * [Tooling ownership](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/tooling-and-mould-ownership/) * ### Quality Samples, audits, inspections and the numbers behind them. * [AQL sampling](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/aql-sampling-explained/) * [Pre-shipment inspection](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/pre-shipment-inspection-checklist/) * [Factory audit](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/factory-audit-checklist/) * [Golden sample](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/golden-sample-and-sample-approval/) * ### Logistics Shipping terms, production calendars and getting goods moving. * [Incoterms 2020](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/incoterms-2020-for-importers/) * [India festival calendar](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/india-festival-production-calendar/) * ### Compliance Classification, customs and EU and US rules for importers. * [HS codes](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/hs-codes-explained/) * [CBAM guide](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/cbam-for-importers-and-indian-exporters/) * [CAROTAR and rules of origin](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/carotar-rules-of-origin-fta-claims/) * [Organic certification](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/organic-certification-npop-usda-eu/) * ### Costing What a part should cost and what it really costs landed. * [Should-cost modelling](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/should-cost-modelling-guide/) * [Landed cost](https://sourcesquid.co/intelligence/landed-cost-guide/) Newsletter · monthly ## The Sourcing Brief One short email a month: rule changes that affect importers, festival and holiday shutdowns to plan around, and one practical sourcing lesson from the factory floor. Written by a principal, not a content team. * EU and US rule changes, with dates and official sources * India, China and Vietnam production calendar alerts * New guides and tools, before anyone else Free sourcing teardown ## Rather we ran the numbers? 48 hours, free. Send the part or product you buy today. We return the process chain, the best India and China clusters, a should-cost and a landed-cost comparison. [Get a free teardown in 48 hours](https://sourcesquid.co/start/?from=intelligence)[Talk to a principal](https://sourcesquid.co/contact/) Guides last reviewed 28 September 2026.