Many people from different countries are buying tiles from China, for their own house or project. As there are so many different tiles, different size, quality, how to choose the right tiles for you? Here are 10 questions you should ask when buying tiles in China.
This is an important thing to care about. Normally people just order the quantity show on the house layout. For example the sitting room of their house is 60sqm and they just buy 60sqm tiles. This is not enough and not safe. As there will be some corner which need to cut the tiles, or there will be some tiles get damage during installation or transportation. So to be safe, you should at least purchase 10% more of tiles. For example if your sitting room is 60sqm then you should purchase 10% more to be 66sqm.
Normally FOB means 'free on board' and it will contain all local port fee before the container is on ship. But most suppliers in Foshan they do not include some local port handling charge. THC local port charge is one of the fee they used to take out. So in this case, you may need to ask a shipping company do the extra handling and pay the cost. Or you can ask the tiles seller include all local port charge for FOB, that would be most convenient for you.
Some suppliers will include the wooden package and add the cost inside when doing price calculation. Some suppliers will just give cost by normal package, that is by carton packing. Carton packing is not strong enough for loading and uploading. In order to protect the tiles better, it is best to ask them quote for wooden package together.
Not all the suppliers will provide free domestic freight within foshan. In that case, you might need to pick up the goods from their warehouse or factory. If you are buying different items and you are able to arrange a truck travel around for the pickup then it should be good. Or you can ask them for a free/not free domestic delivery to your house/container for loading.
If you want to buy building materials for your house from China foshan, then we are pleased to assist you here. We provide professional buying service for building materials in China for 15 years. We are able to help with sourcing, buying, inspection and shipping.
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China is one of the largest tile producers and exporters in the world. According to published figures, it produced around 52% of the world's tiles in . Because of its multiple designs, durability, and economical price, Chinese tiles have increased their popularity among international importers over the years. Many overseas buyers have been attracted to China for reliable and cost-effective ceramic tile products.
In this post, we will discuss everything you need to know when purchasing China tiles. If you're interested, please keep reading.
First of all, many potential buyers interested in importing Chinese tiles might ask: 'Are the ceramic tiles made in China of good quality?' This is a valid question since the answers vary among different buyers and regions. Some say that the quality of tiles they purchased from China is excellent, while others claim that the quality of Chinese tiles is terrible. So, why are there such diverging opinions?
I think it can be attributed to the following:
The perception of quality can vary significantly from one region to another due to different quality standards and expectations. What may be considered high-quality in one market might not meet the standards in another. Therefore, some buyers might find Chinese tiles excellent quality, while others may have a contrary opinion.
China has numerous tile manufacturers, ranging from small-scale factories to large listed companies. The quality of their products can vary widely. Some manufacturers are known for producing high-end, premium tiles, while others focus on producing more affordable, lower-quality options. As a result, a buyer's experience with Chinese tiles can greatly depend on the specific manufacturer they've dealt with.
Choosing the right supplier is crucial when importing tiles from China. Some suppliers may offer lower prices but compromise on quality. On the other hand, reputable suppliers often prioritize quality and consistency, ensuring that the tiles meet international standards. Buyers who have had a bad experience with Chinese tiles may have picked an unreliable supplier.
Next, we will talk about the main types of tiles in China.
Generally speaking, we can divide tiles into ceramic and porcelain tiles according to the difference in water absorption. But here we don't want to make such a general classification. Below are some of the most common types of tiles you can find in China.
Polished tiles are known for their shiny and smooth surface, they can make an entire space look more spacious and bright. They are highly durable, resistant to scratches and easy to clean and maintain. It's widely used in halls, living rooms, and other indoor floor areas. However, they can be slippery on wet floors, like bathrooms and kitchens.
Also known as rustic tiles or vintage tiles, glazed matt tiles are designed to replicate old looks and feeling. Over recent years, they come in various designs, patterns and colors, and the styles are looking more and more modern and neutral: timber look, cement look, sandstone look, slate look, fiber look, granite look, etc.
The marble tiles we are discussing here do not refer to tiles made from natural marble stone. Instead, we're talking about porcelain or ceramic tiles designed to mimic the look of natural marble. Since the variety of patterns & designs, the luxurious looks of marble without the high cost, and easy maintenance, marble look tiles have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Full-body tiles, also known as homogeneous tiles, are made of the same color and material composition throughout their entire surface and body. As a result, they are extremely durable and resistant to wear and tear. They are typically seen in high-traffic places such as shopping malls, airports, parking garages, and commercial flooring.
Additional, one of the paramount features of full body tiles is their non-slip character, making them an ideal choice for areas that are prone to moisture or where safety is a priority. This characteristic is particularly beneficial in commercial settings such as restaurants, hospitals, and schools where the risk of slips and falls needs to be minimized.
The non-slip nature is attributed to the tile's texture and finish, which provides adequate grip even when the tiles are wet. Tile Manufacturers often enhance this property by applying various techniques during the production process, such as adding a slightly raised pattern on the tile surface or a matte finish to increase traction. Consequently, homogeneous tiles not only offer durability and aesthetic appeal but also ensure a safer environment by reducing the likelihood of accidents in high-traffic and wet areas.
In general, ceramic wall tiles are lighter and thinner than floor tiles. They are available in many designs, colors, and sizes, and they are simple to install.
Wall tiles usually have a higher water absorption rate, which means the tile may better stick to the glue used to connect it to the wall, greatly preventing peeling off after installation.
The high water absorption rate of wall tiles has significant consequences. For example, it often means these tiles are less dense and more easily broken when a strong external force hits them.
Porcelain mosaic tile stands out for its durability, low water absorption rate, and aesthetic versatility. These small, often colorful tiles are used to create intricate patterns and designs, making them a favorite for decorative accents in bathroom walls and flooring, kitchens, and even swimming pools.
The compact size of mosaic tiles allows for a level of detail and creativity in design that larger tiles can't achieve. The versatility of porcelain mosaic tiles extends to their finishes, which can range from glossy to matte, allowing designers and homeowners to achieve just the right look and feel for their space.
Each type of tile has its own advantages and is best suited for specific applications. It's always important to choose the right type of tile based on the requirements of your commercial projects.
There are several regions in China that produce ceramic and porcelain tiles. We'll go over four major manufacturing regions and their specializations in this section. Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong, and Sichuan are the four production regions that account for over 60% of total domestic ceramic tile production in China.
In Guangdong region, which includes cities such as Foshan, Qingyuan, Zhaoqing, Dongguan, Enping, and Heyuan, is recognized for producing high-quality tiles in a broad range of types, including porcelain polished tiles, glazed tiles, marble porcelain tiles, full-body tiles, wall tiles, mosaic tiles, border tiles, and stair tiles.
The Guangdong region not only excels in producing a broad spectrum of ceramic tiles but is also renowned for its quality products that cater to the international quality standards. Many tile brand from overseas like OEM or ODM in the Guangdong tile manufacturer.
Foshan, in particular, is a standard in China's ceramic tile industry, since it is home to the headquarters or marketing centers of the majority of leading ceramic tile enterprises, significantly influencing the trend of Chinese tiles.
In general, Guangdong continuously ranks top among all major areas in terms of production scale, manufacturing technology advancement, product development, quality control, product diversification, enterprise management, industrial support, and logistics. The region's diverse and high-quality tile demonstrates its importance in the Chinese tile production field.
The main producing cities in the Fujian region are Jinjiang and Minqing. Fujian factories are frequently on a smaller scale, with flexible manufacturing processes. It is recognized for its glazed tiles and exterior tiles, but Minqing is noted for its cheap but low-quality ceramic interior wall tiles.
A Filipino customer once told me he bought a batch of tiles in Fujian. They were inexpensive but of low quality. When water was poured on the tile's surface, it would run out from the back of the tile, it's totally not resistant to water.
The Shandong Region, with its principal production cities of Zibo and Linyi, is recognized for its specialty in producing glazed tiles, including glazed polished tiles, rustic tiles, and ceramic wall tiles. Most of these tiles are with high water absorption, not porcelain. Its primary advantage lies in its more affordable pricing and lower minimum order quantities, making it an appealing choice for many buyers.
However, the average production technological level in Shandong is slightly lower than that in Guangdong or Fujian province, resulting in products that are mainly targeted towards the middle-to-low-end market.
I recall an experience from about seven years ago when I was working for a trading company, they had a partnership with some tile factories in Shandong. What impressed me was I got a ceramic tile order for a project at the Canton Fair. After receiving the deposit, I immediately arranged for our team to prompt the factory to start production.
Originally, the contract stipulated a delivery period of 20 days. However, even after a month, production had not commenced. The final delivery period was extended to nearly 60 days.
That's a really terrible experience.
Centered around Jiajiang, this region mainly produces ceramic wall tile. It is characterized by small-scale production and cheaper prices. Despite this, its location in the inland region of China does not provide any logistical advantage.
In addition to these four major tile manufacturing regions, some emerging tile production centers have appeared in recent years. For example, the Guangxi region, centered around Beiliu and Guigang, and the Jiangxi region, centered around Gao'an, Pingxiang, Jiujiang, and Jingdezhen, mainly produce glazed tiles. These regions are gaining more and more influence in the field of tile manufacturing.
Each region produces a variety of ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles in its unique way, with different prices and quality positioning to meet the diverse needs of consumers both domestically and internationally.
After clearing the tiles production areas in China, you may have a question:
Undoubtedly, quality is a key consideration for all buyers, regardless of price. Even if you are looking for the cheapest tiles, you will expect an acceptable level of quality. Right?
In earlier articles onhow to choose good-quality tiles, we discussed several critical quality factors, including water absorption rate, wear resistance, stain resistance, flatness, and size difference. These qualities can significantly impact the performance and lifetime of the tile.
The water absorption rate of a tile is a measure of how much water it can absorb compared to its weight. It reflects the porosity of the tiles. The lower the water absorption, the lower the tile density, and the less likely the tile is to absorb dirt.
With competitive price and timely delivery, NANOGRESS PORCELLANATO sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
Abrasion resistance refers to the tile's ability to withstand abrasion and wear over time. Higher wear resistance indicates that the tile will keep its beauty and usefulness even when subjected to heavy use or harsh conditions. It is an essential metric that shows a porcelain tile's durability.
A tile's flatness can impact both its visual appeal and the installation process. This not only improves the appearance of the finish, but also improves safety by reducing the chance of trips and falls caused by uneven surfaces.
In addition to these considerations, we offered some advice on how to choose high-quality tiles. If you're interested, we recommend reading our previous articles for a more comprehensive overview of this subject.
Visit the tile manufacturing regions or attend the ceramic industry exhibitions, which are the most reliable ways to find ceramic tile suppliers in China. If your budget and time are available, a firsthand examination of China is very efficient and necessary. You can see the quality of the products, the production management, and the most important thing is that you can communicate with a person face to face, rather than the usual computer.
Here are some key exhibitions that you might want to consider:
Know as the China Import and Export Fair, it's a bond of friendship and bridge for trade, it's the oldest and largest trade show in China. You can source almost everything here, and the show is divided into 3 phases. The ceramic & porcelain tiles ( building material) are shown in the 1st phase, 15-19th, April and October ( Source ).
Also known as 'Foshan CeramBath', this fair specializes in ceramic tiles, porcelain tile, and the products related to tiles, it's a professional show focused on the ceramics industry. The fair is held from 18-21st April and October ( after the 1st phase of the canton fair), and it attracts a large number of participants from the ceramic tile industry domestic and overseas ( Source ).
If traveling to China to visit exhibitions seems inconvenient, you can consider attending similar events in your country or neighboring countries. Chinese suppliers frequently participate in these international exhibitions, providing an opportunity for you to connect with them closer to home.
Here are some notable ones:
Known as the 'International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings,' Cersaie is one of the most significant global events in the field of ceramic tile. It attracts exhibitors and visitors from around the world, including tile suppliers from China ( Source ).
Cevisama is an international trade fair that takes place annually in Valencia, Spain. It is a significant event in the ceramic tile industry, where exhibitors from around the globe present their latest products and innovations. The expo also features surface coatings, as well as bathroom and kitchen facilities ( Source ).
The Big 5 is the largest construction event in the Middle East, serving as a networking platform for construction professionals from all over the world. Several Chinese ceramic tile manufacturers have been known to exhibit here ( Source ).
Coverings Show is the largest ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from over 40 countries, including China, and covers the latest trends and innovations in the industry ( Source ).
This is the biggest and most prestigious construction and architecture event in Latin America. Chinese companies regularly participate, showcasing their latest ceramic tile products ( Source ).
These exhibitions not only provide an opportunity to meet suppliers but also to stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in the ceramic tile industry.
If you're looking for porcelain tile suppliers online, there are many platforms and strategies you can use. Here are a few popular options:
The world's largest search engine can be a great starting point. You can use specific keywords related to your product and add terms like 'supplier,' 'manufacturer,' or 'wholesaler' to find potential leads.
All these 3 are the largest and most popular B2B e-commerce marketplaces based in China. You can connect businesses with different kinds of product suppliers here.
One thing worth mentioning is that you may notice there are some label classifications on these B2B platforms when you open a supplier's page, such as ' Star supplier,' ' gold supplier/ member,' diamond member,' 'verified vendor,' and 'verified pro vendor,' all these classifications don't guarantee the supplier's reliability, company strength, or the quality of their products, they just primarily based on the service packages selected by the suppliers to the platform and the amount of fees paid.
Therefore, it's always recommended to communicate with your suppliers, get more information and require the samples to evaluate their reliability when you are selecting suppliers from these platforms.
Besides Google search and B2B platforms, social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can also be effective tools for finding and connecting with your target suppliers. Just try as more methods as you can.
Once you've identified potential suppliers, the next step is to assess whether they're worth pursuing a business relationship with. Generally, suppliers can fall into two main categories: manufacturers and trading companies (including sourcing agents).
They are the actual producers of the goods. Working directly with manufacturers can often result in lower prices since there's no middleman involved. Manufacturers also typically have more control over product quality, production schedule, and customization options. However, they may require a larger minimum order quantity (MOQ) and may not provide as wide a range of products as trading companies.
They act as intermediaries between manufacturers and buyers. And source products from various manufacturers so they can offer a wider variety of products, often with lower MOQ. Trading companies can also handle logistics, customs clearance, and other aspects of international trade, which can be more convenient for businessmen who are new to importing. However, their prices may be a little higher due to their added services.
No matter which type of company to work with, it's essential to thoroughly evaluate their reliability. Look at their reputation, communication responsiveness, product quality, pricing, quality control, delivery times, and terms of service they provide.
I think most buyers also want to work with tile manufacturers directly because the price is lower. So, how do you tell the difference between real manufacturers and trading companies? Here are some tips that might help you:
Manufacturers usually specialize in specific products. If a supplier offers a broad range of tiles, including glazed floor tile, polished tile, ceramic wall tile, and so on, they might be a trading company.
The location of a company can often provide clues about its nature. Companies located in industrial or manufacturing regions are more likely to be manufacturers, while those in other production cities are often trading companies.
In addition, the warehouse location for loading tiles can also serve as an indicator. If you're sourcing several tile models and they're coming from different warehouses, these products are likely manufactured by different factories and consolidated by a trading company.
If you can visit the factory, you can try speaking with the factory workers to get more direct information. Management might say they are manufacturers when they might be a trading company. At the same time, observe the communication between the salesperson and the workers, the familiarity with the factory and the products displayed in the showroom, etc., and trust you will know whether this salesperson is from the factory or not.
However, while these indicators can be helpful, they should not be the sole basis for your suppliers' decisions. No matter you work with a tile manufacturer or trading company, the most important thing is to ensure that you're working with a reliable supplier that suits your specific needs.
When importing tiles from China, you may encounter several challenges. Understanding these can help you prepare the import process more efficiently.
One of the primary concerns when importing Chinese tiles is the potential tariffs and duties imposed on these goods. The amount can obviously increase the overall cost of your import, affecting your bottom line.
In recent years, several countries have imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese tiles, including Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, India, Pakistan, Mexico, United States, Argentina, Brazil, and so on.
The heavy anti-dumping duty on imports of porcelain tiles is a barrier to international trade since it can significantly increase the cost of importing tiles into your country, so as an importer, you must clear such tariffs and anti-dumping duty before you make the buying decision.
And you can learn more helpful tips in our previous articles: These 6 Expert tips will help you import tiles from China for more information.
Quality control is another significant concern when importing Chinese tiles. Some importers have reported issues with Chinese tiles, such as brittleness, uneven sizes and colors, and difficulty cutting the tiles cleanly.
In order to avoid these quality problems, you can ask for a third-party inspection for inspection, such as SGS or Intertek. Or you can cooperate with a professional trading company. They usually have their own quality control of the tile products, which can greatly reduce the poor quality products to some extent.
More importantly, it's critical not to focus solely on finding the lowest prices. Products with low prices may end up costing more in the long run.
Before placing a formal order, try to understand your supplier by requesting a sample. This way, you can check the product's quality and know better your supplier's production capacity, delivery times, and level of service.
Finding the right supplier can be a daunting task. While there are many Chinese tile suppliers, not all of them may meet your specific needs regarding quality, price, and reliability.
At the same time, when purchasing products, Westerners may be accustomed to choosing and buying from the catalog. But in China, because of the hyper-competition, many suppliers will tend to recommend and produce products based on your requirements, style, or quantity. If you don't specify quality standards and they don't understand your quality requirements, they're likely to choose what they think is the cheapest price product for you. Especially for products with high homogeneity, such as ceramic tiles, they look similar, but the quality can be different. This is mainly because they think that your decision to buy his product depends a lot on the price.
After reading this thorough guide, you should have a full idea of the factors to consider, potential problems to avoid, and solutions you can try when importing tiles from China.
Before you start importing, you should examine your country's trade regulations, tariffs, and anti-dumping measures extensively. When selecting a supplier, whether a manufacturer or a trade organization, be sure they are dependable. If feasible, visiting them will offer you with further information.
Before making an order, check samples or trial orders to ensure they satisfy your quality requirements. Avoid focusing primarily on low-cost items.
Finally, make an effort to comprehend the cultural distinctions between the Eastern and Western worlds. You'll easily manage the process of finding the proper tile suppliers if you have the right knowledge and approach.
Here's to a prosperous journey importing Chinese tiles! Please contact us if you have any questions!
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are not the same, although they both belong to the category of ceramic tiles. The main difference lies in the composition and manufacturing process: porcelain tiles are denser and more durable than traditional ceramic tiles, making them ideal for high-traffic areas and outdoor use.
The choice between Indian and Chinese ceramic tiles ultimately depends on individual preferences and specific project requirements. There is no general answer that Chinese ceramic tiles are better or Indian ceramic tiles are better.
China makes more than half of the world's ceramic tiles, which just goes to show they've got a really strong production and supply setup, not to mention stable output. When it comes to quality and price, it's up to each buyer to figure out what works best for you based on your own requirements.
I think the main reason can be in these three reasons:
1. labor costs in China are typically lower compared to other developed country regions, contributing to overall cost savings.
2. China's efficient supply chain and infrastructure also play a role in reducing expenses associated with transportation and logistics.
3. Because of the scale of the Chinese market, a vast number of tile manufacturers driving competition and lowering production costs.
For more information, please visit china ceramic tiles manufacturer.