What we don’t do
A sourcing partner who says yes to everything is a partner who will get something wrong.
We draw this line by product, not by category. A sourcing partner who says yes to everything is a partner who will get something wrong — so rather than declining whole categories, we name the specific products we will not take, and for everything else we put the condition in writing before you order.
Four product types we will not source.
These are not the hard ones to make. They are the ones where a compliance or transport failure lands on you, and cannot be repaired afterwards by a test report we buy.
Weapons, replicas & controlled goods
Anything restricted for import, export or carriage, including look-alikes. We do not test the boundaries of these rules on a client’s behalf.
Lithium cells & mains-powered electricals
Products that plug into a wall, and anything containing a lithium cell. Certification, transport restrictions and defect liability are all substantial, and a failure at the destination is expensive for the buyer. Non-powered electrical goods, low-voltage DC items and passive components are a different question — ask.
Cosmetics & skincare
Ingredient registration and labelling regimes differ by market, and the stability and safety documentation behind a cosmetic claim is not something we are set up to hold.
Food, supplements & anything ingested
Ingestion categories carry registration regimes that differ sharply by country, and that burden is not something we can carry reliably across every destination. Packaging, tableware and processing equipment for food are not in this group — those we do quote.
Every product on this list is one we could make money on. That is the point of publishing it.
Categories where the answer depends on the item.
We do not decline these wholesale. We quote them — and the quotation says, in writing, which sub-type and which evidence are in scope, and which are not. If the item cannot be evidenced for your market, we say so before you commit.
Children’s toys
Quotable where the item can be tested to the toy safety rules of your destination, with testing arranged through accredited third-party labs and the required labelling applied at the factory. The quotation names the standard that applies and how it is evidenced. An item we cannot evidence for your market is declined.
Medical-adjacent goods & general PPE
Non-registered general medical and workplace goods — supports, non-sterile accessories, general workwear — are quotable. Registered medical devices and certified PPE are not: they carry pre-market approval and clinical obligations that we are not set up to hold.
Food contact, packaging & equipment
Packaging, tableware, kitchen and processing equipment are quotable, together with the food-contact declaration your market requires. The food itself is not.
Electrical & electronic goods
Cables, enclosures, low-voltage DC items, passive components and non-powered electronics are quotable. Anything that plugs into a wall, or contains a lithium cell, is not — see the list above.
If you are unsure which side of the line your product falls on, ask before ordering. We would rather spend ten minutes answering the question than discover the problem while your goods are waiting at a customs desk.
The categories we know best.
These are not the only categories we quote — they are the ones where our clusters are closest and most thoroughly visited, so the answers come fastest and the detail is deepest. See all 28 categories →
Home storage & organisation
Boxes, baskets, organisers, shelving, wardrobe and kitchen storage in textile, plastic and metal.
Party & festival supplies
Decoration, tableware, banners, balloons and seasonal items for retail and event supply.
Bags & luggage
Storage bags, shopping bags, backpacks, travel and cosmetic bags in textile and synthetic materials.
Promotional & branded goods
Everyday items adapted for corporate gifting, with your logo and packaging applied by the factory.
Things that are not about the product.
- We do not act as your customs broker or your importer of record
- We do not provide legal, tax or regulatory advice for your market
- We do not guarantee a certification we have not verified
- We do not offer finance, credit terms or escrow ourselves
- We do not sell you other suppliers’ contact details
- We do not run a factory directory or a listing service
- We do not promise the lowest price in a category
- We do not take instructions from the factory about your order
The point of drawing these lines: when a sourcing partner accepts everything, the buyer has no way to tell which of the accepted orders were actually handled well. A stated boundary is the only credible signal that the rest of the work is being judged rather than just accepted.
Not sure if your product is on the list?
Send it to us and we will tell you plainly whether we should be the ones handling it. If the answer is no, we will say so.