How does buying through Allied Minmetal differ from sourcing direct from an Alibaba factory?

Both routes have a place; what differs is the buyer's workload and risk allocation. **Sourcing direct from a factory (Alibaba, Made-in-China, exhibitions):** - Lowest unit price for a single SKU at large volume - Buyer manages: supplier vetting, payment terms, QC, freight booking, customs, claims - One product family per supplier - mixed-category orders mean multiple suppliers, multiple shipments, multiple disputes - Risk of trading-shell suppliers if due diligence is light **Sourcing through Allied Minmetal (aggregator/trading house):** - Single contract, single invoice, single shipment for mixed product categories across 6 catalogue pillars (steel, aluminium, copper, building materials, hardware, construction equipment) - We pre-vet mills - buyers do not start due diligence from zero - Consolidated container loading from different mills to a single port - Pre-shipment inspection handled in our standard workflow - One point of accountability if anything is wrong on arrival - Marginal premium on unit price vs. mill-direct, offset by lower freight, lower QC cost, and lower fraud risk **When mill-direct usually wins:** A single buyer with high enough volume (full container of one SKU, repeat monthly) and a procurement team experienced with Chinese suppliers and Chinese logistics. **When an aggregator usually wins:** Buyers running construction projects who need many products in one shipment, buyers in markets with strict pre-shipment compliance regimes (Nigeria, Kenya, Algeria), and buyers without dedicated China-side procurement staff. See [About Allied Minmetal](/about) for our sourcing model.