How to Import Candy from China: A Practical Guide for Distributors and Retail Buyers
Importing candy from China is straightforward once you know what to check: product specs, shelf life, MOQ, samples and packaging. This guide walks through each step.
If you are a distributor, wholesaler or retail buyer looking to add candy to your range, China is one of the most flexible places to source from: a wide choice of formats, flavours and packaging, and suppliers who are used to working with overseas buyers. But a smooth first order depends on checking the right things before you pay. Here is the process we recommend to our own customers.
- Start with your market, not the catalogue
Before you pick products, decide who will buy them. Supermarket shelves, discount stores, party-supply shops and kids' channels all sell different things. A gummy in a fun shape sells in a party shop; a marshmallow in a small retail bag fits a supermarket. Tell your supplier your channel, your target retail price and your market — a good supplier will narrow the list for you instead of sending the whole catalogue.
- Check the specs that actually matter
For every product, confirm four things in writing: flavour, net weight and pieces per carton, shelf life, and packaging. All of OKK Candy's products, for example, have a one-year shelf life — but the packing varies a lot, from 1 kg bulk bags of gummies to 12 g retail bags of marshmallow. Ask for the full spec sheet before you quote your own customers, so the price you promise is the price you can deliver.
- Understand MOQ — and ask about trial orders
Minimum order quantities exist because production runs, packaging and shipping are set up per batch. Our gummy candy starts at 2 tons per order and our hard candy at 50 cartons; marshmallow MOQ varies by item, so ask for a quote on the exact product. If you are testing a new market, ask whether a mixed order is possible — combining different items in one shipment lets you test several products without committing to a full run of each.
- Always get samples first
Samples are the cheapest insurance in this business. Check the taste, the texture, the pack quality and the labelling against what was quoted. At OKK Candy, samples are arranged before you commit to a bulk order — tell us which products you want to try and where to send them.
- Decide on packaging and branding early
If you want your own brand on the pack, say so at the quotation stage, not after production starts. OEM and private-label packaging — your logo and design on a proven product — takes extra time to prepare, so it should be part of the first conversation, not an afterthought.
- Confirm the export paperwork
Ask your supplier which export documents are included with the shipment and how the goods will be packed for transport. Clear answers here save days at the destination port.
Start with a shortlist
You do not need to learn the whole candy market before your first order. Pick two or three products that fit your channel, request samples, and compare them side by side. If you tell us your market, your target price and the products you are looking for, we will come back with options you can actually sell.
