Sourcing glossary
Consolidation
Also known as: Cargo consolidation, Consolidated shipping
Combining goods from several suppliers into one shipment, usually by collecting them at a single warehouse before loading one container or LCL consignment.
Consolidation is how small orders from many suppliers become one export shipment. Each supplier delivers to the same warehouse, where the goods are counted, checked against the order and stored until everything has arrived; they are then loaded together into a full container or shipped as LCL cargo. It is standard practice in Yiwu, where a single container may hold goods from dozens of booths.
Ask your warehouse for a receiving report each time a supplier delivers, and inspect per supplier before loading. See how to buy from Yiwu without visiting for the full process.
Related terms
Guides that use this term
Compliance
Is Your Order Too Small to Import from China? A Break-Even Test
Why 20 units or a US$100–500 budget rarely pays to import from China: per-shipment fixed costs, a simple break-even test, and six options for small buyers.
Updated 2026-10-19 · 7 min read
Suppliers
China Sourcing Agent: What They Do, What They Cost and When You Need One
What a China sourcing agent actually does, the four types you will meet, typical fees, when an agent beats buying direct, and a checklist to vet one before you pay.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 8 min read
Compliance
Importing from China to Peru: SUNAT Duties, IGV, Thresholds and the FTA
How a Peruvian importer clears goods from China: the US$200 and US$2,000 thresholds, ad valorem 0/6/11%, IGV and IPM, IGV perception, customs agents and the China FTA.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 6 min read
Shipping
Shipping Small Orders from China to Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Peru
Courier, air or sea for a first order from China to Latin America, the customs thresholds and taxes in Brazil, Mexico and Peru, and how consolidation works.
Updated 2026-10-10 · 8 min read
Yiwu
How to Buy from the Yiwu Market Without Visiting
How overseas buyers source from Yiwu remotely: agents, video-call booth tours, the Chinagoods platform, consolidation warehouses, payment, QC and the main risks.
Updated 2026-09-29 · 7 min read
Platforms
How to Buy from 1688.com Outside China: A Step-by-Step Guide
How overseas buyers buy on 1688.com: account and payment options, Chinese and image search, shipping to a China forwarder, agents, and supplier checks.
Updated 2026-09-29 · 9 min read
Part of Yiwu Market.