A good supplier weighs as much as a good product. Learn where to find one, how to check that they exist and comply, and which warning signs should make you stop before paying.
Goal: Assess suppliers with verifiable criteria, recognize red flags and calculate each one's weighted score to choose.
A good supplier weighs as much as a good product. If the supplier fails, the problem is yours: late deliveries, quality different from the sample, or a shipment that customs holds. That is why looking for suppliers is a process of successive filters, not a quick purchase. First you widen the list and then you narrow it down with data.
You can search on B2B platforms (portals where companies sell to companies), at trade fairs, in chamber of commerce directories and through recommendations from other importers. Tell apart a manufacturer, which produces, from an intermediary or trading company, which resells. The manufacturer usually gives a better price and more control. The intermediary can bundle several products and help with language and documents. Neither is always better: ask which one it is and verify the answer.
Assess with criteria, not impressions. Check that the company legally exists in its country and that the name and address match across all its documents. Ask for references from customers abroad and for photos or video of the plant. Ask about its minimum order quantity (MOQ), its production lead time and its certifications, and confirm the certifications with the body that issued them. Also check whether it knows the requirements Peru imposes on your product (topic 1-2).
Compare on a common basis. A request for quotation (RFQ), sent with the same specifications to several suppliers, lets you compare price and terms without bias. Ask for samples before deciding. Before a large order, place a small pilot order and, if the amount justifies it, hire a pre-shipment inspection: a review of the goods by a third party before they leave the factory.
Learn to read the warning signs: a price far below the market, pressure to pay fast, bank accounts in the name of another person or in another country, refusal to do a video call, blurry documents or third-party brands without authorization. There is also a legal risk: if you sell the product, you answer to the consumer and the authority even if someone else made it.
| Criterion | What to check | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Legal existence | That the company is registered and its address matches | Official registry of its country, video call, same name on the contract and the bank account |
| Capacity | Monthly output, MOQ and real lead times | Written questions, photos or video of the plant, a visit or a third-party audit |
| Quality | That the product matches the sample and the technical data sheet | Samples, pilot order, pre-shipment inspection |
| Compliance | Certifications, labeling and brand authorization | Copies of documents confirmed with the issuer and a check of Peruvian requirements |
| Commercial terms | Incoterm, payment terms and warranty | A written, comparable quote (RFQ) |
Result: Y won with 82.0 points even though it was not the cheapest. Price counted, but not more than quality and verification. The weights and scores are a tool: adjust them to your product and your risk.
07/05/2025
On 07/05/2025, the OECD and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) published “Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025”. The report states that counterfeit and pirated goods came to represent up to 2.3% of world trade in 2021, and up to 4.7% of European Union imports. It matters because a supplier without brand authorization can sell you replicas, and that merchandise can be held at customs or lead to claims.
If the product carries someone else's brand, require written authorization from the owner; if there is none, do not import it.
18/08/2026
INDECOPI's Consumer Alerts Portal lists, dated 18/08/2026, the alert for ZWILLING's Enfinigy and Enfinigy Pro kettles (534 units, risk of burn injuries), reported by the company itself, ZWILLING J. A. Henckels AG. It matters because, when a product turns out to be risky, the supplier must warn consumers and the authority, and that includes whoever imports and sells it in Peru.
Choose suppliers who provide technical data sheets, lot numbers and contact details, so you can trace and recall a product if it fails.
Practise with the calculators, the COMEX Simulator and the review questions on the main page.
Open this topic in the calculator →