Importer & import consultant from China
Iosif Fourountzopoulos has been traveling to China since 1997 and imports himself. He doesn't give you theory. He gives you what works in his own business every day. He speaks Chinese, has offices and trusted partners across Southern China, and knows which supplier to trust and which not to. From the first piece of advice in your office, to traveling with you inside the factories.
信任 · the seal
of experience
工厂 · the problem
The hard part isn't finding a product. The hard part is not falling into any of the traps that cost thousands of euros to whoever goes alone and without the language. Iosif has met them all. In his own imports, with his own money — and he knows how to avoid them.
Most factories don't communicate reliably in English. Whatever gets lost in translation, you pay for in the order.
Trading companies that pose as the factory, charge a commission and hide the real price.
The sample is perfect. Mass production, often, isn't. Without inspection, you find out when the container arrives.
MOQ, Incoterms, secure payments, shipping, customs clearance. Details that decide whether you come out ahead.
三个方案 · three packages
Choose how far you want Iosif to take you: from pure consulting in your office, to standing beside you inside the factory in China.
Consulting
Start right, from your office. Strategy, direction and avoiding the classic mistakes.
Sourcing and inspection
Iosif finds, vets and negotiates your supplier, on your behalf.
In China, together
We go to China together. We walk into the factories, close deals face to face.
Not sure which one fits you? Start with a short intro call and Iosif will suggest the most sensible first move.
流程 · how it works
A conversation about your product, goal and budget. No commitment.
You choose how far the collaboration goes, from advice to a trip.
Research, negotiation, inspection and, if needed, the trip to the factories.
You close the deal and place your first order with confidence.
福 · good fortune
in trade
约瑟夫 · the man
Iosif isn't a consultant who read about China. He's an importer who makes his living from it. He's been going to China since 1997 and ever since has imported goods into Greece himself: finding suppliers, negotiating prices, checking quality and bringing in containers, at his own risk and with his own money.
In nearly three decades he has opened the way for small and large entrepreneurs and for big retail chains. He keeps partner offices across Southern China and — most importantly — a network of trusted people on the ground. That isn't learned in a seminar: who to trust, where the trap hides, and how a proper deal closes in Chinese.
China is a jungle. If you don't start right, you get wiped out. Iosif has seen plenty of entrepreneurs go through it and then hear "China" and run the other way. That's why what he offers isn't a PDF of tips. It's your own person there: someone who still does it himself, every day, and has made the mistakes before you so you don't have to.
回忆 · 25 years on the road
Dozens of trips, trade fairs, factories and wholesale markets. A few frames from Iosif's work in China and the relationships of trust built along the way.
证言 · what clients say
"In 2010, setting up a solar park in Greece sounded like science fiction."
Most people didn't even know what panels were. When we at Trilion decided to take the big step, we knew that if we failed at the imports from China, we'd be ruined. Iosif Fourountzopoulos was the man who took the risk with us.
We spent 20 days locked in China, toured factories that weren't even on the maps, and managed to bring back technology that put us at the top of the market. Iosif, I still remember those negotiations. Thank you for everything.
"Four major projects in China in 4 years (2015–2019) don't happen by luck. They only happen with the right person."
For us at Generation, with a wholesale clothing network covering all of Greece, reliable deliveries and the right prices are everything.
Iosif is the reason we pulled off these trips without a single hitch, finding exactly the production lines we needed before everything changed with Covid. A professional in every sense of the word.
"If someone had told me 12 years ago that a 15-day trip deep into China would shape the future of my business, I'd have laughed."
And yet, Iosif took me to where the heart of global trade beats, to the sources others only dream of finding. The best part? He taught me how to pick qualities and play with prices depending on the season.
Today, 12 years on, our partnership keeps growing. He's not just a partner, he's the man I trust blindly.
"The numbers speak for themselves."
We made two trips together, in 2016 and 2018. Before them, my company was just another business in the printing industry. After those trips and the partners Iosif found me in Asia, our turnover and capabilities skyrocketed.
I moved up a level because I now bought from the source, with no middlemen. Anyone who wants to scale up their company knows where to turn.
"When you travel 20 days in China to find office equipment and copiers, the last thing you want is theory. You want action."
In 2019, Iosif took me by the hand and placed me in the right factories, achieving prices I didn't believe existed. He knows the Chinese mindset better than anyone, and in deals that's invaluable.
An outstanding professional and a rare human being.
问答 · frequently asked questions
From 2,000€ for pure consulting (Package 01) and from 5,000€ for sourcing and supplier vetting (Package 02). The trip to China is shaped by its length and destinations, plus travel expenses. At the first intro call you'll know exactly what each option includes.
It depends on the product. Consulting starts immediately. Sourcing and supplier vetting usually take a few weeks. A trip is often planned around trade fairs like the Canton Fair.
Iosif has himself imported clothing, home goods, electronics, office equipment, solar panels and industrial equipment. If they make it in China, there's a way to bring it in properly.
Not beforehand. MOQ is the minimum order quantity, and Incoterms define who pays for shipping, insurance and customs clearance. These are exactly the details Iosif clears up with you before you commit to anything.
Alibaba is a tool, not a guarantee. It has both serious factories and middlemen posing as the manufacturer. The trick is telling one from the other and checking before you pay. That's what Iosif does.
You can. But without the language, the connections and the experience, one mistake with a supplier or the terms costs thousands of euros. Iosif has made those mistakes with his own money, so you don't have to.
合作 · let's start
Tell me what you want to import and where you are today. I'll tell you the most sensible first move, no commitment.