How to Find Electronics Manufacturers in China
China produces roughly 70% of the world's smartphones, 90% of its PCs, and 80% of its air conditioners. Its electrical and electronic equipment exports totaled $928 billion in 2024, making it the country's single largest export category. If you're sourcing electronics, China is almost certainly on your shortlist, and for good reason: no other country matches its combination of scale, component availability, and manufacturing infrastructure for electronic products.
But finding the right factory is harder than it sounds. China's electronics sector includes everything from massive contract manufacturers assembling iPhones to small workshops soldering PCBs in rented warehouse space. The gap between a reliable partner and a costly mistake is enormous. After helping over 4,000 clients source more than 10,000 products across Asia, we've seen the full spectrum.
This guide covers where China's electronics manufacturing is concentrated, how to find factories that match your product type, how to vet them properly, and what the current tariff landscape means for your costs.
Understanding OEM, ODM, and EMS in China
Before you start searching for factories, you need to know what type of manufacturer you actually need. These three models work very differently, and picking the wrong one wastes time and money.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) factories build products to your exact specifications. You provide the design, engineering files, and bill of materials; they handle production. This gives you full control over the product but requires you to have a final design before contacting factories. OEM is the right fit if you have proprietary designs or specific technical requirements.
ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) factories have existing product designs you can customize and brand as your own. You pick from their catalog, request modifications (colors, features, logos), and they produce under your brand. ODM is faster and cheaper to get started with, but you'll have less differentiation since other buyers can purchase similar products.
EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) providers handle the full production lifecycle: PCB assembly, component sourcing, system integration, testing, and sometimes even design support. EMS companies range from global giants like Foxconn down to regional specialists handling runs of a few thousand units. If you need PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) as a core service, you're looking for an EMS provider.
In our experience, first-time electronics sourcing clients often confuse these categories, and it matters. Sending an OEM inquiry to an ODM factory, or requesting a small-batch PCBA from a company set up for million-unit runs, means your email will likely be ignored.
Key Electronics Manufacturing Hubs in China
China's electronics production isn't evenly distributed. Specific cities and provinces have developed deep clusters of specialized capabilities, and knowing which hub matches your product type will significantly narrow your search.
Shenzhen, Guangdong
Shenzhen is the center of gravity for electronics manufacturing in China. Often called the "Silicon Valley of Hardware," it's home to the Huaqiangbei electronics market (the world's largest), thousands of component suppliers, PCBA houses, and finished-product assembly operations. If you're sourcing consumer electronics, IoT devices, LED products, audio equipment, or anything requiring rapid prototyping with quick access to components, Shenzhen is the starting point. Major companies headquartered here include DJI, ZTE, BYD Electronics, Huawei, and hundreds of mid-size EMS providers.
Dongguan, Guangdong
About 60 kilometers north of Shenzhen, Dongguan is a major hub for electronic component manufacturing and assembly. Factory space is cheaper than in Shenzhen, so many mid-volume operations have relocated here. It's particularly strong in cable assemblies, connectors, power supplies, chargers, and peripheral electronics. If your product is less complex and more price-sensitive, Dongguan factories often deliver better value than Shenzhen equivalents.
Suzhou and Kunshan, Jiangsu
The Yangtze River Delta region around Suzhou is where many large-scale, foreign-invested electronics operations are concentrated. Pegatron, Foxconn, and multiple global EMS providers operate assembly plants here. Suzhou tends to handle higher-end, higher-volume production: laptops, telecommunications equipment, automotive electronics, and industrial controls. If your product requires ISO 13485 (medical) or IATF 16949 (automotive) certification, the Suzhou cluster has more factories with these credentials than most other regions.
Xiamen and Quanzhou, Fujian
Fujian province has developed a niche in LED lighting, small home electronics, and smart home devices. The factories here tend to be smaller and more flexible on MOQs (minimum order quantities) than those in the Pearl River Delta.
Huizhou, Guangdong
Huizhou has become a hub for battery technology, mobile accessories, and audio electronics. It's close enough to Shenzhen to tap into the same component supply chains but offers lower operating costs for factories.
How to Find Electronics Manufacturers
Online Sourcing Platforms
The most common starting point. Each platform has a different strength:
Alibaba.com: Largest supplier database. Good for initial discovery, but requires heavy vetting. Many listings are trading companies, not actual factories. Filter by "Verified Manufacturer" and request business licenses.
Global Sources: Stronger for electronics specifically. Connects online listings with their Hong Kong electronics trade shows. Better suited for mid- to high-volume buyers looking for OEM/ODM partners.
Made-in-China.com: Large database with audit report badges. Good for industrial electronics and components.
1688.com: Alibaba's domestic Chinese platform. Factory-direct pricing, but the site is entirely in Mandarin. Useful if you have a bilingual sourcing partner.
When using any platform, be specific in your search. "Electronics manufacturer" returns millions of results. "PCBA assembly SMT Shenzhen" or "Bluetooth speaker ODM Dongguan" gets you closer to relevant factories faster.
Trade Shows
Trade shows remain one of the most efficient ways to meet and evaluate electronics manufacturers in person. The key events include the Canton Fair (Guangzhou, held twice yearly), the Global Sources Electronics Show (Hong Kong), and Electronica China (Shanghai). At a trade show, you can inspect sample products, compare multiple factories side by side, and start building relationships in a single trip.
Industry Referrals and Sourcing Agents
If you're sourcing a technically complex product, cold-contacting factories on Alibaba carries significant risk. A sourcing agent with an on-the-ground presence in China can identify factories that match your specific product type, verify their capabilities through in-person audits, and manage communication in Mandarin.
When choosing a sourcing agent, ask about their fee structure. Commission-based agents get paid more when you pay more, which misaligns their incentives with yours. Flat-fee models keep things transparent.
Major Electronics Contract Manufacturers in China
For context on the scale of China's electronics manufacturing sector, here are some of the largest contract manufacturers operating in the country. These are primarily relevant for very high-volume production (hundreds of thousands to millions of units), but understanding the landscape helps frame the industry.
Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision): The world's largest EMS provider, with revenue exceeding $200 billion. Operates massive assembly facilities across China (Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Kunshan): Assembles iPhones, gaming consoles, and servers for Apple, Sony, Nintendo, and Nvidia. Primarily serves enterprise-scale clients.
BYD Electronics, a subsidiary of BYD Group, assembles over 30% of Apple's iPads and manufactures smartphones, tablets, and automotive electronics. Headquartered in Shenzhen with facilities across Guangdong. Also serves Xiaomi and Huawei.
Luxshare Precision: A rapidly growing Chinese EMS company that has moved into Apple's supply chain through acquisitions. Manufactures AirPods, Apple Watch components, and connectors. Based in Dongguan.
Goertek: Specializes in acoustic components, VR/AR hardware, and wearable devices. A key supplier to Meta for VR headsets. Headquartered in Weifang, Shandong, with production facilities in multiple provinces.
DBG Technology, based in Shenzhen, provides EMS services for consumer electronics, automotive, and smart home products. Holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and IATF 16949 certifications. A good example of a mid-tier EMS company accessible to non-enterprise clients.
Huaqin Technology: One of the world's largest ODMs for smartphones and laptops. Designs and manufactures devices sold under other brands, based in Shanghai with production in Dongguan and Nanchang.
Most small- to mid-sized businesses won't source directly from companies like Foxconn, as their MOQs and client requirements are set for Fortune 500 volumes. The real opportunity for most buyers lies with the thousands of mid-tier EMS, OEM, and ODM factories in the hubs listed above, companies with 50 to 500 employees that specialize in specific product categories and can handle runs from 1,000 to 100,000+ units.
How to Vet an Electronics Factory
Finding factories is the easy part. Vetting them is where sourcing either succeeds or fails. Electronics have tighter tolerances, more compliance requirements, and more ways to cut corners than most product categories. Here's what to check.
Verify They're a Real Factory
Many "manufacturers" on sourcing platforms are actually trading companies that broker orders to the actual factory. This adds cost and removes your direct line to the production floor. Request the factory's Chinese business license (营业执照). Check whether their registered business scope includes manufacturing. Ask for photos and videos of the production line, not just the showroom. If possible, visit in person or send a representative.
Check Certifications
Depending on your product and target market, your factory may need specific certifications:
ISO 9001: Basic quality management system. This is table stakes for any serious factory.
ISO 14001: Environmental management. Increasingly required by European buyers.
IATF 16949: Automotive electronics quality standard.
ISO 13485: Medical device manufacturing.
UL, CE, FCC: Product-level certifications for the US and EU markets. The factory should have experience producing products that meet these standards and be able to provide test reports.
Ask for copies of certifications and verify them independently. Fake certifications exist.
Assess Technical Capability
Request a capability overview that includes: the number of SMT (surface-mount technology) lines; types of reflow ovens; inspection equipment (AOI, X-ray, ICT); cleanroom ratings, if relevant; and testing procedures. A factory that can't clearly describe its quality control process probably doesn't have a robust one.
Order Samples Before Committing
Always order pre-production samples and test them thoroughly before placing a full order. For electronics, this means functional testing, stress testing, and checking component quality. Cheap components (capacitors, resistors, ICs) are one of the most common corners factories cut, and you won't catch this from a visual inspection.
Negotiate Contracts Carefully
Electronics contracts should cover tooling and mold ownership (so your designs aren't reused for other buyers), sample approval clauses, component sourcing specifications (approved vendor lists for critical parts), warranty terms, and IP protection. If the factory resists a clear contract, that's a red flag.
US Tariffs on Chinese Electronics: Current Landscape
Tariffs on Chinese electronics have been one of the most volatile areas of trade policy. Here's where things stand.
As of early 2026, most Chinese goods entering the US face a layered tariff structure. The baseline includes a 10% reciprocal tariff plus a 10% tariff under the fentanyl-related executive order. On top of that, many electronics are subject to Section 301 tariffs from the first Trump administration, at rates of 7.5% to 25%, depending on the product's HTS classification.
However, there are important exceptions. In April 2025, the Trump administration exempted a range of electronic products from the reciprocal tariffs, including smartphones, computers, semiconductors, flat panel displays, SSDs, and integrated circuits. These exemptions were made retroactive to April 5, 2025.
In October 2025, following a US-China summit, both sides agreed to extend the reduced reciprocal tariff rate through November 2026 and to continue certain Section 301 exclusions for 178 product categories.
The practical impact: the effective tariff rate on electronics from China is generally lower than on many other product categories, but it varies significantly by product classification. Some finished consumer electronics face effective rates around 20-30%, while components and semiconductors may be partially or fully exempt. HTS classification matters enormously, and getting it wrong can mean paying 20+ percentage points more than necessary.
A growing number of companies are adopting "China+1" strategies, maintaining production in China for its unmatched electronics ecosystem while adding capacity in Vietnam, India, or other Southeast Asian countries for products for which tariff savings justify the shift.
Alternatives to China for Electronics Manufacturing
China's electronics manufacturing ecosystem is unmatched in depth and scale, but rising tariffs and supply chain diversification goals have made alternatives worth considering for certain product types.
Vietnam has emerged as the strongest alternative for electronics assembly in Southeast Asia. Samsung's largest smartphone factory globally is in Vietnam, and the country exported approximately $153 billion in high-tech products in 2023. Vietnam benefits from the CPTPP and EVFTA trade agreements, which provide preferential tariff access to many markets. Labor costs are approximately 30-50% lower than in coastal China. The main limitation is that Vietnam's component supply chain is still developing, so many parts must be imported from China, Japan, or Korea.
India is scaling rapidly, particularly for smartphone assembly (Apple now assembles a growing share of iPhones there through Foxconn and Tata). However, India's broader electronics ecosystem is less mature than that of either China or Vietnam in most product categories.
Thailand and Malaysia have established electronics sectors, particularly for hard disk drives, semiconductors, and automotive electronics, but both face capacity constraints for new entrants.
Work With Cosmo Sourcing
Finding the right electronics manufacturer in China requires more than browsing Alibaba listings. It means knowing which factories actually match your product type and volume, verifying their on-the-ground capabilities, negotiating in Mandarin, and managing quality control throughout production.
That's what we do. Cosmo Sourcing has been helping businesses navigate manufacturing in China, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia since 2012. We've worked with over 4,000 clients across more than 10,000 products, and our flat-fee pricing model means our incentives are aligned with yours: we don't earn more when you pay more.
Whether you're sourcing your first electronics product or diversifying your existing supply chain across multiple countries, our team can shortlist and vet factories, arrange visits, negotiate terms, and oversee quality to help you focus on your product and your customers.
Get in touch at info@cosmosourcing.com or visit cosmosourcing.com/contact-us.