5 min read
Selling towels into Japan: what importers check
Based on our work with Japanese distributors, the first meeting is less about price than about consistency.
Consistency before price
In our conversations with Japanese distributors, the recurring concern is whether the second shipment will match the first. Batch-to-batch variation in basis weight or hand feel is treated as a defect even when it is inside a tolerance.
The practical answer is a written nominal with a tolerance, plus a retained sample per batch. A supplier who can show both shortens the evaluation considerably.
Documents that get asked for
Composition by percentage, packing specification, carton and pallet dimensions, and a material declaration for the construction. These are usually requested before a price is discussed in detail.
Label language is a separate decision and belongs to the importer, but the pack artwork is ours to prepare — so it is worth asking early which language set is required.