1688 dropshipping: Is it possible to dropship directly from 1688 to Singapore [2026]

Learn how Singapore businesses can dropship from 1688 and pay 1688 suppliers in CNH

Key takeaways

• 1688 is a wholesale B2B marketplace built for domestic Chinese buyers. It doesn’t have the dropshipping infrastructure that Alibaba or AliExpress offer
• To dropship from 1688 to Singapore, you need a dropshipping agent who sources products, handles quality checks and arranges shipping to your customers
• World Pay is the authorised international payment provider for 1688.com, so Singapore buyers can pay 1688 suppliers directly in CNH from a World Account

1688.com is one of the largest wholesale B2B marketplaces in China, with millions of suppliers and products priced for domestic Chinese buyers. The prices are the main reason Singapore sellers want to source from it.

The catch is that 1688 wasn’t built for international dropshipping. The site is in Chinese, suppliers accept only Chinese payment methods by default (in most cases), and there’s no support for shipping orders to customers overseas. This makes 1688 dropshipping fundamentally different from Alibaba dropshipping or Aliexpress dropshipping, both of which offer support for international shipping.

To make 1688 dropshipping work from Singapore, you need two things: a dropshipping agent to handle the operational side, and a reliable way to pay 1688 suppliers and your agent. In this guide, we cover both.

Is it even possible to dropship products from 1688?

Yes, but not directly. 1688 doesn’t offer dropshipping to international buyers as a built-in service.

Unlike AliExpress, where suppliers routinely handle single-unit international orders and ship worldwide, most 1688 suppliers:

• Only accept Chinese payment methods like Alipay, WeChat Pay or Mainland China bank transfers (though World Pay is the authorised route for international buyers)
• Don’t hold export licences, since they only sell domestically
• Don’t ship outside China
• Communicate only in Chinese

And unlike Alibaba, where the platform has a dedicated Dropshipping Center with Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, 1688 has none of this. There’s no automation, no order sync tools, no shipping tracking that passes to your customers automatically. If you want to use 1688 as a sourcing platform for a dropshipping business, you need to add the dropshipping infrastructure yourself.

The way most Singapore sellers do this is by working with a 1688 dropshipping agent.

How do 1688 dropshipping agents work?

A 1688 dropshipping agent sits between you, the 1688 suppliers, and your customers. They handle everything the platform doesn’t do for international buyers.

A typical workflow:

1. You find a product you want to sell on 1688 and share the listing with your agent
2. The agent sources the product from the supplier and negotiates pricing on your behalf
3. The agent orders the product in bulk, holds it in a Chinese warehouse, and inspects quality before shipping
4. When a customer orders through your Shopify, Amazon or marketplace store, you forward the order details to your agent
5. The agent picks, packs and ships the product to your customer, usually through a partner courier like YunExpress, 4PX or DHL
6. The agent provides shipping tracking that you pass back to your customer

Agent fees can vary a lot and usually include factors like:

• A commission on each product (usually 1% to 10% depending on the product and volume)
• A per-order fulfilment fee for picking, packing and shipping
• Warehouse storage fees if they’re holding bulk inventory for you
• International shipping costs, usually passed through at close to actual cost

The economics make sense once your order volume is high enough that the agent’s commission is worth less than the time you’d spend coordinating orders yourself.

How to find a 1688 dropshipping agent

Most Singapore sellers find agents through three channels:

Google: Search for “1688 dropshipping agent” plus your market, or specifically “1688 agent for Shopify” or “1688 agent for Amazon.” Many Chinese agents have English-language websites and dedicated service pages for Singapore and Southeast Asian sellers.

LinkedIn: Agents often maintain LinkedIn profiles with client testimonials and case studies. You can message them directly to ask about their experience with Singapore sellers.

Facebook groups: Dropshipping communities on Facebook often share recommendations and warnings about specific agents.

Before signing with an agent, check:

• Experience with Singapore or Southeast Asia clients. Agents working regularly with APAC sellers understand the shipping corridors and customer expectations
• Minimum order quantity (MOQ): Some agents require bulk pre-purchase; others support true single-unit dropshipping
• Shipping partners: Which couriers they use, average delivery times to Singapore, and whether they provide tracking
• Response time: How quickly they reply to your questions is a direct signal of how they’ll handle urgent order issues later
• Transparency: Agents who refuse to share warehouse photos, insist on WeChat-only communication, or won’t provide client references are usually not worth the risk

How to find the right products to dropship from 1688

Image search: Use 1688’s built-in image search (camera icon in the search bar) to find products you’ve seen trending on TikTok, Instagram or Amazon. This gets you the factory-direct version of a product that’s already proven demand.

Browse bestseller tags: Filter by sales volume to see what Chinese retailers are already buying in bulk. Steady high-volume orders usually signal genuine demand.

Cross-reference with other marketplaces: Products that are popular on Amazon or Shopee and have at least a 3x to 5x markup to the 1688 price often have margin room worth testing.

1688 dropshipping vs Alibaba dropshipping vs AliExpress dropshipping: Which is right for your business?

For a deeper look at Alibaba vs 1688 vs Taobao for different use cases, both platforms share the Alibaba Group’s supplier network but serve different buyer types.

Managing payments to 1688 dropshipping agents and suppliers

For Singapore businesses running 1688 dropshipping, two parties typically need paying: the 1688 suppliers themselves and the dropshipping agents who handle sourcing, quality checks or order consolidation. Both involve payments in CNH or USD, and the World Account by WorldFirst handles both from a single multi-currency account.

Holding USD or CNH balances in the World Account lets you pay agents directly in their preferred currency, without the SGD-to-USD-to-CNH double conversion that applies to standard bank transfers. For buying inventory from 1688.com directly, World Pay handles the checkout flow: link your World Account to your 1688 buyer account, select World Pay at checkout, and the payment settles in CNH directly to the supplier at up to 0.8% of the transaction amount.

Key World Account features for 1688 dropshipping:

• Hold USD, CNH and SGD balances with local receiving account details for each
• Send CNH payments directly to Chinese suppliers and agents without intermediate conversion
• Pay 1688.com suppliers through World Pay, the authorised international payment provider for 1688.com
• Use the World Card for ad spend, SaaS subscriptions and sample orders, with support for payments in 150+ currencies
• Lock in exchange rates for future supplier or agent payments through forward contracts
• Zero fees on account opening, holding balances and receiving payments

Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information. Information on 1688 and its products/services are sourced from and can be found at 1688.com.