Sinowei

What Sinowei does

Sinowei is a UK-registered trade facilitation and professional services firm founded in 2018 by Gerry O'Reilly, specializing in EU-China cross-border trade. The company operates four offices across Belfast, London, and Shanghai, and serves two principal client flows: (1) helping Western brands (primarily UK, EU, and increasingly South American food, beverage, and consumer goods companies) enter and scale in the Chinese market, and (2) sourcing products from Chinese manufacturers on behalf of international buyers through its dedicated China-Sourced subsidiary. The firm also operates a global commodities trading arm handling agricultural products (grains, oils, meals, dairy, meat) across Ireland, the UK, France, China, Central Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.

Sinowei's core service stack spans market research, regulatory compliance (GACC, AQSIQ, CIQ certifications), trademark registration, translation and localization, trade fair representation, and multi-channel sales activation across Chinese retailers (Olé, Sam's Club, 7-Eleven, Starbucks), e-commerce platforms (Tmall, JD.com, WeChat Mini Programs), and community group buying. The company holds 8 official Chinese import/export licenses and operates a year-round B2B showroom—the UK Import Pavilion—at Shanghai's Greenland G-Hub International Trading Hub, complemented by an in-house bilingual content production unit (Sinowei Studios). Trade fair participation at CIIE, FHC, and Hainan Consumer Products Expo functions as the primary customer acquisition and brand-launch channel, with named enterprise clients including Cloetta, Britvic, Pernod Ricard's Castle Brands, Jawbox Gin, and Knappogue Castle.

The revenue model is multi-stream, combining professional services fees (export-to-China and marketing services), transaction fees on commodity trading, and procurement service fees (China-Sourced). Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, with complimentary initial consultations and multi-year contract cadences. GTM is sales-led and event-driven, leveraging field sales teams in Belfast and Shanghai, dedicated brand ambassadors per client, and trade show booth presence. Sinowei is founder-owned and bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding rounds, and operates with 11-50 employees across its global footprint.

Name

Sinowei

Legal name

Sinowei Ltd

Website

https://sinowei.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sinowei is a UK-headquartered trade facilitation firm helping Western brands enter China and sourcing Chinese products for international buyers, with offices in Belfast, London, and Shanghai, an in-house showroom, and commodity trading operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Trade Facilitation Services

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAHAG

Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Operations & Supply Chain Consulting

SECONDARYBPAHAFAN

Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Risk, Compliance & Governance Advisory

SECONDARYAFAIAKAL

Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Food Ingredients & Commodities Trading/Wholesale

SECONDARYCRAFAJAE

International Fulfillment, Forwarding & Consolidation Services

Consumer Products & Retail/E-commerce & Marketplaces/Cross-border & International E-commerce

SECONDARYTLACAGAD

Customs Valuation & Transfer Pricing (Customs) Advisory

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Forwarding & Customs Brokerage/Trade Compliance & Regulatory Advisory (HTS Classification, Export Controls, Sanctions)

Keywords

• Trade facilitation services
• China market entry
• Import export consulting
• Global sourcing solutions
• Brand distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. China Export Services: Comprehensive end-to-end services for Western brands entering Chinese market, including market research, translation/localization, compliance management, trade show participation, and sales support. Revenue generated through service fees.
2. China Sourcing and Procurement: Procurement services connecting international clients with Chinese manufacturers. Since 2022, Sinowei has operated as a trusted sourcing partner in China through their China-Sourced division, managing supplier identification, evaluation, negotiation, quality control, and logistics.
3. Commodity Trading: Sinowei Commodities division handles international trade of agricultural products including grains, seeds, oils, meals, dairy, and meat products between EU, Central Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and China.
4. Marketing Services: Digital marketing services including KOL/KOC collaborations, livestreaming campaigns, social media management across Chinese platforms, and brand activation events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sinowei is a UK-headquartered trade facilitation company that provides end-to-end import/export services connecting Western brands (UK, EU, South America) with the Chinese market, and connecting international clients with Chinese manufacturers for sourcing and procurement. Its offering spans market entry consulting, regulatory compliance (GACC, AQSIQ, CIQ), trademark registration, translation and localization, trade show launch support, B2B/B2C sales channel development on platforms such as WeChat, Tmall and JD.com, marketing campaigns via KOL/KOC networks, and physical brand showcase through its Shanghai UK Import Pavilion showroom. Sinowei also trades agricultural commodities (grains, seeds, oils, meals, dairy, meat) through its Sinowei Commodities division.

Product overview

Sinowei is a trade facilitation and professional services company offering a unified suite of services spanning export-to-China (helping Western brands enter the Chinese market), China sourcing and import (procurement from Chinese manufacturers via the China-Sourced division), global commodities trading, and marketing in China (leveraging platforms including WeChat, Douyin, Weibo, Little Red Book, and Bilibili). The China Export Services and China Sourcing and Import form the core of the offering, supported by Sinowei Studios for bespoke bilingual content creation and a Shanghai showroom (the United Kingdom Import Pavilion) for year-round brand exposure. Since 2019, Sinowei has served as an importer and distributor of European products into China, while its commodity trading arm operates across Ireland, the UK, France, China, EU, Central Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• China-Sourced: Dedicated sourcing division that connects clients with trusted manufacturers in China
• Sinowei Studios
• Cheers Whisky and Spirits Club

Products and services

• China Export Services End-to-end export services helping Western brands from the UK, EU, and South America enter the Chinese market, covering compliance management (GACC, AQSIQ, CIQ certifications), trademark registration, translation and localization, trade fair launch support, and B2B/B2C sales channel management across major Chinese retailers and e-commerce platforms.
• China Sourcing and Import Procurement services connecting international clients with Chinese manufacturers, covering supplier identification and evaluation, business negotiation, legal contract review, technical discussion facilitation, order management, on-site quality control, logistics, and supplier development, managed through the China-Sourced division.
• Commodities Trading Trading of soft/agricultural commodities including grains and seeds (corn, rice, soybeans, rapeseed, buckwheat, flaxseed), oils (rapeseed, sunflower, flaxseed, neem), meals and animal feed, dairy and sweeteners (powdered milk, honey, sweets), and meat and poultry products, serving clients in Ireland, UK, France, China, EU, Central Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.
• Marketing in China Digital marketing services for Western brands in China, leveraging social platforms including WeChat, Douyin (TikTok), Weibo, Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), and Bilibili, combined with KOL/KOC marketing campaigns (Mega, Macro, Mid-tier, Micro, Nano tiers), live streaming, community group buying, and SEO tailored for Baidu.
• Sinowei Studios In-house video production unit creating bilingual marketing content in English and Mandarin Chinese for distribution across Chinese social media platforms including Weibo, Douyin, Bilibili, WeChat, and Baidu, producing brand videos, cocktail recipes, and social media posts tailored for the Chinese market.
• United Kingdom Import Pavilion (Shanghai Showroom) Year-round B2B showroom at the Greenland G-Hub International Trading Hub in Shanghai, showcasing brands from the UK and Europe to Chinese buyers and trade partners, providing ongoing brand exposure beyond trade fairs.
• China-Sourced Sourcing Division Dedicated sourcing division of Sinowei that works exclusively on behalf of clients as their supply chain management team in China, managing all procurement aspects from supplier sourcing to final delivery at the right landed price and timing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000+ Chinese buyers reached through CIIE trade show participation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AliPaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner providing payment solutions for Western brands selling in China. AliPay is China's leading digital payment platform with over 1 billion users.
• WeChat PaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner providing payment integration for e-commerce and social commerce in China. Critical for B2C sales through WeChat ecosystem.
• China-Britain Business Council (CBBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial member providing trade facilitation and business networking between UK and Chinese companies. Supports market entry and partnership development.
• Greenland G-HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership at Greenland Global Trading Hub in Shanghai. Sinowei operates their UK Import Pavilion showroom in this state-of-the-art B2B facility.
• Irish Embassy/ConsulateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Irish diplomatic missions in China supporting Irish brands entering Chinese market. Irish Ambassador Ann Derwin visited Sinowei at Hainan expo.
• Chinese State-owned EnterprisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSinowei works with Chinese state-owned enterprises to source and import Western products, particularly in food and beverage categories.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Alibaba.com: Alibaba.com is the world's largest B2B cross-border trade marketplace, connecting Western buyers with Chinese manufacturers. Comparable to Sinowei's China-Sourced and commodity trading arms in the cross-border B2B trade flow it intermediates.
• DHgate: DHgate is a major Chinese cross-border B2C e-commerce platform connecting Chinese manufacturers with international buyers. Comparable to Sinowei's cross-border sourcing and distribution activities, though operating as a marketplace platform rather than a service intermediary.
• Tmall Global (Alibaba): Tmall Global is Alibaba's cross-border e-commerce platform enabling Western brands to sell to Chinese consumers directly. Comparable to Sinowei's distribution and channel-access services, though at vastly greater scale and as a marketplace rather than a services intermediary.
• DHL Global Forwarding: DHL Global Forwarding is a major international freight forwarder and supply-chain services provider with deep China-EU trade routes. Overlaps with Sinowei on cross-border logistics, customs brokerage, and trade compliance services, though at vastly greater scale.
• Made-in-China.com: Made-in-China.com is a major Chinese B2B sourcing platform connecting global buyers with Chinese suppliers across product categories. Comparable to Sinowei's China-Sourced division in enabling Western buyers to source from Chinese manufacturers.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world's largest freight forwarders and logistics providers with significant China-EU operations. Comparable to Sinowei in handling international trade flows and customs clearance, though at vastly greater scale and with focus on logistics rather than brand market entry.
• Wilmar International: Wilmar International is one of the world's largest agricultural commodity traders, with significant China operations across grains, oilseeds, and edible oils. Comparable to Sinowei Commodities in agricultural commodity trading between China and other regions, though at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Leeline Sourcing: Leeline Sourcing is a China-based sourcing agent that handles supplier identification, quality control, and logistics for international buyers. Comparable to Sinowei's China-Sourced division in service scope, operating model, and target SMB-to-mid-market Western clients.
• Asia Actual: Asia Actual is a Beijing/Shanghai-based consulting firm that helps Western food, beverage, and life-sciences companies enter China through regulatory, distribution, and marketing services. Highly comparable to Sinowei's Western-brand-export arm, with similar end-to-end market-entry positioning.
• Pacific Bridge Group: Pacific Bridge Group is a US-based consultancy that helps Western companies enter and operate in Asia, including China market entry, regulatory compliance, and distribution setup. Comparable to Sinowei in cross-border market-entry services for consumer and industrial brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sinowei_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=FoqWhxnw2j4
• Facebookfacebook.com/sinowei.co.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sinowei
• Instagraminstagram.com/sinoweiltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sinowei