Meet Katherine Tu

More than ten years in corporate credit at a state-owned bank now informs a careful, evidence-based approach to supplier review and sourcing follow-up in South China.

The story

From credit officer to sourcing partner

For more than ten years, Katherine Tu worked at a state-owned bank in China, including years in corporate lending — reviewing the financial, production and operating information presented for manufacturing-company credit decisions.

Her earlier career included export work in stainless-steel products, so she had seen the factory floor and the buyer's side of the table. But it was banking that taught her to question assumptions, compare documents and look for inconsistencies before a commercial commitment is made.

In 2023 she founded Zhaoqing Taotao Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd. in Zhaoqing, Guangdong — in the middle of South China's manufacturing belt — to bring that same risk discipline to overseas buyers purchasing consumer, building, energy and industrial products from China.

She holds a Master of Translation and Interpreting in English from Guangxi University and is co-author of the bestselling book Super Learner. So when she reports on your supplier, you get precise, unfiltered English — not a translation of what a salesperson wanted you to hear.

Work with Katherine Connect on LinkedIn ↗
Evidence first: compare company records, product documents, production capability and quotation assumptions before making a supplier commitment.
Taotao Sourcing's review principle
  • 10+ years, state-owned bank — corporate credit & risk
  • English MTI, Guangxi University
  • Co-author, bestselling book Super Learner
  • Earlier export experience in stainless-steel products
  • Based in Zhaoqing, Guangdong — factories visited in person
The company

Zhaoqing Taotao Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd.

Founded 2023 · Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China

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What we are

An independent trading and sourcing company. We are not a factory owner — we screen and work with manufacturers, and we tell you exactly who produces what and under what relationship before you order.

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What we focus on

22 categories today: helmets, model-compatible visors, doors & windows and door hardware, decking, steel structures, prefab cabins, solar mounting, heat pumps, sanitary ware, consumer goods and more — every category one where we can verify the supplier.

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How we work

Clear scope before work starts, written reports with evidence, and honest recommendations — including "walk away from this factory" when that's the right answer.

Follow the work

Katherine publishes the process, not just the pitch

Factory visits, product checks and sourcing lessons — in English, on the platforms below. Watch how we work before you ever send an inquiry.

The first conversation costs nothing

Tell Katherine what you're trying to buy or verify. If Taotao isn't the right fit, she'll say so — and may still point you in the right direction.