It is much better for an importer to make sure that he has the necessary organization in place before any order is placed. Shipments including their documents, product quality and punctual delivery must be controlled on regular basis and for that you need your own specialists. It is also important to build up some relationship […]

We have been often asked by our customers what kind of products they should import from China. Our answer always is what you might not expect it to be: “Do not try to import products that everybody else is already importing.” Why is that so? It is because you usually will not have the chance […]

Constantly monitoring production progress is an important and necessary follow up task. Assuming everything is going according to schedule if you do not hear otherwise is much too risky. What Can Go Wrong? Anything could still go wrong for many reasons. The tooling can become damaged and the factory has to stop production until it […]

By Global Sources Intelligent, eco-friendly and enhanced versions of conventional devices offer greater growth opportunities, securing revenue despite the challenging business climate. High-value models will sustain several of China’s export industries in the months ahead amid various challenges, including product homogeneity and slowing overseas demand. Tablet PCs, smartphones and TVs, and semiconductor lighting, specifically LEDs, […]

By Global Sources Makers see long-term benefits in mechanizing tedious production processes. Cost and efficiency benefits are prompting more China suppliers to switch to automated equipment in carrying out complex production processes. Automation is helping to reduce reliance on manual work. This is critical amid the ongoing labor-related issues such as rising costs, high turnover […]

Immediately after arriving at the factory, you begin taking in information about how well it is or is not run. Of course, this is only the first impression but this is where the whole picture begins developing. The Front Gate Some larger factories have uniformed guards at the gates. Often the uniforms are nearly perfect […]

For economic reasons and to collect more information it is advisable to visit several factories in the same area during you trip. Gaining Competitive Knowledge Factories keep track of details about their competitors due to the frequent change of engineers and managers. They usually stay in contact with previous colleagues and know exactly what is […]

Thorough trip preparations help you improve your chances for a successful visit. Although it depends very much on the main goals of your visit the following general preparations will fit most of them. Will the Electricity Be On During Your Visit? Chinese factories are forced by the government not to use electric power one or […]

You are having quality and/or delivery problems and want to know what the root cause is. You will also want to know if the problems have been satisfactory resolved or if it can be resolved before it costs a lot of profit or time. The reasons and solutions given by factory management may not be […]

When visiting your suppliers’ offices the meeting normally is held in their showroom. Taking a close look at their presentation and product displays should give you a pretty good idea how well or poorly that company is organized. Ugly, untidy, and dirty showrooms do not reflect well on the supplier’s diligence. However, that impression may […]

Thorough trip preparations will make your business trip to China more successful and will help reduce your travel expenses. Therefore, you are best advised to prepare yourself in order to make a favorable showing when negotiating with your suppliers. Poor preparations can leave a negative impression about how your company conducts business and will not […]

Would you send a substantial amount of your hard earned money to someone you have not met before with only a hope that everything will be fine later? Of course not! So why are you doing this with your newly hired factories in China? To make a fine point, visiting your Chinese factories on a […]

Many importers do not realize that quality control starts long before production actually begins. In fact, an importer’s quality control begins with the evaluation and selection of their supplier in China. To sum it all up, you must be sure that you do not only find the right products but also find the best suppliers […]

As a company importing products from China, you will face sooner or later a claim with one of your factories. Such claims can cost you a fortune and even endanger the existence of your entire company. Many factory claims in China can be avoided though by a good functioning quality control management. From my more […]

If you want to conduct business negotiations in China, you better be absolutely prepared. You are far from home and cannot just run across town to fetch a missing document or your contract if you forgot to bring it along. Of course, you may be able to ask your staff, at home, to send you […]

The first thing you want to do, if you have not done so already, is to establish your own in-house quality control department. That is the first step to making sure that your company has the means to control the quality of all incoming samples or any other quality issues before you place any purchase […]

After making your decision about which supplier to contract with, order your product samples but plan to evaluate them after you return home. Sample Preparation Sample preparation, depending which kind of products you want to import, can take considerable time. Contrary to what many people think, factories usually do not keep samples in their warehouse […]

As you visit each of your factory’s various departments, you may learn a portion of the production is subcontracted to other factories. Unless special circumstances apply, the subcontractors are usually near by. The factories find this to be a sensitive issue and may be reluctant to disclose it. They may try pretending the other factory […]

This is often an economic decision because overseas trips are expensive. I would say that you should visit each of your factories at least once a year. Combining it with Trade Fair visits helps you save on costs. Certainly, it also depends on the current quality and performance of your factory. A factory continuously causing […]

If you talk to the wrong people during your visit you will not get the best results, even if the rest of your Trade Fair preparations are close to perfect. Making First Contact It should be a straight forward task making contact with the companies your previously contacted from your home country. You should have […]

Branding Your Products Many importers underestimate the importance of this step and get into trouble later on. Having your own brand name and a convincing gift box design (product packaging) could be the main key to success for your import business. Why is it so important to have your own brand name and gift box […]

The present economic downturn affects many facets of business including manufacturers in China and their overseas customers. To completely stop importing is not an option because business must go on but perhaps on a smaller scale. On the other side, factories in China are hungry for orders right now and starting an import business at […]

The good news for all importers is, there is no substitute to importing from China. Products at more economic prices have become part of our daily life. Most of these products are made in China and have replaced locally made products that could not compete with them for various reasons. The bad news is that […]