Global Sources surveyed 1,546 Chinese suppliers, and came out with this nice infographic. I find it a bit depressing. Are they worried about their customers' strict quality standards? Nope. Is the respect of shipping deadlines one of … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2013
Buying in Fujian province
I spent the last few days in Fujian province. I had not come to this part of china for more than 2 years. Fujian is the coastal province that faces Taiwan. It has the 9th per capita GDP of China -- much lower than neighboring coastal … [Read more...]
Letters of credit when buying in China: the basics
I published an article in the latest edition of China Law and Practice. The objective is to provide importers with the basics they need to know about letters of credit. In my experience, it is one of the most under-utilized tools in … [Read more...]
5 good articles of interest to importers
I have found five good articles of interest to importers recently. Here they are, in no particular order. 5 Key Indicators of a Good Chinese Supplier Andrew Reich, a friend a real expert in China manufacturing & QC, gives us a … [Read more...]
Is it expensive to increase the quality level in a factory?
Does it necessarily cost more to reduce the number of defects? That's a good question in the sense that it brings up different responses from different people. I am going to expose a few very different mindsets about the whole "quality" … [Read more...]
Hong Kong/Shenzhen border point: stop the smugglers!
The Luohu border point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen seems to be a favorite spot for smuggling products into China. Hong Kong is a free port with no duty on many product categories. And there is no VAT, whereas China imposes a 17% VAT. … [Read more...]
Online China sourcing classes & export strategy forum
I was glad to be invited recently to participate in two events. I have known the organizers for several years, and I am sure they will be interesting. 1. Online classes for startups that need to source from China Liz Long, founder of Bag … [Read more...]
Lean, 6 sigma, etc.: comparison of process improvement approaches
Michel Baudin, a Lean consultant whose blog I follow with great interest, published an extremely interesting article that compares different approaches for process improvement in manufacturing organizations. I have read a lot of attempts … [Read more...]
Laboratory testing in China: ideas for optimization
A few weeks ago, Jean-Etienne Alain, deputy director of Canal Toys Asia, was a speaker in an EU Chamber of Commerce in China seminar. He explained the way his company managed to optimize the laboratory testing process. I found it very … [Read more...]
4 good articles about the impact for importers of China’s macro trends
Happy 2013 to all readers! Several recent articles look at China's competitiveness in the global manufacturing economy. Here they are. What Worker Shortage? The Real Story of China’s Migrants The "China Real Time" blog, on the WSJ … [Read more...]