Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. The End Of Cheap China. The Next China Will Be The Post-China 16. Maybe. Dan Harris compares two opposing analyses of where Chinese manufacturing is … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2014
Overview of the Malaysian Production Sector
Here is another article researched and written by our assistant Maria -- this time about Malaysia's top export industries, trends, labor costs, and logistical issues. Malaysian Exports: Electronics remain at the helm The electrical and … [Read more...]
Purchasing Primary (Disposable) Batteries in China
By Fabien Gaussorgues Primary (or disposable) batteries are non-rechargeable cells -- mostly 1.5V and dedicated to toys and other products that don’t need battery replacement on a daily basis. We recently did some research on this … [Read more...]
What a Social Auditor Should Check in Chinese Factories
Big brands/retailers send a lot of social auditors to the factories working for them. It is usually ineffective (or worse), but there are a few bright spots too. Now, how about smaller companies that want to live and breathe ethical … [Read more...]
Negotiating for Slower Price Increases from Chinese Factories
So, your Chinese manufacturers ask for price increases in the 10-20% range. Are you unsure of what to answer? Here are few tips. First, tell them you don't understand You might have a few arguments in your favor: Maybe your volumes … [Read more...]
Auditing a Metal Machining Factory in China: Focus on Processes
Machining is an operation that changes the shape, surface finish, and/or mechanical properties of a material by the application of special tools and equipment. This is typically carried out by machines where a cutting tool removes … [Read more...]
7 Tips to Prevent the “Different Bank Account” Scam
More and more buyers are being scammed into wiring tens -- sometimes hundreds -- of thousands of dollars to the wrong bank account. I helped Global Sources prepare an infographic on how to reduce this risk: This scam comes … [Read more...]
Checking if Electrical Products are Still Compliant in Production
A few days ago I got the following question from a reader: We import Consumer Electronics and would like to check that products have not changed components from the original CE and that they still pass CE requirements. That's a great … [Read more...]
Overview of the Thailand Production Sector
Here is another piece of research by our marketing assistant Maria, this time about Thailand's top export industries, trends, labor costs, and logistical issues. A Highly Attractive Country, on Paper Thailand has the 17th largest … [Read more...]
Increasing Labor Productivity will be Key to China Success
The conference organized last week by the European Chamber of Commerce in China was extremely interesting. I took notes during the other speakers' presentations, and a theme came back again and again: if China doesn't increase its labor … [Read more...]