Sometimes an importer asks me what the "hot products" are at the moment. Well, one really obvious response is electronic cigarettes. New factories making e-cigarettes pop up every month in Shenzhen. Several people already asked me how … [Read more...]
Procedure if a problem is detected during an in-process inspection
Two years ago, I drew a flow chart to guide importers in case a final QC inspection was failed. But the best is to detect problems during an in-process inspection (before the products are finished). At this stage, if an issue is … [Read more...]
Laboratory testing of products from China: Q&A with an expert
I was fortunate enough to exchange a few emails with Dr. Stefan Droste, Managing Director of Hohenstein Laboratories (HK) Limited. His laboratory is part of the Hohenstein Institute, which employs about 500 employees in Germany and in … [Read more...]
Are quality control agencies inflexible?
Some importers don't work with third-party inspection companies because they can't find a way to cooperate. They think these agencies are not flexible enough. But I want to explain why some requests need to be turned down. Here is a … [Read more...]
How to arrange reference samples for QC inspections?
If you pay for quality inspections on your products before they are shipped, you should try to make sure the inspectors have a reference sample in hand. It is one of these things that seem obvious, but that don't get done in many cases … [Read more...]
The 10 biggest misconceptions of importers about China
I get some weird questions or comments from readers who are not professional importers. It keeps reminding me of what most people in the West think (imagine?) about China. I listed a few of the myths, fantasies, and misconceptions about … [Read more...]
5 ways to avoid being copied in China
I was reading a book this weekend, and it includes the following paragraph: I studied economics in Beijing for six months and observed firsthand how the latest Nike sneaker or Callaway golf club could be duplicated and on eBay within a … [Read more...]
5 articles that are worth your time
Here is a list of the good articles I read recently, and that I think will be interesting to importers. China Product Quality. Only You Can Prevent Quality Fade. Steve Dickinson explains why most importers' assumptions ("my suppliers … [Read more...]
Checking the Chinese sub-suppliers work [photos]
Most importers, when they visit their supplier's factories, only see the final operations. However, in China, many problems come from the sub-suppliers. Here is an example. Photo of the workshop where rubber print is applied (the cut … [Read more...]
How importers Can Use a Hong Kong company
Once they reach a certain size, all importers wonder "should we open a company in Hong Kong for saving on taxes?" It has been going on for decades. However, a new development is pushing importers--particularly from North America--to … [Read more...]
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