I recently wrote Scams by Chinese suppliers: what to do? because many first-time importers are afraid of falling victim to a scam -- paying money upfront to a supplier that deliberately won't ship the right products, if they ship at … [Read more...]
You need to understand production issues in China
I heard many Chinese suppliers say "the buyer doesn't know how production works". And, most of the time, they were right. As Jacob Yount wrote in his latest blog post, A Factory’s Point of View, many importers are cloudy on specs and … [Read more...]
Inspecting less samples
I regularly receive emails from readers who feel that the AQL tables push them to inspect too many samples. First, a warning: if you need to be 95% confident in an inspection's findings, it is surprising how many samples you should … [Read more...]
Where to open a buying office in Guangdong?
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the upcoming "end of China manufacturing". It is true that prices are going up, and an increasing number of importers will have to source from other Asian countries. What commenters forget to … [Read more...]
How to sell your project to Chinese manufacturers
Many importers are shocked because they need to convince Chinese manufacturers to work for them, rather than the opposite. They need to "sell" their project. The reason is usually a combination of low quantity orders and high-complexity … [Read more...]
The 3 types of sourcing companies in China
When an importer wants to source a new product in China, he basically has 4 options, 3 of which involve the use of a sourcing company: Of course, you can find a supplier on a trade show or in an online directory (e.g. Global … [Read more...]
Are low-tech factories closing in china?
A few months ago, Steve Dickinson wrote about what would happen to low-tech factories along the coast of China in Factory Closings In South China. All Part Of The Plan: Low value added/high labor content manufacturers from Wenzhou in … [Read more...]
There are cheaters everywhere — not just in China
I always tell importers not to trust Chinese manufacturers’ certificates. I am trying not to cast doubt on ALL Chinese suppliers, because some of them are honest. On the other hand, it is better to push inexperienced importers to be on the … [Read more...]
How to reduce the frequency of quality inspections
Over the last month, I received several messages from readers on this topic. So I tried to think of a few ways to reduce the frequency of QC inspections without taking high risks. 1. Two methods I approve of The two most common solutions … [Read more...]
Training for QC inspectors: Q&A with an expert
I recently had the opportunity to work with Hubert Delelis Fanien, founder of Aka Outspring. He has set up a training center for QC inspectors in Shenzhen, China. He also helps local companies hire and evaluate their inspectors. I was … [Read more...]
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