This is the first in a series of articles about the way we do process audits. When I look at the quality assurance agencies that offer services to importers in China, they all seem to prefer "horizontal" requirements (quality system, … [Read more...]
Do Sourcing Agents Have a Future in China?
These days, it seems the same subject of conversation comes up whenever I meet with a sourcing agent: does their activity have a future? It is a very wide question, and as such it invites a nuanced answer. Actually I don't want to … [Read more...]
What to Do When A Supplier Can’t Provide Product Certifications?
As I wrote in How to Check Lab Test Certificates/Reports?, I guess that 10-30% of the product certifications given by Chinese suppliers to their customers are fake. A "fake" certification is often a real certificate that was issued … [Read more...]
How to Ensure the Effectiveness of QC Inspections in China
As I wrote on many occasions on this blog, there are few cases where an importer doesn't need a quality inspection before shipment. So, if inspections are such an important step in the supply chain, what can be done to ensure they … [Read more...]
The Evolution of Chinese Export Manufacturing sector
Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. Rising Wages May Erode China's Low-Cost Manufacturing Advantage Economists predict an increase of Chinese wages by a bit over 10% this year. When adding the … [Read more...]
How to Check Lab Test Certificates/Reports?
As I wrote in What are Laboratory Certifications Worth in China?, it is important to verify the test reports or conformity certificates. I would guess that between 10% and 30% of the certificates given by Chinese suppliers to their … [Read more...]
Do Importers NEED Trading Companies to Buy in China?
A reader asked me an interesting question: I am really disappointed and fed up from the dishonest way of doing business: changing prices in the last moment, late deliveries and all the other tricks that were mentioned in your blog. In … [Read more...]
Challenges of Small Businesses in China – Q&A with an expert
Recently I chatted with Fredrik Gronkvist, and I thought he had very interesting advice for small.medium size importers. He was kind enough to respond to this Q&A. Fredrik is a co-founder of Chinaimportal, a company that offers … [Read more...]
7 Signs of a Poorly Managed Chinese Factory
Before you can evaluate a Chinese manufacturer's quality level or engineering capabilities, one thing should jump at you: are they well managed? I made a list of 7 signs that you should observe when touring a plant. Let's start at the … [Read more...]
What Factory CERTIFICATIONS Mean in China
Purchasers without a background in the quality field often have trouble understanding what "our factory is certified" really means. I will try to clarify it in this article. How does it work? A factory that wants to get a certification … [Read more...]
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