Depending on your product, it may make a lot of sense to manufacture in China (for example, for complex products that need to be developed fast). But the risks of China IP theft haven't gone away. I wanted to share a few examples here. As … [Read more...]
Will China Lock Entire Provinces Down A Second Time in 2020?
In early February, I was wondering what effects the lockdown of China would have on importers. And, a few weeks later, importers suffered another (often more violent) blow: stores closed for months, a lot of unsold inventory, and weak … [Read more...]
When Should American Companies Reshore Manufacturing Or Stay In China?
In recent times it's very common to see stories about American companies scrambling to reshore manufacturing and leave China and the data seems to support this trend of reshoring or finding other locations. However, I suspect the American … [Read more...]
3 Ways To Get Faster Results From Laboratory Tests On Your Products
The world is full of technical testing standards. The ASTM alone publishes more than 12,000 each year! However, in some cases, you might find that you need a customized test approach that fits your specific needs. Here are 3 tips that … [Read more...]
Buyers of Masks and other PPE: Are You Exposed to Serious Liability?
This is an important warning to all companies that improvised themselves as importers of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Read this before you get yourself involved in a situation that might cause you serious … [Read more...]
The Biggest Manufacturing Risk These Days: Short Term Focus
Back in February (which seems to be a long time ago), I wrote that that number 1 manufacturing risk for importers was quality issues and the number 2 was delivery delays. (I also mentioned "lower demand on your market" because we were … [Read more...]
Supply Chain Risk Management, Part 2: The Business Continuity Plan
In this post, let's focus on disaster prevention, and more specifically on the business continuity plan, with a simple example. We will also provide you with a free template. This is the second post in our series of Supply Chain Risk … [Read more...]
Requirements To Import PPE: You Need To Go Beyond Certificates
There is a serious emergency right now to procure and import PPE. I know. Manufacturers are overloaded with requests from buyers, and they can't (won't) spend much time responding to requests. I know! Nearly all the importers I talked … [Read more...]
Verifying Certificates for Masks, Gloves, and Other PPE from China
These days, it seems everybody has jumped on the same 'PPE' bandwagon. In China, hundreds (maybe thousands) of manufacturers have seized this opportunity. Many of them have zero experience in the medical field, or in any regulated … [Read more...]
9 Reasons Why You Can’t Buy Face Masks with Low Risk in China
The Western world is scrambling to buy face masks and other PPE materials. And all the conditions are met for highly expensive mistakes. If I could ring the proverbial alarm bell, this article is my way to do that. … [Read more...]