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It is the rare importer or trader who doesn't have direct competition. And what makes a company more competitive? Quite often, its supplier base. Maybe they are getting higher quality products and fewer shipment delays, without paying … [Read more...]

It seems like more and more companies are pushing for more transparency in their suppliers' operations. However, this trend goes against established practices in China. It will obviously be a difficult project in a country where many … [Read more...]

One of the fears of many importers is that they train a manufacturer to make their products, only to see that supplier start to sell similar goods in competing distribution channels. The ”Made in Asia” seminar (organized every year by … [Read more...]

When defining a sourcing strategy, most importers forget to do a bit of introspection. If their purchasing and quality services are poorly organized, their sourcing options are severely limited. The most simple situation would be to find … [Read more...]

Have you already received pre-production samples (or, worse, production samples) that were different from the requirements you had communicated? Have you already wondered if the sales rep's "well noted with thanks" means "everyone here … [Read more...]

This is the second part of the presentation I gave a group of Chinese suppliers. The first part, about the initial sourcing phase, is here. I made a list of the most common ways foreign buyers are cheated in China. My message was, … [Read more...]

I got a great comment from fellow blogger Jacob Yount on a previous article. I thought it was worthy of being republished here. Here is Jacob's piece of advice to Chinese suppliers: I'd advise suppliers "not to fill in the blanks". This … [Read more...]

I published an article in the latest edition of China Law and Practice. The objective is to provide importers with the basics they need to know about letters of credit. In my experience, it is one of the most under-utilized tools in … [Read more...]