Three weeks ago I wrote How to improve your Chinese supplier pool?, where I argued that importers should distinguish 3 categories of suppliers: I also posted it as a discussion on cha1n.com (a social network for supply chain … [Read more...]
How importers can improve their margin: Q&A with an expert
I recently had a good talk with Wouter de Roos, from WSDR. Wouter is a consultant who helps importers optimize their operational effectiveness. His goal: better margin for less risks! I asked Wouter 4 questions: Q: What are the most … [Read more...]
RMB settlement for paying Chinese suppliers
The possibility to pay Chinese suppliers in RMB is a recent development that importers should be aware of. Last week I attended an excellent seminar organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. RMB settlement was a hot … [Read more...]
How to improve your Chinese supplier pool?
Many importers have learned the value of a good supplier pool the hard way. For example, Carrefour Global Sourcing "killed its supplier base" (in the words of their managing director) because they pursued low prices with a reverse … [Read more...]
The 3 categories in your Chinese supplier list
From what I was told, the Chinese tax department classifies companies as below: Black list: very frequent controls (because they misbehaved in the past); Grey list: relatively frequent controls; White list: relatively infrequent … [Read more...]
Chinese suppliers’ lack of reliability: 5 tips for importers
You import from China. You sell to customers who want the right quality at the right time. You know that, if you can't deliver, they will go elsewhere. And, on the other hand, your suppliers say "we'll try our best, don't worry". And you … [Read more...]
Rising prices in China: 5 solutions for importers
The RMB rate has been going up steadily against the USD (see below), and labor costs have been increasing even faster. When you add the raises in shipping rates and in certain raw materials prices, prices have often increased by more than … [Read more...]
Imposing fines on Chinese suppliers
Last week I received this question from a reader: What are your thoughts about imposing fines on suppliers for late delivery and quality issues? Does it work or just causes more problems ? My short answer is: yes it can work, but only if … [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...]
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...]
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