About 10 years ago, I remember Global Sources was listing "verified suppliers". Good idea. And their competitors followed suit, showing factory assessment reports and anything that can make buyers confident. And I am not sure that has been a positive development, overall. The basic principle to be aware of when buying factory analysis/verification There is a basic principle that all buyers should be aware of: When you are not paying for an analysis/verification, you can't fully … [Read more...]
How the US/China Trade War Accelerates the ‘Made in China 2025’ Plan
Many journalists wrote about the new tariffs, how the situation will likely evolve over the next few months, and who the winners and losers might end up being. What I realized is, this situation is helping Beijing accelerate the transition of their manufacturing sector toward higher technologies. Let's look at 3 events that all point to this. 1. The US is stopping trade talks with China (published yesterday) For years, the US has complained American companies can’t fairly compete in … [Read more...]
An Alibaba Gold Supplier Status Doesn’t Mean Anything
I regularly receive messages from importers who were cheated by a Chinese company and seem very surprised because they were dealing with a company which had 'Alibaba gold supplier status.' … [Read more...]