In This Episode... Renaud is joined by Adrian for a conversation about some of the things that smaller companies who are getting products manufactured abroad either cannot or will have great difficulty negotiating with suppliers in China, Vietnam, or other popular manufacturing destinations in Asia. This list of 9 items will give you some idea about what is realistic if you're manufacturing lower volumes. Just hit the play button to start listening..! Listen to the episode right … [Read more...]
Beware of this China Scam: The Commodity Bait and Switch
We are contacted regularly by overseas buyers who are about to purchase a commodity product from a Chinese manufacturer, and it is nearly always a very risky situation for the buyer as switching out an order of commodities to a cheaper commodity at the last minute is an all too common China scam. … [Read more...]
Getting More out of your Chinese Suppliers
Here are some interesting or useful articles that I found recently. Levels of China Sourcing (Infographic) Etienne Charlier gives a roadmap to companies that source industrial products/equipment and that want to get more out of their China supplier relationships. The takeaway for buyers of consumer goods: leveraging more supplier capabilities, as well as investing in supplier development, can pay off in a big way. China NNN Agreements. Watching The Sausage Get Made Dan Harris … [Read more...]
The small buyer’s dilemma in China
Over the years, I have worked with many small and midsize importers who were looking for a good supplier. A very common question they have is "what kind of factory should I look for?". The problem is simple to grasp: Small factories give low quotations, but are not very reliable -- especially when they need to develop a new product. Larger factories are (usually) more reliable and more professional, but are unwilling to give low prices to small buyers. And they are more likely to bump … [Read more...]