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How Alibaba Helps Trading Companies Look like Manufacturers

September 28, 2021 by Renaud Anjoran

How Alibaba Helps Trading Companies Look like Manufacturers

Alibaba's business managers are looking for ways to get more money. That's understandable. But I think the way they achieve their objectives is downright shameful and need to be called out. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: Alibaba, chinese suppliers, sourcing suppliers, trading companies

China Sourcing: Does Your Sales Contact Really Work At The Factory?

September 2, 2019 by Renaud Anjoran

China Sourcing: Check if Your Sales Contact Really Works at the Factory

When I meet someone who has recently started working with Chinese companies, I often urge them not to make any assumptions. One of the most common 'discoveries' buyers make is... that they haven't been working with a factory directly when they thought they were. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: common problems with Chinese suppliers, sales contacts, Sourcing, sourcing from china, sourcing tips, supplier management, trading companies

Why Your Ground Agent in China is NOT Helping Cut Costs

April 25, 2019 by Renaud Anjoran

Why Your Ground Agent in China is NOT Helping Cut Costs

From time to time, I hear from a company that works with a ground agent in China, and they basically tell me two things: The agent did a relatively good job lining up suppliers, communicating requirements, and generally ironing out most issues. (That makes sense -- otherwise, the importer switches to another agent or to another approach.) After the initial burst, the agent feels entitled to a commission of X% and is resting on her laurels, not challenging factories, not looking for new … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: backup factories, ground agents, sourcing agents, sourcing suppliers, trading companies

Why First-Time Buyers Fall for Trading Companies in China

February 6, 2019 by Renaud Anjoran

Let's say you are looking for a supplier in China to make your innovative product. You know that traditional sourcing agents are not the solution -- they simply don't have the ability to assist you with design reviews, engineering work, certifications, and so on. And you can't justify setting up a company in China and hiring local staff -- that's a lot of extra expense. So, the choice often ends up being between a trading company (which will be your supplier, even though they don't do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: China, chinese suppliers, middlemen, service providers, trading companies

Sourcing from China 101, Part 1: Do You Need a Sourcing Agent?

November 2, 2017 by Renaud Anjoran

Options: Sourcing Agent vs. Buy Direct from China

A few years ago I wrote a 15-part course that was sent automatically, lesson by lesson, to interested readers. These days, such autoresponders are a thing of the past and we will switch to something different. But, rather than ditching these courses, I will update them a bit and publish them, one at a time. They are still quite relevant to new buyers.  --- If you are new to sourcing from China, your first decision will be: should I manage this by myself? If your team can’t dedicate 1-3 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing from China 101, Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: qualifying an agent, sourcing agent, sourcing from china, trading companies

Chinese trading companies and their dirty little secrets

May 24, 2010 by Renaud Anjoran

Chinese trading companies and their dirty little secrets

Before you read this post, I have to emphasize that some Chinese trading companies here--including Hong Kong--truly create value for their customers. What I wrote below does not apply to all intermediaries. But I observed it so many times that I believe it is true in 80%+ of cases. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sourcing New Suppliers Tagged With: chinese suppliers, Sourcing, trading companies


Weekly updates for professional importers on better understanding, controlling, and improving manufacturing & supply chain in China.

This is the official blog of Sofeast.com.

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in chinese manufacturing since 2005.

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