So, Trump and Xi Jinping are meeting in Osaka on Saturday, for 90 minutes. We are told they are good friends, there is hope. Many are waiting – with bated breath. Well I don’t believe it. The bit about them being good friends. How can you be good friends when...
Negotiation: “Bargaining (give and take) process between two or more parties (each with its own aims, needs, and viewpoints) seeking to discover a common ground and reach an agreement to settle a matter of mutual concern or resolve a conflict.” (Business Dictionary) Negotiations are stage 2. The key, the only...
There are two stages to solving a trade dispute: Stage 1: Bringing your opponent to the table.Show that you have a case, that you are determined, that you will not flinch. Stage 2: Reaching an agreement. Finding common ground; showing respect and understanding; establishing trust and conveying reliability. Bullying is...
Before we launch into the respective positions of China and the USA, lets explore definitions: What’s a tariff? A tax on merchandise imported from other countries. A bargaining chip to negotiate a better trade deal Both of them are true, but note that a tax can be in place...
Armageddon: “the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times… The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario” - Wikipedia If you let your imagination run wild, and you try to picture where this trade conflict could...
In January I made a prediction on what would happen in March, namely: “… it will get better, … the new 25% tariffs will not be imposed and … previous tariffs will be reduced over time.” Time for me to eat humble pie. Here we are in June, and after...
In the last blog installment we published of this series, Made In China Quality and Perception: Improving Standards and Improving Quality – Part 4, discussed the recovery China made after dealing with major quality scandals and recalls between 2007 and 2008. This week, we continue the series and will examine...
The impending tariffs and the trade war with China have been an ongoing and popular topic in the press, and an especially important issue in our business. One of the benefits of this kind of activity is that importers are focused on reducing COGS (Cost of goods sold). A recent...