When it comes to managing the China supply chain, a fundamental rule is to regularly execute inspections. They are not expensive—often starting as low as $100 depending on the size of your order—and allow you to identify any issues before the order leaves the factory and the country. An inspection...
Good communication is the cornerstone of ANY relationship. Business AND personal. You could also argue that good communication creates wealth and adds value to what you are doing. Sounds familiar? When it comes to China sourcing, good communication is both more important and more difficult to achieve. More important because...
In the past, we have had plenty of experience with companies that are just getting their start with sourcing from China. Either they are moving part of their supply chain there, or they are creating a new supply chain from scratch. One thing that most new China importers have...
The importance of the PSI All inspections are important, but if there is only one inspection that can or must be made on a shipment, it is this one: the Pre-shipment Inspection or the “PSI”. The objective of the PSI is to verify that the goods you have ordered have...
For a lot of importers, quality control is another step in the endless process of “How to Source from China.” But which step is it? Is it step 1? Step 3? Step 5? And how does the order affect your sourcing? Our opinion on the matter has always been this:...
We recently wrote a two-part blog about sourcing from China using supplier platforms like Alibaba, Sourcing From China: The difference between Alibaba and doing it yourself. In this two part series, we discussed sourcing through Alibaba and how this differs from traditional importing. Most veteran importers have attended the Canton...
If you are thinking about sourcing in China, you will probably be wondering if and when you’ll need to stump up for a trip over there. Luckily, technology today makes it less necessary for you to do so. Here we outline three common reasons business owners make the trip, and...
A couple of years ago, our main office in Beijing wrote a blog about Things You Should Know About Designer Bags and Luggage Manufactured in China. It racked up the page views and seemed to help a lot of people with questions they had about sourcing their own bags from...