You have no idea how many times I’m confronted with this question on a daily basis from China Importers; “If a service provider is not an agent or a trading company, but still help manage the China supply chain, what are they?” Sometimes it can get a little frustrating because...
Everyone knows how ubiquitous and essential a smartphone, especially an iPhone, has become in our daily lives. The enormous success of the iPhone has created a big market for accessories. As you know, the iPhone itself is made in China (from imported components) – and so are most of the...
Just a few weeks ago, the South China Morning Post published an article about how some of China’s factories are downsizing to the extreme, all in an effort to survive the dynamics of our present global economy. How will that affect everyone who’s importing and sourcing from China? And the...
It is quite shocking really when you think about the number of parts needed to make a guitar; almost like one of those flat-pack Ikea desks except the end product is much more fun to play with. Building a guitar is generally quite straightforward (with the right knowhow) at the...
Sourcing Chinese Tea – 4 Things you should consider Chinese tea has been a key part of Chinese culture since leaves supposedly fell into Emperor Shennong's boiling water in 2737 BCE, but its popularity has been slowly heading West over the past few years. Chinese tea is well known for...
Every time when you look at a toy, you will probably see the “Made in China” inscription. Indeed, a lot of well-known brands such as Disney World, Mattel, Lego, and McDonald’s are sourcing toys from China. In fact, 80 percent of the merchandise sold worldwide is produced there. That is...
Far too often there seem to be China buying stories where buyers fail to follow up on orders with the appropriate inspections, whether it’s the factory audit, pre-production, pre-shipment, or any other. We’ve discussed quite a bit on this blog about the importance of not taking a good relationship with...
