As we all know, Christmas and Thanksgiving in the U.S. can cause delays in business due to scheduled closures. But did you also plan for possible delays due to holidays observed in China? Understanding how these holidays affect exports is essential for anyone involved in supply chain management in China....
Given the current climate surrounding China, various factors have caused importers to ask if sourcing from China is still the right choice for their supply chain. Uncertainty due to tariffs/Trade war, rising labor costs and COVID-19 have sparked a lot of concerns. Is it time to search for China sourcing...
We’ve all heard the saying, “The greater the risk, the greater the reward.” Although the risk/reward concept makes sense in most cases, let us not exaggerate. Sourcing and procurement is a risky and complex process in and of itself. If you want to reap rewards from buying directly from China,...
American-made vs China-bought has been a hot topic as of late. With the recent political climate, the trade war, and tariffs, more and more importers are looking to move their supply chain management in China home. But is that really in their best interest? Should importers Buy direct from China...
Napoleon said, “If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.” So why delegate? Does it even make sense? We know that managers (even Napoleon) delegate. That is pretty much a definition of management. But why? And how? We previously wrote a blog about Hiring Teams vs. Individuals and...
There are many tools importers use to ensure success with a supplier when they Buy direct from China. One of these tools is the Product Specification Sheet (PSS). This document is essential for China sourcing services, as it specifies the buyer’s requirements and ensures they are implemented at the factory...
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) is a big deal in business these days but why is that? What exactly is ESG? Are you taking the right steps to benefit from it? In this blog, I will review ESG, how it interacts with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), and how this rapidly...
This past August, I attended ASD Market Week in Las Vegas, a sprawling event offering buyers many wholesale retail products. Amid the buzz of closing deals for low-cost goods and gadgets, one trend stood out to me: the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the importing process. AI was...