By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

As many first-time importers notice, working with a Chinese supplier necessitates a change in habits:

By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

In 80% of cases, importers do not spend enough time preparing the specifications of the products they want to make in China. They usually work on the basis of sample, but they forget about all the “details” (the bill of materials, the packaging, etc.).

The bottom line

As a small business owner, it all comes down to the bottom line. Depending where you are on the path to entrepreneurial success, that bottom line probably means your own personal bank account.

So when it's time for that next step in your business plan—importing goods from China—you want to make sure that the first-timer learning curve is as shallow as possible. The fewer "learn from experience" mistakes you make, the more dollars you'll have to buoy your burgeoning business.

Where to start?

Right here.

By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

At Sofeast we mostly work with small importers with their China production. They have to manage certain types of risks that larger buyers just don't have to worry about.

By Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog'

The other day we did an extremely long post on the legal issues of outsourcing.  That post was based on an hour long speech I had just given at an International Association of Outsourcing Professionals meeting, so it was very, very long.

By Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog'

Last week, I gave an hour long talk before the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP). My talk was entitled, “The Legal Myths, Realities, Traps and Benefits to Outsourcing to an Emerging Market,” but I should have called it everything you need to know about the law of outsourcing, crammed into an hour.

By Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog'

I admit it. The more depressing and violent and gritty the movie or the TV show, the more I like it.

By Charles and Mitch in 'The China Sourcing Blog'

Switching your sourcing to the world’s third largest economy can save you 30%. But getting in there is no easy matter.

China's development has been one of the great marvels of the modern age. Its output was regarded as a mere statistical anomaly on the international landscape just a generation ago, but has since ascended to become the world’s third largest economy. Chinese exports dramatically expanded after the country’s admittance to the World Trade Organization in 2001, culminating in China's current status as the number one exporting nation.

By Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

If you have never imported directly from China before, you are probably afraid of missing something important. What costs should you plan in your budget? What precautions should you take? You probably have no idea.

The made in China label that can be found anywhere from clothing and kitchenware to electronics and medicine, has taken a beating recently, and while product safety remains a concern, China has remained the world’s factory, mainly because there is simply no one else who can do it. Vietnam is simply too small, and India just doesn’t have the infrastructure.

By Mike Bellamy

How much can I expect to save by moving production to China?

There is no set formula but there are general rules that apply. Labor intensive products made of readily available materials offer the greatest savings.

By Rebecca in 'The China Sourcing Blog'

A. Using a trading company

Trading companies usually specialize in a certain industry - so they can find the right products quickly. Sometimes a trading company can help if the original supplier does not have an export license.

By Rebecca in 'The China Sourcing Blog'

Generally speaking, if you do not have your own sourcing team in China, there are two ways to source from China

By David Dayton in "Silk Road International Blog"

This is the outline of a presentation that I give at each Global Sources China Sourcing Show entitled: Smart Steps for Effective Sourcing in Tough Economic Times . It's both an introduction to the current factory situation in China and a review of the list of options for financing in China today.

Once importers reach a certain scale in their China purchasing, many start to consider setting up a buying office in China to manage the business. Doing so is, of course, a complex undertaking, and it would take more than a single article to cover the topic thoroughly. But in this excerpt from a broader interview, sourcing specialist Benjamin Dolgin-Gardner offers some quick pointers to importers who are considering an on-the-ground presence in China.