by Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

Yesterday I had a good discussion with Bergson Wang, who has worked in the CSR (corporate social responsibility) departments of Adidas and Puma.

There is one thing both of us believe: using audits does not work if the goal is to improve working conditions.

by Mike Bellamy in 'China Sourcing Information Center'

We are starting up a new business venture around toy action figures. We are looking for a manufacturer and are considering China. How do we downselect to the best candidates? Are there local intermediaries who can work on our behalf with the manufacturer?

by Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

My friend Gaetan, from Eyo Green Alliance, told me about an incredible story. I mean, incredible to people who don’t know the Chinese business environment. He gave me some photos as illustrations, and he blurred them to avoid any dispute.

Last month he scheduled two factory visits over the same day, in the city of Shenzhen (between Hong Kong and Guangzhou). He was looking for a good manufacturer of LED lamps.

by Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

For the average importer, there is a lot of choice when it comes to methods for gathering information about a Chinese factory.

If you need basic due diligence before issuing a first order, if you want to collect evidence of misbehavior, or if you just want to reassure yourself, there is probably a way to get the right information.

by David Dayton in 'Silk Road International'

1. Location counts—Sure the price may be better, but you need to factor in how long people have been doing business both in that factory and in that area (sub suppliers). The rule of thumb is this: the most advanced suppliers are found in HK/Taiwan, then Guangdong, then other East Coast cities, then the rest of China.

by Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog'

Not sure if it is cynicism or realism, but I am getting increasingly willing to blame "the victim" of China business problems. I am convinced that nine times out of ten when bad things happen to good people who do business internationally (that includes in or with China) it is the "good person's" fault. Like all lawyers who work with China, I have a ready set of horror stories, which I rotate depending on the occasion, but usually include one or more of the following (modified slightly to protect the guilty):

by Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

Recently, I met a French person working in Shanghai. He and his partner have founded a trading company—the word "traders" is part of their company's name.

I asked him whether he felt this activity was harder and harder in the China sourcing field. He said no, certain buyers are actually looking for this kind of service.

by Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog'

The other day, I did a post, entitled, "Sourcing Product From China: The Definitive Checklist." That post dealt with the steps, from beginning to end, one should take in sourcing from China. I received the following email in response to that post:

by David Dayton in 'Silk Road International'

As I meet buyers at the recent tradeshows I've been hearing some stories about buyers being shocked at containers showing up with bad product from their supplier in China. In addition to the truth that each has a sad story and they all have indeed been lied to, most have a couple of other things in common as well—things that they did not do. But before I tell you what those commonalities are let me be very clear about my position: I'd be the first one to tell you that there are a LOT of dishonest suppliers (all over the world). You can, and probably will, get ripped off just about anywhere. But in my experience, there are two things that buyers can do that will positively affect the quality of product that you'll be able to get out of China. Surprisingly, choosing which supplier you work with is not one of them.

by Dan Harris in 'China Law Blog'

I was telling a client today how my law firm has done more than 200 Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA) with Chinese companies and our results very roughly approximate the following:

by Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

One of the members of the Linkedin China Law Blog Group asked “why there aren’t more companies in China that are totally transparent with their supply chain”.

Love at first sight does not guarantee long-term bliss. Do your homework to find a great romantic partner the same way is true for business. Many buyers have been scammed by suppliers - or had contract disputes with them -- because they don't realize they needed to verify the supplier or didn't have the expertise or the resources to verify them properly.

by Renaud Anjoran in 'Quality Inspection Blog'

A few months ago I published an ebook about quality assurance in China. I also offered it for download on my company’s website and I got great comments about it.

February 22, 2011

Global Sources acknowledges and understands the risks inherent in international B2B trade. Alibaba's announcement of changes in senior management, as a response to fraudulent practices of suppliers which were uncovered, only heightens the importance of having adequate systems, processes and internal controls in place to protect the global community of buyers we serve.

Experts stress the importance of due diligence following Alibaba's disclosure of supplier fraud.

Sourcing experts are strongly emphasizing the need for even the most experienced buyers to ensure effective evaluation measures when selecting suppliers in China — particularly when sourcing online.