Category: Social Compliance

BSCI and Sedex Audits in China: What Importers Must Know

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 35 Comments

BSCI Sedex audits in China

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Asia Import Platform: General Products

Importers are facing more pressure from customers to ensure that their products are, at least to a certain extent, ethically produced.

However, actively monitoring working conditions in a country far away, costs millions of dollars. In other words, ensuring social compliance in China is out of reach for any company that’s not on the Fortune 500. That’s where BSCI and Sedex come in.

In this guide, we explain what importers must know about BSCI and Sedex audits, including rating systems, finding audited suppliers, and much more.

Overview

  • What is BSCI?
  • What is Sedex?
  • What does it mean when a supplier BSCI or Sedex audited?
  • Is it risky to buy from non-BSCI or SMETA audited suppliers?
  • Where can I find a sample BSCI or SMETA report?
  • How do I know if the audit report is valid and authentic?
  • How can I find BSCI or SMETA audited suppliers?
  • Can we find BSCI and SMETA audited suppliers on Alibaba?
  • Are BSCI and SMETA audits common among suppliers in China?
  • Can our company pay to make a supplier BSCI or Sedex certified?
  • How much does a BSCI or Sedex audit cost?
  • Why are not all suppliers BSCI or Sedex audited?
  • Can BSCI and SMETA audits be conducted in any industry?
  • Which companies offer BSCI audits in China?
  • Which companies offer Sedex SMETA audits in China?

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Social Compliance Audits in China: By Renaud Anjoran

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 3 Comments

production-facility

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Asia Import Platform: General Products

Renaud Anjoran, the founder of Sofeast in Shenzhen, is a well-known expert in quality assurance and factory audits. In this article, Renaud shares his insights in a topic that is more relevant than ever to importers: Social Compliance. Keep reading, and learn more about the various Social Compliance Audit protocols and the situation differ between major industries – including Textiles, Electronics and Toys. In addition, he also explains why so many suppliers fail Social Compliance Audits. While many business owners assume that the main issue, and risk, is underage labour, that is not the case.

Why are Social Compliance Audits (SCA) necessary when doing business with Chinese manufacturers?

There are several reasons why Western importers need their suppliers’ factories to be audited for social compliance.

First, consumer brands are under intense media scrutiny. Journalists generally don’t investigate in what conditions certain products are made, but from time to time they surface some information that causes a scandal. Think Nike and child labor, or Apple and the suicides at Foxconn. The key here is to know about potential scandals and push suppliers to act.

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Social Entrepreneurship and Importing from China – Interview with Kevin Ackermann of BACA Jewellery in London

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 1 Comment

kevin ackermann social Entrepreneurship

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Asia Import Platform: Accessories & Jewellery

I’ve met hundreds of business owners from all corners of the world since I started out. One that really made a lasting impression on me was Kevin Ackermann, co-founder and CEO of BACA Jewellery Ltd based in London, UK. In this week’s article we introduced you to the importance of branding when importing products from China, something that Kevin Ackermann has managed exceptionally well. In this interview he tells us about his journey that started with a flight to Shanghai and brought him all the way to the United Nations.

Kevin, please tell us a bit about what you do, how you got started and how it involves China.

I am a Social Entrepreneur running and advising several startups based in London and San Francisco, CA. I am very passionate about retail hence my interactions with factories in China.

At BACA Jewellery, where I am currently acting as CEO, we import pearls and other components from China. Even though 98% of cultured freshwater pearls come from China and the region has built up a great reputation for its quality pearl jewellery, I wanted to check out every step of the supply chain myself to make sure that we do not exploit anybody. Continue reading Social Entrepreneurship and Importing from China – Interview with Kevin Ackermann of BACA Jewellery in London