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List of Injection Mold Manufacturers in India: Our Top 7 Picks

Posted on by Michael Li — 2 Comments

Injection Mold Manufacturers in India

Looking for a qualified injection molding supplier in India? In this article, we list our top 7 picks of the leading injection mold manufacturers and molding machine providers; we compare their products, services, certificates, and other key factors.

List of Injection Mold Manufacturers in Vietnam

At what stage of the manufacturing process shall I buy the mold?

A mold is necessary as early as the product development stage, as you will need a mold even during sample production.

Nevertheless, if you are satisfied with the samples, you can reuse the mold for your bulk production. Continue reading List of Injection Mold Manufacturers in India: Our Top 7 Picks

List of Injection Mold Manufacturers in Vietnam: Our Top 7 Picks

Posted on by Michael Li — 8 Comments

Injection Mold Manufacturers in Vietnam

Looking for an injection mold manufacturer in Vietnam? In this article, we list some of the leading manufacturers in the country. We compared them based on their products and services, certificates, years in business and other key metrics.

List of Injection Mold Manufacturers in Vietnam

At what stage of the manufacturing process shall I buy the mold?

Since your supplier will need the mold to create the first samples, you shall buy the mold as soon as you are ready for sample production.

Having said that, your supplier will be able to use the same mold also for mass production. As long as it’s not defective or damaged, the same mold might produce up to several millions of units Continue reading List of Injection Mold Manufacturers in Vietnam: Our Top 7 Picks

US-China Trade War Tariffs: An Essential Guide for Importers & Amazon Sellers

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 24 Comments

US-China Trade War

Like many others, I assumed the US-China trade war would be a short affair. I envisioned some deal involving mutual trade concessions taking place in a matter of weeks.

How wrong I was.

Now we are facing the prospect of a decade-long trade war, that will possibly mark the end of an era. Given that the United States is our main market, in terms of users, the trade war has a severe impact on our business too.

I’m not here to discuss which side is morally right or wrong. But I do have an obligation to share my views of how the US-China trade war may impact small businesses in the US, importing from China.

  • Why the trade war could massively benefit Chinese sellers
  • Which products are affected by the new tariffs?
  • Which products are not affected by the new tariffs?
  • What does this mean for US importers?
  • Will China or the US win the trade war?

The trade war also comes with some unintended consequences, that have the potential to backfire massively. Continue reading US-China Trade War Tariffs: An Essential Guide for Importers & Amazon Sellers

Alibaba Trade Assurance Explained: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 141 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 10 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Planning to pay your supplier via Alibaba Trade Assurance? In this guide, we explain what the Trade Assurance is, and how you can ensure that it works to your benefit. The key to success when using this payment service is understanding its terms and conditions.

This is covered:

  • What is Alibaba Trade Assurance?
  • How does Alibaba Trade Assurance protect buyers?
  • How do I pay through the Alibaba Trade Assurance platform?
  • Can I trust Alibaba Trade Assurance?
  • Which payment methods are available for Trade Assurance?
  • How much are the Trade Assurance fees?
  • Does Trade Assurance enable me to return products I am satisfied with?
  • Can all Alibaba suppliers offer Trade Assurance payments?

Continue reading Alibaba Trade Assurance Explained: A Complete Guide

List of Quality Inspection Companies in Malaysia: Our Top 7 Picks

Posted on by Michael Li — 4 Comments

Quality Inspection Companies in Malaysia

Looking for a quality inspection company in Malaysia that can check your goods before shipment?

In this article, we list leading companies offering inspection services in Malaysia. Further, we also compare them according to the same criteria such a product category, services provided, year of registration, headquarters or branch location, and more.

Company Overview

How much does a quality inspection in Malaysia cost?

Most inspection companies in Malaysia will provide an independent quotation by email inquiry or through their online quotation system.

In general, an inspection costs between US$350 and US$450 per man day.

As for other Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, quality inspections in Malaysia are generally a bit more expensive than in China – where you can expect to pay around US$300.

Is it necessary to book a quality inspection when importing from Malaysia?

No matter the country where you intend to produce your goods and the experience of your supplier, manufacturing is far from being an exact science.

Things can go wrong during production, sometimes horribly wrong, and Malaysia is not an exception. Thus the answer is yes, a quality inspection is necessary.

The reason is that an inspection before shipping the products is the only way to make sure that your goods have an acceptable defect rate and comply with your expected product specifications.

If you find out that there are unacceptable quality issues only after your goods have been delivered to your warehouse, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to return them to your supplier.

Even in the case when you are able to return the goods, you would still have lost a lot of time, risking to let your Amazon store out of inventory, or receiving your Christmas decoration goods in January.

Continue reading List of Quality Inspection Companies in Malaysia: Our Top 7 Picks

List of Quality Inspection Companies in Thailand: Our Top 8 Picks

Posted on by Michael Li — 8 Comments

Quality Inspection Companies in Thailand

Looking for quality inspection companies in Thailand to check your next order? In this article, we list leading companies offering quality control services in Thailand, and provide guidelines on QC costs in the country.

Further, all listed companies are compared based on the same criteria, such as location, offered services, and more.

Company Overview

What’s the price of a quality inspection in Thailand?

The quality inspection cost depends on the product category, quantity and standard requirements. Basically, the price varies between US$350 and US$450 per man day, for most of the inspection companies.

As such, quality inspections in Thailand is a bit more expensive than in China, where a QC is normally priced at around US$300.

Is it necessary to book a quality inspection when importing from Thailand?

The risk of quality issues is as high in Thailand as it is elsewhere, including China. You cannot easily (if at all) return defective products, and therefore it’s absolutely essential to get your product quality inspected before shipment.

Some importers are under the impression that quality issues only exist in China, and that ‘anywhere else’ is risk-free – but that’s not the case.

Further, many of the companies listed in this article are also headquartered in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Continue reading List of Quality Inspection Companies in Thailand: Our Top 8 Picks

How to Compete With Chinese Sellers on Amazon: By Starlity

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 5 Comments

Chinese sellers are gaining market share on Amazon, at the expense of sellers in other countries. That said, it’s not always the usual suspect, the manufacturers, that drive this trend.

In this Q&A with Edward Li, a former Amazon employee and co-founder of Starlity.com in his native Hong Kong, you will learn what’s actually going on and how you can play to your strengths as an American, European or Australian seller on Amazon.com.

Here are some topics we cover:

  • Why is Amazon trying to get more Chinese sellers onboard?
  • What advantages do Chinese sellers have?
  • What advantages do Western sellers have?
  • Are Chinese sellers manufacturers or ‘regular’ e-commerce companies?

Edward, please tell us about yourself and your background working for Amazon UK

After graduating with an economics degree at the London School of Economics, I joined Amazon through their graduate program. I started in their consumer electronics retail business. I was promoted quite quickly through the ranks and very quickly started managing several product categories with multi-million-pound turnover.

It was very interesting working in consumer electronics as it gave me the opportunity to work with some of the largest global brands such as Sony, Apple, and LG.

After a few years, I moved across Amazon and took on a new role to launch an online-to-offline business in 15 UK cities.

Amazon has been rather active in getting Chinese sellers onboard. Why do you think that’s the case?

There is a well-known quote from Jeff Bezos: “In our retail business, we know that customers want low prices… They want fast delivery; they want vast selection.”

Expanding product selection has always been a priority for Amazon’s retail business because this is what consumers want. I think Amazon is recruiting many Chinese sellers because they offer consumers selection.

What advantages do, for example, Hong Kong and Shenzhen based Amazon sellers have compared to overseas companies importing from China?

Shenzhen is a global hardware hub. For electronics sellers, there is one major advantage in basing near Shenzhen – speed. One of the most important differentiators of a successful seller is their ability to select or design unique products that consumers want. For most of the unique products, new tools need to be designed and various materials need to be tested.

If you cannot reach Shenzhen easily, you will have to wait for days or weeks before you get your hands on tools and materials for your experiment. They add up very quickly. You don’t have this problem if you are based near Shenzhen. Continue reading How to Compete With Chinese Sellers on Amazon: By Starlity

CPSIA When Importing Children’s Products from China to the USA

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 4 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 20 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

CPSIA compliance is mandatory when importing and selling all toys and children’s products in the United States. In this guide, you will learn what both US and foreign importers must know about ensuring CPSIA compliance when buying products from China and other countries in Asia.

  • What is CPSIA?
  • CPSIA Regulated Products
  • ASTM Standards
  • CPSIA Tracking labels
  • CPSIA Lab Testing
  • Children’s Product Certificate (CPC)
  • Consumer Registration Cards
  • Amazon and CPSIA compliance

What is CPSIA?

The CPSIA regulates various aspects of a product. However, all children’s products are subject to the following:

1. All children’s products must be compliant with all relevant safety regulations

2. All children’s products must be tested by a CPSC approved laboratory (there are certain exceptions)

3. All children’s products must have a tracking label attached to the product and/or the product packaging

But that’s not all. The importer shall also issue a Children’s Product Certificate, which is a document stating that the imported product is compliant with the relevant regulations. Click here for sample templates.

Before you can issue a Children’s Product Certificate, you need to have your product tested. The CPSIA regulates various aspects of children’s products, including substances, labeling, flammability, durability, and physical proportions. Continue reading CPSIA When Importing Children’s Products from China to the USA

Bureau Veritas InSpec Platform: Q&A With Chris Lai

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 5 Comments

BV InSpec

Bureau Veritas launched their InSpec platform earlier this year, enabling small businesses and Amazon sellers to book quality inspections in more than 20 countries online.

In this interview with Chris Lai at Bureau Veritas in Hong Kong, you will learn why they launched the InSpec Platform, how you can use it to save time and money when booking quality inspections – and what you can expect in the future.

Discount

We are pleased to offer a coupon, IMPORT30USD, to all ChinaImportal.com subscribers today. Simply become an>InSpec by BV registered user and save an extra USD30 off your bookings until December 31st, 2019. Our standard price starts at USD245 per man-day when you book in advance.

About Bureau Veritas

Founded in 1828, Bureau Veritas is a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC), delivering high-quality services to help clients meet the growing challenges of quality, safety, environmental protection, and social responsibility.

Bureau Veritas (BV) has over 12,000 TIC specialists including inspectors, auditors and lab professionals located in all the major sourcing and selling regions ready to help With rich consumer product knowledge, BV helps verify your product meets the safety and quality requirements for your destination market, and your factories maintain best in class process controls around quality, security, social and environmental compliance. Continue reading Bureau Veritas InSpec Platform: Q&A With Chris Lai

What are the documents required to import products from China?

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 1 Comment

import documentation

Planning to import products from China, India or Vietnam? Shipping and product documentation is required for all product categories but to a varying extent. In this guide, I will explain which documents you need to obtain when importing products to the United States, Europe, Australia, and Canada.
Continue reading What are the documents required to import products from China?