Tag: general popup

Supplier Scams in China: How to Get Your Money Back: By Kai Xue and Li Xianyun

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 133 Comments

Supplier scams

Small businesses importing from Asia get scammed everyday. You’ve heard the stories, so that probably doesn’t come as news. Most people would assume that there is no recourse, if you are scammed by a fake supplier.

But, I know two Chinese lawyers that don’t agree.

This week, we publish a practical ‘how to guide’ for reporting scams directly to the Chinese authorities and getting your money back – co-authored by Mr Kai Xue and Mr Li Xianun – both lawyers working for DeHeng Law Offices in Beijing.

In this article, Kai and Li explains how you should deal with fraud situations, including how you should manage the scammers and how to file a police report (that will actually be accepted).

Kai Xue and Li Xianyun, please tell us a bit about your backgrounds and roles at DeHeng Law Offices

Kai Xue (Left photo) is a transactional lawyer advising mostly in cross-border finance and outbound mergers and
acquisitions. Li Xianyun (Right photo) is a litigation lawyer representing clients in general commercial arbitration or litigation, including disputes stemming from foreign trade.

Aside from our professional interest in being engaged in legal matters, we are enthusiastic about providing better public information on smoothly conducting business in China, and if necessary, catching bad guys. Continue reading Supplier Scams in China: How to Get Your Money Back: By Kai Xue and Li Xianyun

Dropshipping from China: 4 Reasons Why It Doesn’t Work

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 26 Comments

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

Dropshipping is a sales and delivery method that enables businesses to sell products, without actually keeping any in stock.

When a buyer place an order, the seller then forwards the buyer details to, and money, to the actual supplier – which is normally called the dropshipper.

Below follows an overview:

Step 1: The Buyer place order from Company A (Seller)

Step 2: Company A (Seller) request a product dispatch from Company B (Dropshipper), directly to the customer

Step 3: The product is shipped directly from the Dropshipper, without ever being handled or processed by the seller.

“How does dropshipping work?”

The seller charge a higher price than the dropshipper does, and keeps the difference when the payment between the two is settled.

The seller may pay the dropshipper on an order to order basis, or after a certain number of orders or time period.

From a seller perspective, this is ideal, as the seller can offer a whole range of products without investing in a large stock.

The Dropshipper benefits too, as they don’t need to invest in sales and marketing, as this taken care of by their sellers (which are sometimes called affiliates).

For the buyer, it shouldn’t make any real difference. Ideally, this should offer lower prices, as the risk is reduced for the wholesaler and seller.

However, when applied in the real world, dropshipping far from the shortcut to success many online sellers hope for. Especially when it comes to dropshipping operations involving buyers in the West, and dropshippers in Asia.

Keep reading, and learn why drop shipping is probably not a sound strategy for your eCommerce business. Continue reading Dropshipping from China: 4 Reasons Why It Doesn’t Work

China Export Licenses and Permits: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 41 Comments

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

Today, most suppliers in China hold export licenses. But, it was not always that way, and there are still factories that lack them.

In this article, we explain what Importers must know about Export licenses in China – and how you can buy from a suppliers without one.

What is an Export license?

An Export license, or Export permit, is a document issued to companies by China’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

The Export license is required for shipping goods out of China. Without such a license, the cargo will not be cleared through the Chinese customs.

As such, most export oriented suppliers, both manufacturers and trading companies, hold Export licenses.

Shall the Supplier or the Buyer apply for the Export license?

The Export licenses are only issued to Chinese companies, that wish to export goods from China to overseas markets.

Hence, overseas buyers don’t need to obtain license or permit in China. Continue reading China Export Licenses and Permits: A Complete Guide

Shipping from China to the USA: 9 Ways to Save Time and Money

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 8 Comments

Max Lock

This article is written by Max Lock, CEO of Fleet

No one has said that international shipping is easy. In fact, figuring out how to ship goods from China to the US in the most economical way possible can be pretty complex. When it comes to the China-US trade route, a small business can often improve their shipping methods in order to save time and money.

Vetting a freight forwarder, in order to find one with combination of experience you’re looking for, and adjusting several things, such as container size or packaging, can work wonders.

Tips To Save Time

Losing valuable time due to shipping delays is a common problem that can plague small business owners. Inconvenienced customers will be calling and asking about their orders, meanwhile the delayed products will be sitting overseas or even at port just miles away. It can be a frustrating situation for everyone. But there are definitely ways to curb this type of problem.

Because most small businesses cannot regularly visit their suppliers, it can be hard to curb delays on that side of the ocean. However, a few simple things can help improve your shipping times. Continue reading Shipping from China to the USA: 9 Ways to Save Time and Money

Image Collection From the October 2016 Global Sources Summit

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist

gs-summit-a

In early October we held a presentation at the October 2016 Global Sources Summit for online sellers. In a most generous gesture, they have shared a collection of photos from the summit.

Before you dive in, I want to mention that you can already sign up for the April 2017 summit in Hong Kong. The next summit is held between April 17 -19 2017, and you get US$50 off when using the code F2G50. You can follow the links below to get your ticket, or learn more about the past summit:


And here comes the images: Continue reading Image Collection From the October 2016 Global Sources Summit

How to Find the Right Products to Sell Online: By Pilar Newman

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist

pilar-newman

E-commerce is not only changing the way we buy products, but also how we sell them. Competition is fierce in the age of Amazon and Alibaba, and sellers must work even harder to make sure that their products don’t drown in the sea of identical private label and unbranded products.

In this interview, Pilar Newman – a leading Amazon and E-commerce expert based in Brooklyn, NYC – explains what you must do to ensure that your products stand out in a crowded marketplace.

She also explains why product selection is not only about data or statistics, and why the lowest price point is not always the key to success.

Before we get started, please introduce yourself to our readers

I’m an 8+ year veteran Amazon seller. I started off doing retail arbitrage as a means to supplement my income. Once I started to make a significant income on the site, I quit my job and took my business to full-time status.

That was 4 years ago. I pride myself on having learned how to sell on Amazon from the school of Trial and Error! This is also what gives me my unique perspective on finding profitable products to sell.

Now, I sell Private Label items across various niches on Amazon using the FBA program. The freedom that the FBA program has given me, allows me time to travel the world and work from my laptop.

Additionally, I’ve spent the last two years doing one-on-one coaching with Amazon Sellers of various levels. This experience led me to put together a comprehensive course for sellers looking to start and excel with selling on Amazon FBA. But before they can go through the course, I have them take my free Product Research Training Videos. Continue reading How to Find the Right Products to Sell Online: By Pilar Newman

It’s Official! Content partnership between Chinaimportal and Alibaba

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist

alibaba-partnership

Chinaimportal.com has recently signed an agreement with Alibaba.com to provide non-exclusive and exclusive content to the Alibaba Biz Club:

Starting on 2016-09-29, Chinaimportal.com will contribute content to the Alibaba Biz Club.

The Alibaba Biz Club is an information sharing platform by Alibaba.com, where you can find professional content from various service providers.

On Alibaba Biz Club, we hope that our content can find a new audience.

In addition, we will at times provide exclusive content to the Alibaba Biz Club, but more on that later

More information about our role and contributions will be revealed as we progress further.

Intellectual Property (IP) Protection When Importing from China

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 2 Comments

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

Intellectual Property (IP) theft is a main concern for Startups and Small businesses importing from China, and other Asian countries.

We all know that manufacturers in the region have a reputation. However, what’s the real chance that your supplier will flood your market and make millions – using your IP?

In this article, we explain what every Startup and Small business must know about managing Intellectual Property risks when importing from Asia.

Keep reading, and learn more about how you can protect your IP and why most importers overestimate the risk of IP theft. You will also learn why the real risk might not be a supplier stealing your IP – but you (unknowingly) infringing on the IP of another company.

What is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual Property provides protection to the intangible creations of a person or company. This may, for example, include patents, trademarks or business secrets.

It also includes the article you’re now reading. I wrote it. Hence, I hold the copyright.

So, what are we referring to in the context of ‘importing products from Asia’?

Essentially, anything that is included in your product specification:

  • Product design drawings
  • Logos and brand names
  • Functional descriptions
  • Circuit drawings
  • Packaging design

Continue reading Intellectual Property (IP) Protection When Importing from China

Meet us at the ‘GS Summit for Amazon Sellers’ in Hong Kong

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist

Fredrik Grönkvist

Want to learn more about manufacturing in Asia and sales on Amazon.com? Then it’s about time to book a flight to Hong Kong!

Global Sources is hosting the ‘Smart Sourcing for Online and Amazon Sellers‘ summit between Oct 17 – Oct 19, 2016.

And, we will be there. This is why you should come:

1. You’ll get the chance to listen to our “Product Safety & Labelling Requirements” presentation, and ask questions.

2. Listen to leading Amazon sales experts from the United States and EU. Check the website for a full list of speakers

3. Meet thousands of suppliers under the same roof (the summit is part the Global Sources Trade Show).

Tickets starts from $699 (Price valid until Aug 20), and can be booked here: globalsourcessummit.eventgrid.com

But we’ve thrown in some bonuses for all Chinaimportal.com Subscribers:

1. We include the Buyer’s Guide Package of your choice (See here)

2. US$50 Discount (Thus, you’ll only pay $649. Deduction in the checkout. Code: F2G50)

Topics

  1. Amazon sales strategies
  2. Product Safety, Testing and Labelling Requirements
  3. Sourcing, Quality Assurance and Shipping
  4. Case Studies

Questions and Answers

Do I need a visa to enter Hong Kong?

No, most nationalities don’t need a visa to enter Hong Kong. However, you do need a visa to enter Mainland China.

Can I book the ticket online?

Yes, follow the link and pay in the checkout

Importing from China to Singapore: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 4 Comments

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

Singapore is a country that’s punching far above its weight. With a population of only 5.4 million, the size of its economy is on par with many of its far bigger southeast Asian neighbors.

Singapore (if we exclude Australia) is also our primary market in Asia, both in terms of website visitors and the number of customers.

In this article, we give you an overview of Importing from China to Singapore. Keep reading, and learn more about Singaporean product safety, import duties, required permits and taxes.

Singaporean Product Safety Requirements

SPRING (The Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board) is a business development agency, partly tasked with protecting Singaporean customers from unsafe products.

Some products are covered by one or more Consumer Goods Safety Requirements (CGSR).

This includes, but is not limited to, the following product categories:

  • Children’s Products
  • Toys
  • Watches
  • Clothing and textiles
  • Furniture and beddings

As explained by this FAQ, suppliers (i.e., a Singapore based import business) are responsible for immediately halting sales if a product is deemed as unsafe.

So, what practical implications does this have for importers in Singapore? Continue reading Importing from China to Singapore: A Complete Guide