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Product Specifications When Importing from China: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 1 Comment

Product Specifications

The main reason many small businesses fail (as in losing a ton of money) when buying from China is because they contact a random supplier Alibaba, refer to a product listed in the supplier’s directory and specifies “good quality” as their only requirement.

That’s also where the problems begin. There’s no universal definition of what good quality really is. Neither will you ever win a court case in China (assuming that you could even afford one), because a supplier didn’t provide you with products compliant to your imaginary and vague definition of “good quality”. Instead, you shall provide your supplier with a product specification. In this article we explain why a product specification is needed, what it shall include and how things can turn bad if you don’t make one. Continue reading Product Specifications When Importing from China: A Complete Guide

Importing WPC Decking & Flooring from China – The Ultimate Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 36 Comments

WPC Decking China

WPC flooring is currently a trending product among importers. As in the case of other building materials, there are strict regulations in place – regulations which far from all Chinese manufacturers are compliant with. Besides, there is a wide product quality disparity between different suppliers. In this article we explain which product specifications you need to keep track of, why you shouldn’t rely on “warranties” and which product certification standards your WPC decking must be in compliance with.

Product specifications

WPC stands for Wood-plastic composite. Basically, the material is made up of wood flour and plastic, such as PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), HDPE (High-density polyethylene) and PP (Polypropylene). Wood flour and HDPE is the most common material composition among Chinese manufacturers. Continue reading Importing WPC Decking & Flooring from China – The Ultimate Guide

UL, CSPC Compliance & Fraud Prevention – What US importers need to know about China

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 5 Comments

David Baysource

We talk a lot about product certification compliance and importing from China, from a European perspective. We thought it was about time to reach out to our fellow readers from across the pond. David Alexander,  President of BaySource Global, explains what American businesses needs to know about UL, CSPC Compliance, Fraud Prevention and getting your product right.

David, please tell us a bit about what you do and how you got started

In 2000 I was SVP Operations for a US consumer products company in the health and beauty care space. In 2002 we needed to launch a new brand that required all new packaging. The best domestic pricing we were quoted on container/closure tooling was US$300,000 which was extraordinary for a $5 million brand. By luck we were introduced by our Canadian distributors to an agent in Hong Kong. Long story short, we got the tooling done for US$30,000 and the products at half the cost. Continue reading UL, CSPC Compliance & Fraud Prevention – What US importers need to know about China

Visiting your Suppliers in China – Erik Steijner of Migyston Group explains why you should

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 2 Comments

Migystone Group

Business in China is largely based on relationships. That being said, most people in the industry agree that it’s not the first step to take when sourcing new products and suppliers in China. Instead we decided to ask the two co-founders of Migyston Group,Erik and David Steijner, when paying a visit  actually makes sense.

Please tell us a bit about what you do and how you got started

Migyston Group AB is a Swedish start-up founded in 2012, by the twin brothers Erik and David Steijner (that’s us), and our Chinese partner Yang Zhao. We met Young while getting our MBA degrees from Karlstad Business School. Continue reading Visiting your Suppliers in China – Erik Steijner of Migyston Group explains why you should

Product Branding – Why it Matters when Buying from China

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 46 Comments

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

Dreaming about creating your own clothing line or launching a new brand of weight loss tea? The full potential of importing from China can only be achieved if it’s combined with a well laid out branding strategy. Branding a “Made in China” product is in general easy, and it barely makes a difference on the bottom line. In this article we explain how this can be done, and why neglecting this can cost you a fortune.

Why branding makes sense for importing businesses

Are you a small business owner? Forget about competing on price with multinationals like Wal Mart and Mediamarkt. Larger volumes equals lower prices, and you won’t get anywhere near those of the mentioned companies. Besides, Wal Mart can afford to make big mistakes. You can’t. Continue reading Product Branding – Why it Matters when Buying from China

China Factory Management – We asked Kim Pen what’s going on behind the scenes

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 2 Comments

Kim Pen

Chinese manufacturers tend to work in mysterious ways. Well, at least that’s what they want you to think. Today we’re happy to publish our interview with Kim Pen, consulting director of CMC in Shenzhen, China. He explains how Chinese manufacturers are managed and tells you how to make an informed supplier selection.

Kim, please tell us about your company and what you do.

I am the consulting director of CMC (China Manufacturing Consultants). We work for importers that want their key suppliers to improve. Most of the time the client’s priority is better quality (less problems). My job is to find a few key issues to focus on and then accompany the factory as they act on these issues. But also to frame the action plan the right way, and get the factory to “buy in”. It is a sad reality that most Chinese manufacturers care only about costs, not about quality. Continue reading China Factory Management – We asked Kim Pen what’s going on behind the scenes

Importing Brand Name Products from China. Shortcut or Dead End?

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 2 Comments

brand name products

Why bother with creating your own brand when you can free ride on one that’s already well established? Many naive importers assumes that importing brand name products from China is a short cut to success. It couldn’t be further away from the truth. In this article we explain why it’s no possible and how an attempt to import branded products can ruin your business.

You’re not going to outsmart Steve Jobs

We receive countless inquiries every weeks from small businesses looking for anything from Apple iPhones and iPads to Sandisk Memory Sticks and brand name apparel. While many of these products are manufactured in China, large corporations like Apple maintains tight grip on their Supply Chain. Continue reading Importing Brand Name Products from China. Shortcut or Dead End?

CE, RoHS and FCC Certification Explained – Interview with Han Zuyderwijk of CEmarking.net

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 12 Comments

Han-Zuyderwijk

Han Zuyderwijk (we’ll give you a free Supplier Screening if you can properly pronounce his last name) is the founder of cemarking.net, the leading online resource for information on product certification. In this interview, Han explains what CE, RoHS and FCC really means – and why European and American importers should care!

Han, please tell us a bit about what you do and how you got started.

Hi, my name is Han Zuyderwijk. My last name is really a tongue-breaker, so everyone calls me just Han. Han is short for Johannes: in English you’d say “John”. I am Dutch. Yeah, a real cheese head… Continue reading CE, RoHS and FCC Certification Explained – Interview with Han Zuyderwijk of CEmarking.net

Importing Auto, ATV & Motorcycle Spare Parts from China – The Ultimate Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 18 Comments

motorcycle-spare-parts

Looking for Auto, motorcycle or ATV spare parts? Chinese suppliers might have exactly what you’re looking for. While this is a product that can be purchased both from manufacturers and “off shelf” from Trading Companies, the industry is infested with unscrupulous and disorganized suppliers. In this week’s article we look into the do’s and dont’s when buying vehicle spare parts from China.

Buying from a Manufacturer

Buying directly from the manufacturer comes with some obvious benefits. The product selection is wider (I explain why in a minute) and the prices are lower due to the lack of middlemen. However, it’s not viable for most small businesses importing vehicle spare parts from China. The reason is spelled “MOQ”, or “Minimum Order Quantity” Requirement. Continue reading Importing Auto, ATV & Motorcycle Spare Parts from China – The Ultimate Guide

Chinese Suppliers – Trading Companies and Manufacturers Explained

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 11 Comments

china-trading-company-manufacturer

There are three main supplier categories to take into consideration when importing from China – Manufacturers, Trading Companies and Manufacturing & Trading Companies. While the type of company will not be the most important factor when selecting your suppliers, different types of suppliers will require a different approach during the sourcing process and have a major impact on the future of your import business.

Therefore it’s important to know what type of supplier you should look for when sourcing in China. Let’s begin with an introduction to the three major supplier types in China. Continue reading Chinese Suppliers – Trading Companies and Manufacturers Explained