CE Marking When Importing From China: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 131 Comments

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

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Importing products from China to the European Union? Depending on the product, importers are required to ensure full compliance with all relevant CE directives – a process that is far more complex than requesting a test report from your supplier.

In this guide, we explain what you must know about CE marking as an importer:

  • What is CE Marking?
  • Documentation Requirements
  • Labeling Requirements
  • List of CE Marking Directives
  • Laboratory testing requirements

We also answer frequently asked questions about CE marking:

  • Are non-EU companies and exporters required to comply with CE marking rules?
  • Which products must be CE Marked?
  • Must all products sold in the EU carry the CE mark?
  • Is the importer or manufacturer responsible for ensuring CE compliance?
  • What can happen if I importer non-CE compliant products?
  • Are all Chinese manufacturers able to produce CE compliant products?

Continue reading CE Marking When Importing From China: A Complete Guide

List of Sourcing Companies in Thailand: A Comparison

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Thailand sourcing agencies

Thailand is often overlooked as a manufacturing destination these days. While there’s a lot of hype surrounding Vietnam, and other “anywhere but China” destinations – Thailand is a more realistic option for small buyers and Amazon sellers.

In order to find qualified suppliers, you’ll likely need a sourcing company based in the kingdom.

In this article, we list some of Thailand’s leading sourcing companies covering a wide range of product categories.

Continue reading List of Sourcing Companies in Thailand: A Comparison

List of Clothing Manufacturers in Thailand: Top 11 Suppliers

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Textiles factories in Thailand

 

Thailand is often overlooked as a destination for textiles manufacturing. Yet, the kingdom offers one of Asia’s most developed manufacturing bases for clothing and textiles production. Unlike factories in most other Asian countries, some textiles manufacturers in Thailand offer relatively low volumes and value-added design and other related services.

Listed Manufacturers

  • Amarisas International Co., Ltd.
  • AUSTHAI Garment Co. Ltd
  • The Atelier Chiang Mai
  • VT Garment
  • Sugini
  • Studio 2524
  • Come Prima Fashion Garments Co. Ltd.
  • Your Own Logo
  • Supa International
  • Siam Clothing
  • Deepwear

Continue reading List of Clothing Manufacturers in Thailand: Top 11 Suppliers

Top 9 Fulfillment Centers in China and Hong Kong 2019

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 3 Comments

HK Fulfillment Centres

A Hong Kong or Mainland China-based fulfillment center can help you distribute products directly from the factory to customers all over the world.

In this article, we list the leading China-based fulfillment centers, including ZhenHub, Floship, Easyship, Exchain, Shipwire, and others.

In addition, we cover the following:

1. Potential tax issues with cross border e-commerce fulfillment

2. When does it make sense to use a fulfillment center in Hong Kong or Mainland China?

3. Should you select a fulfillment center in Hong Kong or Mainland China?

4. Interview with Floship founder Steven Suh

What is a fulfillment center?

Fulfillment center offers e-commerce merchants warehousing (storage) and shipping services, that allows online businesses to operate without owning their own warehouse or physical storage space.

Sellers or e-commerce merchants can directly send their inventory to the fulfillment center from where it is shipped to their customers.

Most fulfillment centers are integrated with e-commerce marketplaces and platforms like Amazon (which also operate their own fulfillment centers, Shopify, and eBay, making it easier for merchants to manage inventory and delivery products. Continue reading Top 9 Fulfillment Centers in China and Hong Kong 2019

List of Sourcing Companies in Vietnam: Top 7 Agencies

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 4 Comments

vietnam sourcing company

Vietnam is quickly becoming a serious manufacturing alternative to China, especially for American importers vary of the ongoing US-China trade war. That said, Vietnamese suppliers are not as easy to find on Alibaba.com or Globalsources.com, compared to their Chinese counterparts.

As such, many importers turn to Vietnam based sourcing companies, with vast local supplier networks.

In this article, we list five of Vietnam’s leading sourcing agencies, all located in Asia’s fastest growing manufacturing hub – Ho Chi Minh City.

Do I need a sourcing company when importing from Vietnam?

You can of course attempt to source Vietnamese directly, using Alibaba.com or even a Google search. However, Vietnamese suppliers tend to have a rather small online footprint, making them harder to find.

Those that do have a larger online presence tend to be larger suppliers, which tend to have little interest in working with small buyers.

Vietnam based sourcing companies can bridge that gap, using their local network and expertise to match you with a qualified supplier.

I’d say that sourcing agents provide more value in Vietnam, compared to more developed manufacturing countries like China. Continue reading List of Sourcing Companies in Vietnam: Top 7 Agencies

Importing Electronics from China: Finding the Right Manufacturer

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 8 Comments

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

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Starter Package: Electronics

About to import electronics from manufacturers in China? In this product guide, I explain what startups must know about the whole electronics importing process:

1. How to find the right Electronics Manufacturers

2. Importing OEM and Private Label Electronics

3. Prototype Development

4. CE Marking, FCC Regulations & other safety standards

5. Electronics Trade Shows

6. Technology Licensing (i.e., Apple MFi, Bluetooth and Android OS)

Electronics Product Development and Customization

Electronics importers have two options: Buy an OEM product that is custom designed from scratch, or import an ODM product, or private label product.

Developing OEM electronics is not for every company, as it requires technical expertise and large funding.

However, Chinese manufacturers don’t offer free product development services. The buyer is always expected to provide all relevant technical specifications, and files, including the following: Continue reading Importing Electronics from China: Finding the Right Manufacturer

Importing from China to Switzerland: A Complete Guide

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Complete Guide-Importing from China to Switzerland

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Starter Package: All Categories

Need help on importing goods from China to Switzerland? Confused by the fact that Switzerland is in Europe but is not a member of the EU?

Since many regulations are only published in French, German and Italian languages (i.e. Switzerland official languages), sometimes it might be difficult to find specific information about regulations in the English language.

While you can find thousands of documents online and spend nights reading about the topic, we decided to write this guide to save you time and make your life easier.

In this article, we will guide you through the requirements and regulations that you must know before importing products from China to Switzerland. In particular, we will cover the following topics:

  • Switzerland-China Free Trade Agreement
  • Switzerland Product safety regulation
  • Switzerland Labeling Requirements
  • Import Taxes
  • Import licenses and permits
  • Shipping from China to Switzerland

Note: It is impossible to break down every detail in this article. Instead, our goal is to provide an overview and index for you to better understand the general rules when importing goods from China to Switzerland and links to the main regulations that apply in the country.

Switzerland-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

Let’s start with the Free Trade Agreement that was signed between Switzerland and China in 2013. This FTA explains the requirements when importing goods from China.

What is the Free Trade Agreement?

In short, it is an agreement that states the terms of the cooperation among the two countries, in order to reduce trade barriers such as import quotas and tariffs.

Therefore, it’s important for any Switzerland’s importer to know what are the benefits of this agreement.

We outlined the key point of this agreement for you:

Continue reading Importing from China to Switzerland: A Complete Guide

Importing from China to the United States: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 7 Comments

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

Click Here to Get the
Starter Package: All Categories

About to import products from China to the United States? Then keep reading! In this guide, we explain what US-based businesses must know, before buying consumer goods from trading companies and manufacturers in China, and other Asian countries.

This article explains what startups and small businesses must know about US product regulations, labelling requirements, and transportation restrictions.

In addition, we also give you an introduction to customs bonds, customs value calculations, import taxes, and freight costs.

Important update regarding the increased US-China tariffs

As of today, the tariffs on the $200 B goods levied in September 2018, has increased from 10% to 25%. This is also what US President Trump stated when he levied the initial 10% additional tariff on listed products. As trade talks have seemingly stalled, it’s essential for importers worldwide to prepare for what is likely the new normal:

1. All companies importing to the US are affected by the new tariffs, including non-US companies importing as a foreign importer of record

2. The tariffs are not yet expanded to cover most consumer products (e.g. textiles and electronics), although that may come later this year

3. For many product categories, it’s still not an option to simply shift orders to suppliers in other Asian countries – because for most categories there simply are no factories outside of China. Hence, your option is most likely to either pass on the new tariffs so your customers – or not buy products at all.

Is China finished for US importers?

This is the questions on everyone mind today. If you’re buying textiles or furniture, you may want to consider other manufacturing countries at this stage.

However, if you’re importing electronics, watches, fitness equipment – or a range of other products – you’ll quickly find that alternative manufacturers outside of China are either few and far in between, or completely non-existent.

Large companies can, and are, shifting production to other countries, but small businesses cannot afford to set up their own production facilities and must, therefore, rely on existing manufacturing infrastructure to come into place.

For now, many small US importers (and non-US small businesses selling into the US) will either need to absorb the new tariffs or stop importing altogether.

Product Safety Regulations

Importers based in the United States must keep track of two sets of product regulations:

  • Federal regulations (applicable in all US states)
  • State regulations (applicable in certain states only)

Let’s start with the first category, as this is what affects everyone. Below follows an overview of relevant government bodies and regulations, in the United States:

a. CPSIA: This is a framework regulation, which applies to (at least so far) to toys and other children’s products. The definition of a Children’s product is, currently, any product that is marketed as appropriate for children aged 12 or younger. Continue reading Importing from China to the United States: A Complete Guide

The Importers Guide to Shenzhen: Wholesale Markets, Factories & Visas

Posted on by Ika Liu — 22 Comments

Shenzhen skyline

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Starter Package: Electronics

If China is the factory of the world, then Shenzhen is the capital. This city is to manufacturing what New York City is to global finance. There’s simply no comparison.

On top of that, Shenzhen is currently the only city in Mainland China that offer 5-day visa on arrival to numerous nationalities.

This is covered

  • What kind of suppliers can I find in Shenzhen?
  • List of Shenzhen Wholesale Markets
  • How to get to suppliers in Shenzhen
  • Visa Requirements

What kind of suppliers can I find in Shenzhen?

Electronics

Shenzhen is the undisputed capital of electronics manufacturing, not only in Mainland China but in the entire world. Shenzhen has a huge ecosystem of OEM electronics manufacturers, domestic and international component suppliers, hardware incubators, wholesale markets, and service providers.

You probably already own numerous devices assemble in Shenzhen, including the very phone or laptop you read this article on.

Watches

Shenzhen is home to more than 3000 factories and component suppliers in the watch industry. Most are located in Bao’ a district in the north-eastern part of Shenzhen.

Apparel & Textiles

Shenzhen remains a cluster for textiles manufacturers, especially in the sportswear and other technical garments. Most textiles suppliers are located in Bao’ an and Longgang districts.

Shenzhen map

List of Shenzhen Wholesale Markets

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market is one of the most well-known markets when it comes to wholesale electronics components. This wholesale market is located at Huaqiangbei aka Huaqiang North, the sub-district of Futian District, Shenzhen – the largest electronic manufacturing hub and market in the world.

If you are like me – someone who is a technology geek when it comes to getting hands on the latest electronics product; loves to compare prices to get the best bargain; you must visit Huaqiangbei Electronics Market.

Want to shop for some other electronics products? This market also covers other subcategories so make sure you do not miss out on exploring the other small markets.

Products

  • Computer displays and components
  • Power Banks
  • Bluetooth Speaker
  • SSD Hard Disk
  • Bitcoin Miner

Address (English): Huaqiang North, Futian, Shenzhen, China

Saige (SEG) Electronics Market Plaza

Saige (SEG) Electronics are for those who are looking to buy computer components, hard disks, USB hard drives. You can even customise your PC catering to your own needs.

Feiyang Times Mansion

Feiyang Times Mansion is popular for those who are looking to sell their old iPhone or iPad and buy a new one at a reasonable cost. You can also find an ‘electronics dr.’ to fix your broken electronics and refurbish them as good as new.

Electronics Science and Technology Mansion

Electronics Science and Technology Mansion is a place where you can buy all the electronics necessities. From phone accessories to Bluetooth speakers, going to this marketplace will be an eye-opening experience where there are thousands of models of the product you are looking for.

Finally, it is easy to get there, it is a huge complex of marketplace consists of multiple buildings located close to the Huaqiang Lu Metro Station.

Shenzhen Clocks And Watches Peitao Market

Are you a watch lover? Or are you a Time-Master gathering your tools to time travel? Before you go back to the future, make sure to pay a visit to the Shenzhen Clocks and Watches Peitao Market. This wholesale market consists of over 2000 shops.

From alarm clocks, watches, to wall clocks with the most simplistic mechanism; you can find these products made with different types of material. Stainless steel watches, sports watches and also other watch components and accessories are available for you to choose.

Products

  • Stainless Steel Watch
  • Watch components
  • Clock Hand
  • Packaging

Address: Man Ha Shang Ye Guang Chang, Futian District, Shenzhen, China

Shuibei Jewelry Park

Constructed back in 2004, Shuibei Jewelry Park aka Shuibei Jewelry City is a large market where jewelry manufacturers are gathered here. This wholesale market is located in the Luohu district of Shenzhen.

The wholesale and retail jewellery market in the Shuibei Jewelry Park is also the largest marketplace for professional jewelry trade with more than 500 companies. These manufacturers cover from wedding rings, diamond necklace, silver accessories.

Products

  • Gems Rings
  • Diamond Necklace
  • Gold Chain

Address: Luohu, Shenzhen, China

Century Plaza Wholesale Clothing Trade

Century Plaza Wholesale Clothing Trade aka Century Square is located at the Jindu Fashion Wholesale City. Getting there is easy, simply take a bus or the metro to the Dengliang Metro Station or the Haiye Metro Station, then switch to a 5-minutes taxi ride to Century Square.

From leather bags, jackets, jeans to shoes, you can find manufacturers that supplies supply the latest popular trends in both men’s and women’s fashion. Simply hop into any of these stores, you can get nice-quality, fashionable western, Korean style clothes at a fairly affordable cost.

Products

  • Leather Bags
  • Women’s and Men’s Fashion
  • Boots

Address: Century Square, Nanshan, Shenzhen

Shenzhen Baima Clothing Wholesale Market

Shenzhen Baima Clothing Wholesale Market is established in 2003, located in the Luohu District in Shenzhen. This wholesale market is located on mainly sells branded apparel, garments and clothing. Wholesales and retails can be found here for famous brands that are from South Korea, Japan, and the US,.

On the other hand, this is a good place to start if you are looking for discount clothes.

Feeling that if one day is not enough to shop in Baima Wholesale Market? You can even book a hotel to stay for one or two nights so you can take your time to go all-in on ‘crazy shopping’.

Products

  • Superhero T-shirts
  • Cosplay Costumes
  • Hats & Caps

Address: Hongzhan Commercial City, Luohu District, Shenzhen, China

Buying brand name products

Contrary to what many people believe, Apple, Sony and other brands are more expensive in Mainland China compared to the United States and Europe. As such, you should not visit one of these electronics wholesale markets hoping to find cheap brand name electronics.

In some cases, you may even end up paying 20% more than you would in nearby Hong Kong.

Product Compliance

Many electronic products and components sold at Shenzhen wholesale markets are not specifically made to comply with overseas product regulations, such as the Low Voltage Directive (EU) or UL standards (US).

Product compliance is serious business when importing electronics from China, so you must make sure that your products are compliant before you place an order. That said, you’re better off visiting an OEM electronics factory in Shenzhen, rather than a wholesaler if you intend to buy custom designed or private label devices.

That said, Wholesale markets are an incredibly valuable resource at a prototype development stage, as you can purchase small volumes of components.

How to get to suppliers in Shenzhen

There are different ways to go from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, which depends on the travel cost, time and also convenience level. Below, you can find these different ways to go to Shenzhen.

a. Traveling to Shenzhen via Hong Kong

Going from Hong Kong to Shenzhen is quite convenient, one of the cheapest and fastest ways that you can get there is MTR. In Hong Kong, the MTR is one of the most widely used public transport.

Before you go, make sure to do enough research on which wholesale markets are you deciding to go; where the location(s) is the closest to decide which station to get off in Lo Wo or Lok Ma Chau border crossing points from the East Rail Line.

b. Direct flight to Shenzhen Bao’ an International Airport

We all know that time is money, that is why you are also recommended to fly directly to Shenzhen Bao’ an International Airport. In this way, you will not have to deal with the hazard of navigating your way to Shenzhen. On the other hand, you can also hire a translator or pick-up service before you arrive. So you enjoy a stress-free shopping experience when you’re in Shenzhen.

c. Traveling from Guangzhou to Shenzhen

Guangzhou is a big province, a lot of people also pay a visit to Guangzhou to go to the wholesale markets to find their product manufacturers. You are also encouraged to go there before coming to Shenzhen.

Going from Guangzhou to Shenzhen is quite easy, there are different ways – High-Speed Trains, Train and also going from Flight. It does not take too much time to travel between the two as the cities are very close to each other.

d. Shenzhen Metro System

The Shenzhen Metro is one of the fastest and most convenient transportation options in Shenzhen, it is also very economically-friendly if you are navigating between the city and Hong Kong for sightseeing purposes.

There are 3 types of common tickets – Single Journey Ticket, Shenzhen Tong Pass and One-day Travel Pass.

For a single journey ticket, it is a green or yellow plastic token. On the other hand, the Shenzhen Tong Pass allows you to travel around the East part of the city with a 5% discount and can be top up again. The third type is a One-Day Travel Pass, you can travel around without limitations in 24 hours.

Visa Requirements

Before you go to Shenzhen, make sure to apply for a visa before arrival. For tourist from most countries, the fee of applying for Shenzhen VOA is CNY 168. However, not all countries pay the same cost. For instance, UK citizens pay CNY 304 for the Shenzhen Visa 5-day visa.

If you are planning to apply for a visa upon arrival, you can apply for the Shenzhen 5-day visa aka the Shenzhen 5-day VOA. This allows you to stay in Shenzhen for up to 5 days. Tourists from most of the countries are eligible for Shenzhen 5-Day Visa on Arrival.

Below, you will find the countries that are eligible for this visa:

  • Algeria
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Canada
  • France
  • Germany
  • Korea
  • New Zealand
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • United States
  • United Kingdom

List of Stainless Steel Jewelry Manufacturers in China – Our 6 Top Picks

Posted on by Vincent Cheng — Leave a comment

tainless Steel Jewelry Manufacturers in China

Looking for Stainless Steel Jewelry manufacturers located in China? In this article, we list some of the country’s leading jewelry suppliers, covering various types of stainless steel jewelry, located in Guangdong province and Zhejiang province.

Stainless Steel Jewelry Buyer’s Guide

Before you contact any of the suppliers listed in this article, you need to form a basic understanding of the product and order terms.

1. Material Specifications

Most suppliers make two grades of stainless steel jewelry:

  • 304 Stainless Steel
  • 316L Stainless Steel

316L stainless steel is slightly more expensive, and of higher quality, than 304 stainless steel.

Molds are normally made for a certain type of material, and you’ll need to select the type of stainless steel depending on the types of molds they can offer – unless you opt for purchasing your own mold.

If you want your steel jewelry plated, you must also provide relevant plating specifications:

  • Color (e.g. Rose Gold)
  • Material (e.g. copper and gold)
  • Plating type (e.g. PVD)
  • Plating thickness (e.g. 0.8 μm)

2. Design Customization

You can either select ODM components, based on their existing molds, or order custom designed jewelry parts. If you opt for the latter, you’ll need to pay for new molds, which can range between $100 to $500 depending on the complexity of the mold.

As such, there are two ways to design your own stainless steel jewelry:

Option A: Select ODM components from the supplier’s website or catalog

Option B: Send design drawings or CAD files to create a new mold

Most of our customers go with Option A, as you can still combine all existing ODM parts to create new and unique jewelry designs.

3. Stainless Steel Jewelry Regulations

While there are few, if any, regulations applicable specifically to stainless steel jewelry – there are regulations in place that cover chemicals and heavy metals.

For example, REACH in the EU and CA Prop 65 in California, USA, regulate both heavy metals and chemicals that can be found in stainless steel jewelry. The only way to find out if your product is compliant is by sending a product sample for lab testing.

4. MOQ Requirements

Most stainless steel jewelry suppliers set the minimum order quantity (MOQ) at around 500 pcs per order. That said, most suppliers are flexible when it comes to the MOQ per product – some offering MOQs as low as 50 pcs per design.

Marlary Jewelry Co. Ltd

People are opting for stainless steel jewelry instead of gold or silver jewelry due to the advantages such as durability and price matter. Mr.Leif Lee, the founder of Marlary Jewelry, has been engaged in the fashion jewelry industry for more than 20 years and decided to start Marlary in 2012.

Unlike traditional jewelry manufacturer, Marlary has been putting efforts on unique product design such as Diffuser Jewelry – add your favorite essential oil scent on your jewelry, and Fitness Inspirational Jewelry – dumbbell bead bracelets and weight plate necklace. Finally, they provide custom made products based on inquiries.

For Cremation Jewelry, Marlary has a wide range of products for memorial sake. With at least 50 new designs launched each month, customers can always check out their latest designs on their website.

Product List

  • Stainless Steel Bracelet
  • Cremation Jewelry
  • Diffuser Jewelry
  • Fitness Inspirational Jewelry

Address: Chang’An Jin Xia He Dong 2 Lu, 23 Hao, FL3 Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, 523850

Continue reading List of Stainless Steel Jewelry Manufacturers in China – Our 6 Top Picks