Last chance to Import from China

With all the new players in the manufacture of merchandise from India, Vietnam and Indonesia, you might be thinking China’s competitive edge is no longer where it was at the turn of the century. In our experience, Australia still imports traditional merchandise from China. Many of the products we assist our importing clients with are garments, furniture, aluminium windows, pet products, beddings and other custom products that are not what many now recognize as China’s branded techie exports, like smartphones, laptops, tablets and even mobile apps. Let’s not forget the cars, with electric ones coming very soon, that is also made in China.

China’s supply chain infrastructure

China is still the place to go for entrepreneurs and business owners who wish to get the right products at a competitive price. Why does China still have a competitive advantage? Its supply chain infrastructure is difficult to match for any other country, especially less developed nations. As China is now becoming more prosperous en route to becoming a middle-income society, it has to rely on its highly developed supply chain network and automation to keep, and even grow its share of the market.

Chinese Manufacturer Chinese factories have remained viable by having subcontractors and part suppliers close by, basically a stone’s throw away. The level of technology that has been achieved can mean new product samples can be produced within a few hours. Sudden changes in customer specifications or typical manufacturing problems of missing parts can be addressed quickly, so deadlines are met at an impressively high rate. The blazing speed at which China has developed mirrors the speed at which products can be made in its amazing industrial complexes, which are often referred to as campuses because of their sheer size.

There are a few options for anyone to import from China. The most common one is through online sources like Alibaba. Although, the risks of going through such channels when you are involved in mass production, is that you would be taking a chance at a company you only see through pictures online. You also do not know if their capacities can match your production goals. It is rather risky, to say the least, if you are dealing with thousands and especially millions of dollars worth of goods. Even if you find that it is smooth sailing on the first transaction, there is a familiar business practice among Chinese suppliers to jack up their prices on your second order or even reduce the quality of your product. The price changes are done to catch you at a vulnerable moment when you need to place a reorder quickly and with concern to quality, unless you have processes in place, it may be your customers that notice the quality changes first.

Before you get started on importing, there are a few important questions you would need to ask yourself. One is of course if it is feasible for you to import a certain product at a certain quantity from China. There is also the issue of how you wish to approach your importing project.

You have several options depending on how familiar you are with the process:

• Trade Tour
  Trade tours are mostly for those who want to get a feel for what China has to offer. There are a few reasons for going on a trip to China. It all depends on the kind of product you wish to import. For those in the exploratory stages, options include a visit to China’s wholesale markets or trade shows. Both of these showcase China’s enormous export industry that can produce anything from buttons to bulldozers. In the wholesale markets, you must consider that each market can take days to fully cover. Each wholesale market will specialize in certain groups of products. It would serve you well to know which wholesale market to visit for the kind of product category you are looking for.

  As we are dealing with trade shows, you can’t miss what is the biggest biannual trade show in China. The event is more familiarly called the Canton Fair. Every staging of this event is graced by thousands of exhibitors. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come for each of the three phases. The fair features just about everything that you can find in China. Again similar to what is said about the wholesale markets, it would take you days, and in this case, even weeks before you can finish the whole show. You would be well-advised to have a local assist you in combing through the convention halls, so you can target which exhibitors will have what you want.

  Imagine a guided China Wholesale Buying Trip to the largest wholesale markets in China, then having Australia’s leading import company manage everything to get your precious cargo home, then click here for more information.
  
  

• End-to-End Project Management
  If you are the type who doesn’t want to take any chances on your imports, then having a project management team behind you, or should we say in front of you, maybe your road to redemption. In this case, you may want to do some careful research. There is a common practice among agents to tack on invisible fees on your products. They may offer you very sweet deals, but they come with hidden commissions. This almost guarantees a conflict of interest, and would not be helpful to your bottom line goals.
  
  ChinaDirect Sourcing work as your Sourcing Project Manager, working solely for your interests. We are not importers (buy/sell), nor agents (commission from seller). We are an Australian based company, with an office in China, sourcing most product types from China; click here to find out if you are feasible to import from China.
  
  
  
• Training to be an Importer Yourself
  The last option is for those who would like to take full control of their project. ChinaDirect Sourcing conducts regular training for people who prefer to be behind the steering wheel which can be viewed here. We also provide learning material on importing from China, you can find it here.

With all the options that have been pointed out so far, there are probably few organizations around that can say it provides importers or would-be importers, all of these options to choose from. Our uniqueness is evident when you see the numerous awards that have recognized the quality and breadth of the services that we offer. We understand that not all importers are created equal. ChinaDirect Sourcing Services meets you where you are in the sourcing process.

ChinaDirect Sourcing acts project managers on behalf of our clients to negotiate with the suppliers. We keep our clients informed of every stage in the sourcing process. As advocates of free and fair trade, we also give those seeking to import, and even seasoned importers, opportunities to learn the right way to source goods from China.