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What is a Factory Audit, and is it Different from an Inspection?
When you are considering a new supplier, it is essential to vet them as thoroughly as possible. Imagine you place your first order with a factory that seems to check all the boxes. But, down the road, you end up with an endless stream of headaches due to excessive...
Should You Conduct a 100% Inspection or an AQL Sampling Inspection?
When you import goods from overseas, you need them to meet your specifications as accurately as possible. You also need them to meet all health and safety requirements and be acceptable to your customers. One way to help ensure product quality is to carry out...
How to Verify a Chinese Manufacturer: Take These 3 Important Steps
China is the world's manufacturing superpower, accounting for 28.7% of all global manufacturing in 2019. It is, therefore, no surprise that it is a destination of choice for many importers. While the country has many capable manufacturers, you must approach sourcing...
What is a Trading Company, and is it a Good Idea to Work With One?
When you’re getting started in a consumer product business, you need to choose the supplier that best meets your needs. If you’ve searched Alibaba for Chinese suppliers or are looking at vendors elsewhere, you may have already realized that many of them are trading...
What is the Difference Between FCL and LCL Shipping, and Which is Best?
At any given moment, there are thousands of cargo ships traveling the world’s oceans, going from one country to another with a multitude of 20-foot and 40-foot cargo containers stacked upon their decks. The Port of Los Angeles alone imported and exported over 9.2...
What is a General Certificate of Conformity, and How do You Get One?
When you import products from Asia, Latin America, or anywhere else, you must ensure that you follow all regulations relevant to your product. You also need to be sure that you include any documentation required for customs clearance. If you are importing to the US,...
How do Sourcing Agents Work, and Should You Hire One?
Many international traders import goods from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countries due to their low manufacturing costs. And whether you’re an entrepreneurial Amazon seller or you work for an established consumer brand, you’ll find that importing from these...
Shipping From China to the US: What do Importers Need to Know?
When you’re getting started with international trade, there are certain factors that you must consider. First, you need to decide what to sell and where to source it — and for many importers, that means sourcing from China. It has a well-developed manufacturing...
What is the Difference Between Quality Control and Quality Assurance?
To manage product quality as effectively as possible, you need to have a quality management system in place. An effective quality system helps ensure that each time your products ship, you can be confident that they will be free from excessive defects. When putting...
Incoming Materials: How Good are Your Supplier’s Inspection Practices?
When your manufacturer is getting ready to start a production run, they need raw materials to make your product. But if they do not have the appropriate procedures in place to ensure the quality of those materials, you could be courting disaster. Raw materials are the...
Quality Inspection Checklists: How to Create Them
When you sell consumer products in the US or European market, working with manufacturers in low-cost countries can be fear-inducing. The possibility that you might randomly receive a shipment of substandard or unsafe products is like an ever-present shadow looming...
How do You Maintain Quality When Moving Production Out of China?
In recent years, an increasing number of companies have chosen to either adopt a China Plus One strategy or move production out of China altogether. While many importers initially flocked to China for low labor costs, the cost of manufacturing has increased over time....
Furniture Regulations in the USA: 5 Important Sets of Regulations
If you are looking to import and sell furniture in the USA, you need to know the various regulations governing this industry. Like many other consumer products, substandard furniture can cause injury and even death. To prevent such occurrences, the U.S. Consumer...
What is Supplier Quality Management? Plus 3 Important Tips
Today’s supply chains are complex, and manufacturers rely on them to get the raw materials and parts they need to make their products. A car might have over 30,000 individual parts, and while an automaker will manufacture some of those parts in-house, they’ll likely...
What is DDP Shipping, and How Does it Compare to Other Options?
As an importer, you may be familiar with some of the eleven Incoterms that play an essential role in international trade. The Incoterms, or International Commercial Terms, are a set of internationally-recognized rules around the global transportation and delivery of...
What is the Difference Between Inspection and Quality Control?
Once you’ve decided to import a product, you need to identify a suitable supplier for that product. You may reach out to several manufacturers for quotations and product samples. And when you’re happy with one, you’ll place an order and make the required payments.But...
How to Manufacture a Product in China: 3 Important Keys to Success
The global pandemic, US-China trade war, and increased labor costs have all put a dampener on China’s manufacturing dominance. In addition, a shift in China’s manufacturing niche to more high-end consumer goods, has paved the way for developing countries to get a...
Understand Supply Chain Risks and How to Manage Them
When importing consumer products, it is vital to understand the different supply chain risks that might affect your business and take appropriate steps to mitigate them. These risks can manifest themselves in many forms, from political unrest to container shortages to...