Blog
What is the Role of Factory Audits in Supplier Quality Management?
As an importer, you have requirements that you expect your suppliers to meet. Perhaps you’ve put together specifications to define your product’s materials, measurements, components, and other attributes. And hopefully, you’ve shared those specifications with...
Manufacturing in Malaysia: An Overview for Consumer Product Importers
Many importers have adopted a “China +1” approach in recent years. Over the last decade, labor costs in China have steadily risen, and the country’s government — as evidenced by their Made in China 2025 plan — is moving away from low-cost, labor-intensive goods and...
How to Choose the Right AQL and Inspection Levels
If you’re importing consumer products and working with a third-party inspection company, you probably know that AQL is an industry-standard sampling method. It helps you determine two things, first, how many units the inspector should check, and, second, how many...
How To Approach Functional Testing On Your QC Checklist
When you hire a third-party inspection company to go to your factory for a pre-shipment inspection, your inspection is always guided by a QC checklist. Sometimes importers think that they can rely solely on the service provider to develop their checklist — but this is...
This is Why Quality Cannot be Inspected Into a Product
As a consumer product importer, you may be conducting third-party inspections to verify product quality. It’s important to understand, though, that the act of inspecting, on its own, is not enough. Take it from 20th-century quality guru W. Edwards Deming. In his book,...
Thailand Manufacturing: An Alternative Worth Exploring?
The trade war and pandemic have made importers think long and hard about where they should produce their products. Many consumer product brands that previously relied exclusively on China have come to adopt a China +1 approach. To mitigate supply chain risks, they...
REACH vs RoHS: What Should You Understand About Each?
One of the challenges of managing compliance for a consumer product brand is the ever-changing body of directives and regulations that might apply to your products. Importing non-compliant products from countries like China, Vietnam, or India can lead to costly...
How Do Importers Get The Most Out Of Virtual Events?
This has been a strange and difficult year, with a lack of human interaction that has been frustrating for many people. In-person conferences and events seem like little more than a distant memory and many importers are feeling fatigued by interactions on Zoom and...
How Can Product Importers Verify Raw Material Quality?
Are you concerned about the quality of the raw materials your manufacturer is using? Low-quality materials make your products more likely to break or wear out prematurely — and if they contain hazardous substances, they might end up violating federal safety standards....
How Much Will the US Election Really Impact Importers?
Election Day in the US is less than two months away and the world is anxiously awaiting the result. Will Donald Trump stay in the White House for four more years or will Joe Biden take his desk at the Oval Office? People around the world have an increasingly negative...
What is a Children’s Product Certificate and How Do You Get One?
Are you planning to import a new children’s product to the United States? Imagine that you’ve worked hard to find the right manufacturer, taken all the steps to ensure quality control, and the factory has finally shipped your order. You should be elated, but you’re...
Manufacturing in Pakistan: Is It A Good Option for Importers?
Are you manufacturing your products in China but considering alternatives? A Gartner survey of “260 global supply chain leaders in February and March 2020 found that 33% had moved sourcing and manufacturing activities out of China or plan to do so in the next two to...
5 Tips to Help You Work With Chinese Suppliers in 2020
As a result of the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic, many importers have either moved production away from China or are considering a move in the future. Other countries in Asia and some in Latin America have seen increased interest and export volumes as...
Chinese New Year 2021: Avoid Problems With Your Factory
Every year, the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday comes around and throws newer importers for a loop. At the time of writing this, it’s August and the holiday is still more than five months away. However, as many seasoned importers will tell you, it’s critical to start...
What is a Certificate of Conformity and How do You Get One?
When you are importing products from Asia, Latin America, or anywhere else, there are always regulations that you have to be concerned with. The types of regulations vary based on the product you are importing and the country of import. So, it’s important to do...
How to Use Inspection Data to Maximize Your Quality Spend
Do you conduct more than two dozen third-party inspections per year with each of your manufacturers? If so, you’re sitting on a gold mine of data that can help you manage your QC budget more effectively. How so? Every time you conduct an inspection, you get an...
What is a T/T Payment? How to Pay Suppliers in China
For new e-commerce sellers, sending that first payment to a Chinese supplier can be confusing. With all the different options available — Paypal, Alibaba Trade Assurance, LC payments, etc. — it can be hard to determine which one is appropriate for your situation. You...
5 Product Sourcing Mistakes: Download This Free Guide
Are you a new importer attempting to source your product in China, Southeast Asia, Latin America, or another low-cost region? Over the years, we’ve worked with many people who’ve had varying degrees of quality control and sourcing experience. And there are certain key...