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Insight Quality Services: 2021 Year in Review
As another year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on 2021 and ponder what 2022 has in store for us. This was, unfortunately, a challenging year for many people involved in international trade. At the end of last year, most were hopeful that the pandemic situation...
What You Need to Know About Visiting Your Overseas Factory
Visiting a factory can be a worthwhile investment of your time, money, and energy, and it can help you catch potential issues with a new supplier and move projects forward more quickly. At the moment, however, the pandemic is making travel to Asian countries quite...
How to Develop a Simple Quality Control Plan for Your Product
Are you building a new consumer brand and putting your products out into the market? If your goods fail to meet consumer expectations, it can lead to poor reviews, reduced sales, and even business failure. To avoid disastrous product quality issues, you need to have a...
What Makes a Good Supplier “Good?” 6 Important Qualities to Look For
When you’re trying to find a manufacturer to produce your consumer products, due diligence is essential. You need to look for a supplier that matches your business needs as closely as possible. But what are the most important attributes to focus on during your...
US Law Label Requirements: What do Stuffed Goods Importers Need to Know?
If you've ever bought a pillow or mattress in the United States, you may have noticed the tag that states, "Under Penalty of Law This Tag Not to Be Removed Except by the Consumer." This tag is known as a law label, and it is required on a variety of stuffed goods. Are...
What is the China Plus One Strategy, and What Should You Know About It?
In recent years, many companies have adopted a 'China Plus One' strategy for managing their global supply chains. In other words, rather than relying solely on a Chinese manufacturer to make their products, they establish additional supplier relationships in another...
How to Choose the Right Quality Inspection Frequency in Manufacturing
When you import from overseas, controlling product quality will be one of the most crucial keys to your success. You want to ensure that you receive products that meet your requirements and satisfy customer expectations. Many importers conduct inspections before,...
Our 10 Most Popular Quality Control Articles (2021 Edition)
As an importer, product quality affects your profit margins and the trajectory of your business. When you consistently produce high-quality products, your customers will remain satisfied. People will talk about your products on social media, recommend them to family...
This is Why Product Quality is Important for Consumer Brands (5 Reasons)
One of the main objectives for any business is to maximize profits. While maintaining a healthy balance sheet depends on a combination of factors, one of the most important for consumer brands is product quality. If you sell high-quality products consistently, your...
RoHS 1 vs. RoHS 2 vs. RoHS 3: What’s the Difference Between Them?
In July 2020, Nikon Corporation had to recall about 150 units of its Nikon F6 film camera after finding that it contained levels of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which exceeded the amount allowed by the European Union’s RoHS directive. Importers who ship electrical and...
How to Identify QC Issues Early and Avoid Shipping Low-Quality Products
In 2016, smartphone maker Samsung was forced to recall over 2.5 million Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after some gadgets started overheating and bursting into flames. This recall reportedly caused the company over $5 billion in losses. A quick online search for...
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...
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...