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For more great content, please take a look at our most recent blog articles below.
How Can an Importer Get the Most Out of Trade Fairs?
If you are importing products from manufacturers in developing countries, you might be thinking about attending a trade fair or trade show to help you find new suppliers. Trade fairs provide great opportunities for you to meet with dozens of potential suppliers at...
5 Important Steps in the Supplier Development Process
Why is supplier development important and how can importers establish effective supplier development systems? When importing finished goods or product components from overseas manufacturers, good supplier relationships are critical. To maximize supplier performance,...
Two New Years Resolutions for Sourcing and Product Quality
When you hear the words “New Year’s resolution,” goals like going to the gym, eating healthier, and getting your house organized might spring to mind. Resolutions don’t have to be limited to personal goals, however. As we begin a new year, we have the opportunity to...
Insight Quality: 2019 Year in Review
As we close out another year, it is time to reflect on the past twelve months and prepare for a fresh start in 2020. For importers it was an interesting year, to say the least. In 2019, the biggest news was undoubtedly the U.S.-China trade war. We’ve seen successive...
How to Avoid Customs Delays and Ensure Timely Shipments
Why is my shipment stuck at customs? It’s a question that many importers find themselves asking at one time or another. A container filled with goods that need to get to your customer’s warehouse ends up delayed at the port and you have to figure out the reason. Your...
5 Asia Travel Tips For When You Need To Visit Suppliers
Do you travel to Asia to visit suppliers? Do you plan to do so in the future? In order to maximize the results of your trip, it is important that you plan your trip carefully. In our blogs, we focus mainly on quality control and sourcing-related topics, but since many...
Is Your Business Adapting to a Changing World?
In a world that is constantly changing, it’s important to keep up with all the latest developments in your industry. Last month we attended the ICPHSO International Symposium in Dublin, Ireland. ICPHSO (Pronounced IK-FA-SO) is the International Consumer Product Health...
How are Consumers Actually Using Your Product? (AHFA Summit Takeaways)
Earlier this month, we attended the AHFA (American Home Furnishings Alliance) Regulatory Summit in Colfax, North Carolina. At the summit, a number of topics were discussed. And although this was a furniture industry summit, there were some key takeaways that are...
Amazon’s Quality Troubles and What They Mean for Sellers
The Wall Street Journal has brought a lot of (probably unwanted) attention to Amazon recently. In August, WSJ released an exposé pointing out the many issues that the eCommerce behemoth has had with product safety. The piece asserts that, because of Amazon’s...
Sourcing in Vietnam: a Good Alternative to China?
Since the U.S.-China trade war started in early 2018, many importers in America and elsewhere have been re-examining their supply chains and considering moves to other countries. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the trade war has been Vietnam. The country has seen...
What are Pantone Colors and Why Should Importers Care?
A number of years ago, one of our customers, a big-box retailer, informed us of a problem they were having with one of their products. As they were looking at the product on the shelf, they realized that some boxes had one shade of their brand’s signature color, while...
5 Recent Product Recalls and What Importers Can Learn From Them
Imagine you’ve just launched a new consumer product. You’ve sold 22,345 units to a major retailer and your product is now on the store shelves. You're exceptionally proud of yourself and all the hard work you’ve put in to get there. And then you get that dreaded call,...