Guess what? China is now the third largest trade partner of the USA. Importing from China is only going to become more and more common as China opens its arms to international trade. Here are some tips to make sure you get off to a good start! Tip #1: Before you do anything else, check up on import restrictions for the product you want to import. Tip #2: Carry out a bit of quick research on the wholesaler supplier. * Visit China Vista Yellow Pages and search for the business name. http://www.chinavista.com/business/directory/home.html
* If your wholesaler is located in Wehai, you can check the Chinese Companies List: http://www.business-in-asia.com/chinese_companies_list.html
Tip #3: Ask the supplier whether they attend trade shows. If yes, it's usually a good indication that they are legitimate. Trade shows require a monetary investmentmaking it unlikely that bogus operations will be present! However, if they say that they don't attend trade shows, it doesn't necessarily mean they are a fraud. Tip #4: Make sure you put all important details are in writing. It's critical that a breakdown in dialogue is prevented. And if it should occur, having everything documented will help trace the point of breakdown. Tip #5: If you are moving into large-scale importing, invest time and money on a few trips to China to see the suppliers/manufacturers/agents that you feel you want to work with. Tip #6: Be prepared to deal with people who have a completely different attitude towards business than you. They will have their own customs and local particularitiesdon't get annoyed if they do things differently to your local suppliers. Read up on Chinese culture and learn a few Chinese words! This is a good way of showing you respect their culture and that you are genuinely interested in building a mutually beneficial business relationship. Good luck! Grace@SaleHoo |
