General Information on Importing From China

 

Contract

We are happy to send out a draft copy of our agreement to our potential customers.

Please call 01225 460388 to discuss your requirements.

 

Diverse Market Sectors

The nature of our business is supporting customers to achieve their goals. The management process is similar whether making engines or drinks machines, and our knowledge in adaptable to different situations. Due to client confidentiality we cannot publish extensive photos of the work we have done, but it ranges from bespoke glass infrastructure to super car components.

 

Free Importing Advice

We offer our desk research free of charge and can generally get you comparable prices to determine whether there are cost benefits to buying from China. There is no charge for this service. The only costs you will incur will be if it is necessary for us to travel on your behalf, or send samples – these will be charged at cost and only carried out with your prior knowledge and agreement.

 

Freight Forwarding

When goods arrive by sea or air, it is necessary to use a freight forwarding company to assist in clearing the goods through customs and getting them to you. The process is relatively straight forward once companies have been through it a couple of times. We have been dealing with some contacts in this industry for over 10 years, and know we can introduce you to reliable people who will do their best to get goods to you ASAP.

 

Internal Travel and Hotel Accommodation

1.2 can save customers time and money and book all the necessary travel. This will be supported with an itinerary. It is important to schedule any visits in advance as we have many visitors, particularly in Spring and Autumn. We are frequently booking hotels and can book them to minimise travel times etc.

 

Logistics

1.2 will provide all the necessary support you need to get the goods to you, and are happy to assist those new to importing from China with all the information and contacts that they need. Whilst customers do buy direct, we fully support the whole process to UK port. We will ensure that you have the relevant support from a freight forwarder to get the goods to your warehouse.

 

Negotiation

We negotiate directly with factories on your behalf, but that is not to say we do it in isolation. It is vital we are clear about what you aim to get out of the process, and we certainly make no claims to offer the cheapest prices in China –cheapest does not mean best, and the majority of our customers prefer to have an understanding of the quality they are getting rather than focusing on price alone.

 

Product Development in China

We have developed over 2,000 different products for a range of industries, from castings to electronics, plastics to paper. We work directly with reliable Chinese manufacturers to meet your purchasing criteria. Our advisors allow you to buy goods directly from China with confidence, locating the correct factory and working with them closely. Proven Track Record of Reducing Customer Costs We have yet to work for a customer who is paying more for their goods from China than the UK. We establish whether there is a cost saving in China, and only if there is, and you are satisfied it is the right opportunity do we reach agreement becoming a customer. As far as we are aware, all 2,000 products we have developed have reduced costs. Chinese factories offer UK companies lower development costs on tooling, fixtures, gauges and the like, which all combine to offer a competitive development program.

 

Quality Management

There are several ways we can help our customers to control quality – with either internal or third party control. In the case of our Investment Casting business, we employ our own quality inspector who works within the foundry. For other work, such as our electronics products we can develop a quality management program and then utilise 3rd party inspection companies. In addition we have a network of technical advisors who conduct audits in advance to ensure factories have the necessary skills to reach the customer requirements. We actively encourage customers to travel to China to conduct their own audits, and support approximately 1-2 audits a month every month.

 

Research

We conduct all our own research from our office in Shanghai, and from this we advise you whether we can assist them. Its nature varies enormously, and we utilise a network of trusted associates as and when we need them for technical assistance. Whilst we aim to work with smaller UK companies, the goods we help you to source are often supplied into some if the largest companies in the world. Locating the right partners is a vital stage of any product sourcing.

 

Technical Support

We work with specialist engineers and can offer you local technical support. Examples include; Inspecting plastics injection tooling, conducting independent material analysis, and setting up technical inspection procedures. Given an accurate brief, we can ensure the necessary support is available. The vast distances in China mean it is often more cost effective to locate support near to factories, rather than travel to inspect. There are a number of engineering specialists that offer inspection and we utilise them to oversee your production and quality issues.

 

Translation and Communication

We offer full support with translation and communication. We understand the importance of constructive dialogue with suppliers and handle all these issues for our customers. You talk to us in the UK and we will get you the answers. By actively managing suppliers we can ensure that you retain good relationships with your suppliers and benefit from this. The relationships we hold with suppliers enable us to get many favours when needed. Our strong business relationships ‘Guanxi’ and understanding of Chinese culture established over many years allows us to avoid the many mis-understandings which can occur when dealing directly with factories.

 

Visa

In order to travel to China on business you will need a Business Invitation which we can issue.
In addition you will need to complete an application form which can be downloaded
from: http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/

It is important to allow sufficient time to get visas. Various courier services are available to assist in getting the visas sorted out, and are easily found through a web search.