On January 9, 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration released Announcement No. 2 [2026], signaling a historic shift in China’s trade policy. Effective April 1, 2026, China will abolish or reduce export VAT rebates for 249 categories of goods. For businesses sourcing from China, this marks the end of an era …
Continue reading “ARE THE DAYS OF CHEAP CHINESE SOLAR OVER?”
This guide outlines the critical logistics, technology, and cultural preparations for a UK traveler visiting Chinese manufacturers. Phase 1: Pre-Departure Essentials 1. Visa Strategy The “M” Visa: Most business travelers require an M Visa (Business). Invitation Letter: You generally cannot apply without an official invitation letter (PU letter or standard company invitation) from your Chinese …
Sourcing As a tool for finding the product, we have found at the time of writing this post, AI still struggles in finding suppliers of specific products. We think this is because the factories tend not to be very good in thoroughly publishing what they can offer, so unfortunately, there’s still leg work needed to …
Continue reading “How Can AI Help with Sourcing Products from China?”
You’ve found the perfect product on a supplier directory. The factory price is $10 per unit, and your retail price is $50. It looks like an incredible profit margin. You place your order, wire the money, and wait. Then, the bills start arriving. There’s a bill for sea freight. A bill for insurance. A bill …
From Brexit Ambition to Economic Reality Following its departure from the European Union, the UK government laid out a clear path to regulatory independence: a new UK-specific product safety mark, the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA), would replace the EU’s long-standing Conformité Européene (CE) mark for goods sold in Great Britain. This move was a …
Verifying a Chinese supplier is a critical step to mitigate risk and avoid fraud. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to do so, from free online checks to hiring professional services. 1. Request and Verify Business Documents A legitimate Chinese supplier should be able to provide key business documents. The most important is the business …
CE/UKCA/UL. Product conformity, what’s the bid deal?! Table of Contents If your product does not conform to safety standards, you are personally legally liable, not your business, you! If you’re happy with your product electrocuting someone and having to go to court to explain why you didn’t get it safety tested, then no need to …
A – Alibaba M – Manufacturing agreement V – Vet manufacturers I – Inspect products Avoid spending money and receiving poor quality, the wrong products or nothing at all. Buying from a Chinese manufacturer?In this short post we cover payment protection. Table of Contents Why Buy Though Alibaba If you have the option, buy through Alibaba. …
China’s Rising Electroplating Prices by Stuart lunn What is Electroplating? Electroplating is the process of using electrolysis to attach a metal film to the surface of metal. Usually taking one type of metal and coating it with another type. Gold plated jewellery is an example. Tin cans are not just tin, they are steel cans with …
What is 1688.com? In Chinese, 1688 is pronounced as “Yao Liu Ba Ba” which sounds like “A Li Ba Ba. Simply put, it is the Chinese facing version of Alibaba.
