Blog
Practical insights on doing business in China — sourcing, inspection, and local support.
Hiring a Local Translator at Canton Fair: Why the $50-a-Day Option Costs More Than It Looks
Hiring an inexpensive local translator on arrival at a Chinese trade show feels like an easy, practical solution — and for basic word-for-word exchanges, it often works fine. The problem shows up specifically in negotiation, where a literal translation of what was said misses the actual meaning of what a supplier meant. Here's the specific gap and how to avoid it.
Worker Dormitory Checks During China Factory Audits: What to Look For and Why It Matters
A factory audit that stops at the production floor misses one of the most informative sections for social compliance: worker housing. Dormitory conditions are specific, checkable, and directly relevant to buyers with any exposure to US or EU import compliance requirements. Here's what an actual dormitory check should cover.
Why Aggressive Demands to a China Supplier Can Backfire, and What to Do Instead
Withholding payment or sending an aggressive demand over a quality dispute feels like taking control of the situation. Documented cases show it can do the opposite — prompting a supplier who feels cornered to respond with a defensive counter-move, using leverage the buyer didn't realize the supplier had. Here's what that looks like and how to avoid creating it.
China's September 2026 Holiday Squeeze: Why This Year's Shipping Window Is Tighter Than Usual
Mid-Autumn Festival and China's National Day Golden Week are separate holidays, but in 2026 they sit close enough together on the calendar to create one condensed, high-pressure shipping window in late September. Buyers who plan around a typical single-holiday calendar will find this year compresses their usual margin considerably.
The Recycled Certificate Trick: Why a Verified Certificate Number Isn't Enough
The most common certificate fraud in China sourcing isn't a fake document — it's a real, verifiable certificate from a previous product or production batch, reused for a current product that was never independently tested at all. Verifying the certificate number checks out doesn't catch this. Here's what does.
Who Pays for Samples and Tooling in China: The Rules Nobody Explains Upfront
A factory quoting a sample fee, and a separate mold or tooling fee, follows conventions that aren't always explained upfront — and assuming the wrong one about refunds is a common source of dispute. Here's how these costs actually work, and when they come back to you.
A Suspiciously Short Lead Time From a China Factory: Why Faster Isn't Always Better
When one factory quotes a noticeably shorter lead time than every other supplier for the same custom order, the instinct is to treat it as the best offer on the table. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it means the product isn't actually being made for you — it's coming from existing inventory, a mass-produced stock item, or someone else's cancelled order. Here's how to tell which one you're looking at.
Mid-Production Price Increase From a Chinese Factory: How to Tell If It's Real
A supplier raising the price mid-production, after already confirming a quote, is one of the most common — and most difficult to verify — disputes in China sourcing. Some price increases in 2026 are genuinely driven by real material cost spikes. Others are a factory owner deciding an already-accepted order isn't profitable enough. Here's how to tell the difference before deciding how to respond.
Why Chinese Factories Disappear Overnight Instead of Filing Bankruptcy
When a Chinese factory fails financially, the common pattern isn't a formal bankruptcy filing — it's the owner disappearing overnight, sometimes leaving the country entirely. This isn't random behavior. A specific legal severance obligation makes formal closure extremely expensive, which shapes how failing factories actually behave and what warning signs are worth watching for.
"We Follow All Regulations": The Gap Between What's Said and What's Actually Confirmed in a Factory Audit
A factory representative saying "we follow all regulations" during an audit sounds like a clear, confirmed statement of compliance. It's frequently something closer to a general assurance — adherence may be inconsistent even when the phrase itself gets translated accurately. Here's why this specific phrase causes so much confusion, and what actually confirms compliance instead.