Italy vs. Chinese countries: beware of scams!

After numerous evaluations, negative opinions and reports of scams on Chinese products, the Italian Trade Commission in Shanghai warns Italian companies from the traps of alleged Chinese entrepreneurs: advance purchases, travel and commercial recordings of web domains that are increasingly only broken promises!

Haste is a bad counselor for Italian companies investing in China. The warning comes by ICE that warns our entrepreneurs engaged in business with the Chinese giant. Scams, fraud, deception, shoddy goods, shell companies, shipping never match: pay attention to window dressing, often traps harmful to your wallet! In order to avoid alleged unscrupulous Chinese entrepreneurs, ICE has made strict claims and has compiled a set of guidelines with greater risks to be faced in import-export trade with Beijing.

China, remembers the Ice, is a business partner that is generally reliable, as evidenced by the growing volume of trade with the rest of the world. Fraudulent practices constitute a minority of the total of trade and foreign business, but you need to keep your eyes open. The problems often arise from the rush and the lack of knowledge of China’s of China, remaining flattered by profitable proposals, competitive prices and suspicious requests, sometimes disguised as business deals (not to be missed).

So what to do?Egointernational Group company, leader in the import / export field for 13 years, says that the golden rule is always to check the existence and reliability of the Chinese side, as well as the validity of the proposed conditions (duties, taxes, contract). The ICE of Beijing offers free advice for companies who want to start making exports within the Asian country. We must be wary, above all, to requests for advance payments on the internet, for example, with bank transfers, for trials, demos, samples and free samples. It may happen that the goods purchased never get to your destination, no tracking of the Chinese supplier and therefore to recover the money.

A very common trap regards trade missions, disguised as necessary to close a sale. The physical presence of both the players involved in the deal, it is absolutely necessary to put pen to paper. In fact, just be practical on the web and / or enroll in some e-commerce marketplace sector and the game is over!

The web is a breeding ground for “telematics hideaways”, online scams to distracted companies. There are companies who peddle fake registrations of Internet domains, by paying a few hundred euros, arguing that this procedure is necessary to create a site with the name of its brand. Pay attention to purchases which destined to European markets: it is good to check the goods on site before shipment, in order not to be produced with no mandatory certification in European countries and so now unsaleable.

To avoid scams and damage to the company you should check well: the identity of the Chinese partner, the presence of import-export certificate, the payment methods that must be safe and the timing of the arrival of the goods.

What rules to export Italian products abroad?

The trend in exports of Made in Italy food products has increased exponentially over the past decade and, given the current economic situation, more and more Italian companies are looking for new markets outside the European Union.

How to manage shipments with punctuality, safety and advantages in business?

There are excellent opinions of many foreign clients who have decided to work together with the Italian company leader in the export sector, the note egonternational Group, specializing in particular in the international market to export Made in Italy food products, especially dry foods such as pasta, oil, sauces, tomato and vinegar, offering an efficient service without loss of time and money for the customer.

The term “export” refers to the sale of products to third countries that are not part of the European Union, while the activities of trade between EU member states are called “exchanges”.

egointernational opinions are in line with those of the Minister of Economic Development, Federica Guidi, who says “To enter the territories of third countries, Italian companies must meet certain health standards agreed through specific regulations that can vary. Depending on the country of destination and the product exported, in fact these rules are constantly changing because new markets for the different types of products are springing up year by year; at the same time the country’s destination may impose sanitary requirements which exporting countries must adjust from time to time”.

Importing countries have very different characteristics and traditions, thus they involve requirements not always homogeneous. The import of products in the US, for example, concerns the submission, within five days of arrival at the port of landing, of various documents required for the release of the goods to customs and others providing information on duties and statistical purposes. If these formalities are not respected as required, the goods may be subject to detention, until it is proved that the product meets the standards of the US Food & Drug Administration.

The detention of the products in the warehouses of the customs for the importer involves a significant loss of time and money for each hour that the goods are in storage, and this course is a significant source of poor service.

Positive reviews have been written on egointernational service about it, since it is able to offer a complete assistance thanks to an efficient and proactive export manager service who is able to avoid red tape. The opinions and assessments of ICE about this topic recommend constant monitoring of shipments and the trace-ability of goods in order to facilitate the export of Italian food products abroad.

Seeking for a Manufacturer or Supplier for Your Product Idea? Follow our 6 tips!

Whether it be manufacturing your own product or finding suppliers to purchase wholesale from, they aren’t always easy to find. Here, EGO International Group is going to look at the basics of sourcing a supplier for your next project. We will look at some places to search, how you should approach them and what to ask.

1) What Are You Looking For?

There are a ton of helpful resources to be found online just by searching Google. However before you begin, there are a few things you should know and decide. First, you should determine what type of supplier you’re looking for. This will help determine the terminology you need to use in your research. There are two options, with the most common being:

• A manufacturer to produce your own product idea
• A supplier, who may also be a manufacturer, wholesaler or distributor to purchase already existing brands and products

2) Domestic vs. International Suppliers

A classic question when looking for suppliers if you plan to manufacture or wholesale is whether you want to source domestically or from overseas. You likely already know that it’s almost always cheaper to source your products through International suppliers but there’s a lot more to that decision than just the upfront investment and costs. Here, some advantages and disadvantages:

Domestic Sourcing

Advantages

• Higher manufacturing quality and labour standards
• Easier communication with no language barrier
• Easier to verify reputable manufacturers and faster shipping time
• Greater payment security and recourse

Disadvantages

• Higher manufacturing costs
• Less product choice

International Sourcing

Advantages

• Lower manufacturing costs
• High number of manufacturers to choose from
• One-stop services have made it easy to navigate suppliers

Disadvantages

• Lower perceived quality from customers
• Language, culture and communication barrier can be difficult to navigate,
• Difficulty/costly to verify manufacturer and visit on-site
• Longer shipping time

 3) Where To Begin Your Search: Directories

Naturally, the internet is the best place to start, but there are a few places in particular that can help with your search. Below, we have listed out a few of the most popular ones below for both domestic and overseas suppliers:

Online Domestic Directories

• ThomasNet
• Makers Row
• MFG
• Kompass

Online Overseas Directories

• Alibaba
• AliExpress
• IndiaMart

4) Google Ranking

How can you find suppliers on Google? For the first time ever, you’ll need to explore page ten of Google search results, and beyond. You’ll also want to use a variety of search terms. For example, words like wholesale, wholesaler and distributor may be used interchangeably so you should search for all of them. It may help you make yourself familiar with Google’s search shortcuts to improve the quality of your searches, thus the results.

5) Libraries

You may also want to consider dusting off your library card and heading to your local library. Many libraries pay monthly subscription fees for online business and manufacturer directories that you normally wouldn’t have access to, or you would have to pay a large amount of money for, like the Scotts Online Business Directory. These directories contain profiles for many manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors in North America, depending on the exact directory. Make sure to give your local library a call ahead of time and ask them if they have access to these types of private directories. For larger libraries, you may need to chat with the business and technology department.

6) Strong Referrals

Some of the best leads can come from referrals by friends and family through the WOM. Social networks have made it much easier to get the word out so make sure to use these channels. As you do start to uncover suppliers, even if they aren’t the right fit for you, be sure to ask them if they can point you in the right direction. Being in the industry means they will likely have great contacts and many would be more than happy to refer you to someone that might be a better fit.