Sourcing & Import from China Tips and Guide

Chen Jia Ci, known in English as the Chen Clan Academy, is a large estate of traditional Chinese buildings that was once owned by the famous Chen family, one of the wealthiest families in Chinese history… There are a total of 19 buildings on the property, most of which now house various artifacts and art works on display… The image here shows one such artwork, an amazing painting of flowers and butterflies on silk, framed within intricate woodwork.

Governments or buyers demand inspection reports for a number of reasons:

• To ensure shipments do not contain illegal or low-quality merchandise
• To make sure importers are properly declaring their goods
• To ensure they have received what they have paid for or are about to pay for (usually by independent inspection)

  The process typically starts with the buyer. Once a contract between a buyer and seller has been established, the importer or buyer will arrange with their favorite inspection company a pre-shipment inspection. Although some countries require a specific company to perform the inspection, others have opened it up to a variety of competitors.

  Upon requesting an inspection, the following information needs to be given to the inspecting company:

• Company name and contact name of the exporter and the type and location of the goods to be inspected

  Note: Regarding the time of the inspection, inspectors have busy schedules and need a five to seven day window to schedule a visit. Once you have a tentative date for inspection you need to have the goods ready for inspection. This may mean opening the shipping unit or having the container staged and ready to load.

  Some other advice:

• Many “Less than Container Load (LCL)” shipments can be inspected at the port of export.
• It is recommended that the inspection take place where you can supervise and answer questions the inspector might have.
• You may also need to close up a crate or box following the inspection so it is best that you are or your forwarder is available to assist during the examination.
• Following the inspection, a “Clean Report of Findings” (or something similar) will be issued. This is usually required at the time of import. Most reports are issued following proof of export and usually can be completed by fax.

The importer pays usual costs for such examinations; however, delays can be invoiced directly to the exporter.

The inspector will look at the following aspects of the products in the shipment:

• Safety
  Are the products compliant with applicable safety regulations?
• Performance
  Does the product function properly, and as intended?
• Appearance
  What is the condition of the finish, printing and marking?
• Packaging
  Is the condition of packing, marking and accessories appropriate?

Pre-Shipment Inspection in Qingdao, China

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor
January 23, 2007

Beijing - On a day when hundreds of thousands of Americans are lining the streets of Washington to protest 34 years of legalized abortion, China’s political leaders say they will do more to stop sex-selection abortions there and to correct a growing gender imbalance that its one-child family planning program has yielded.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported on Monday that the government will increase enforcement of laws designed to prohibit the use of ultrasounds to determine the sex of an unborn child.

Xinhua says the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party and the State Council, or cabinet, has issued a new document saying anyone running afoul of the gender identification laws should face “serious punishment.”

“The document said the gender-ratio imbalance, which has been developing for some time, amounts to ‘a hidden danger’ for society that will ‘affect social stability,’” the government news service reported.

Authorities will also step up monitoring hospitals and other medical facilities to ensure ultrasound isn’t improperly used or that the abortion pill is given out only for purposes of a sex-selection abortion.

Last year China scrapped plans to prohibit sex-selection abortions altogether but has put forward educational campaigns telling Chinese of the virtue of girl babies.

China currently has a male-female ratio of 119-100 while the number is closer to 103-100 in most industrialized nations.

As a result, large numbers of Chinese man are finding it difficult to get married. The general imbalanced has also caused an increase in crime, selling of girl babies, prostitution and forcing women into sexual slavery or domestic positions.

Because Chinese couples are limited to one child, abortion and infanticide are frequently used to ensure that child is a boy. That is especially the case in rural areas where boys are preferred because of their ability to carry on the family name or run the family farm.

Some girls are even sold or given away in order for Chinese families to have one son to comply with the family planning rules.

Chinese couples determined to have a son easily get around the new laws as a black market has sprung up of people with ultrasound machines in the trunks of cars or house closets are willing to divulge the sex of an unborn baby for a price.

As a result, the skewed male-female ratio is growing worse as there are 130 boys to 100 girls in the provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.

China instituted the coercive family planning policy in 1979 and Chinese women and families have been the victims of an intense campaign ever since that has involved forced abortions and sterilizations, and the arrest and harassment of those who resist it.

But the policy has caused the gender imbalance to explode.

Ironically, China distributed ultrasound machines to local clinics on a wide scale after the coercive family planning policy was instituted to ensure women were not pregnant and violating the one-child program.

Despite the problems, Xinhua reported Monday that the new document says the one-child policy and reducing the number of people in China is still a priority.

“Maintaining a low birth rate is the priority of family planning during the next phase,” it said.

I’ve been to several places for Pizza, check the followings out,

1. ITALIAN RESTAUANT Add: 3/F, No,360, Rd Huanshi Dong Tel: 020-83863840

2. Jiayouzhan Cafe Add: No. 13, Ave, Jiangnandadao, Haizhu District (Opposite of Rosedale Hotel, GZ) Tel: 020-84019920 Well known for Pizza and Milk Tea All above, price per person less than US$10

3. MILANO Add: Booth 2-4, East Square, World Trade Center, No. 371-375, Rd Huangzhi Dong Tel:020-87302172 87302175 Pizza and Cheezzzzze Cake There are other fantastic places that I would like to share but some of them were close due to some reason.
4. Oscar Add: 3/F Holiday Inn, Rd. Huanshi Dong Tel:020-8776 6999 Cuisine: Italian, Pizza.

Pizza Hut in China reminds me of Taco Bell in “Demolition Man” (starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and Sandra Bullock — anyone remember this movie?).

Here, the American fast food restaurant has become a positively upscale dining establishment.



Pizza Hut - Chinese Salad Bar - Check out how she manage to get all in one bowl.:-)

Numerous documents are required for shipping. The primary documents are listed below with links to samples. Exporters should seriously consider having a freight forwarder handle the formidable amount of documentation that exporting requires, as forwarders are specialists in this process.

Documentation must be precise because slight discrepancies or omissions may prevent merchandise from being exported, result in nonpayment, or even result in the seizure of the shipment by customs. Collection documents are subject to precise time limits and may not be honored by a bank if time has expired.

Most documentation is routine for freight forwarders and customs brokers, but the exporter is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of its contents.

The following documents are commonly used in the shipping process:

Air waybills

An air waybill is used for air transport and is documentary evidence of the conclusion of a contract for carriage. It serves as:

• Proof of receipt of the goods for shipment
• An invoice for the freight
• A certificate of insurance
• A guide to airline staff for the handling, dispatch and delivery of the consignment.

Usually, the document consists of three originals and nine copies. The first original is intended for the carrier and is signed by a export agent; the second original, the consignee’s copy, is signed by an export agent and accompanies the goods; the third original is signed by the carrier and is handed to the export agent as a receipt for the goods after they have been accepted for carriage.

Bill of lading (B/L)

A bill of lading (B/L) is used for sea shipment and is a certificate of ownership of goods. It must be produced at the port of final destination by the importer in order to claim goods.

As a document of title, the bill of lading is also a negotiable document and you may sell the goods by endorsing or handing it over to another authorized party, even while the goods are still at sea.

Although negotiable bills of lading are in common use, some countries do not allow them or make it difficult fro them to be used. You have to be sure that a negotiable B/L is accepted in your country. Otherwise, a non-negotiable B/L is issued.

The B/L is a formal, signed receipt for a specified number of packs, which is given to the export agent by the shipping line when the shipping line receives the consignment. If the cargo is apparently in good order and properly packed when received by the shipping line, the bill of lading, is deemed as “clean”. The ship owner thus accepts full liability for the cargo described in the bill.

Commercial invoices

A commercial invoice is a bill for the goods from the seller to the buyer. These invoices are often used by governments to determine the true value of goods when assessing customs duties. Governments that use the commercial invoices to control imports will often specify its form, content, number of copies, and language to be used, as well as other important details.

Insurance certificates

An insurance certificate is a representation of the insurance policy taken out by the buyer or the seller (depending on the Incoterms) for a shipment.

• Blank insurance certificates are supplied by the insurer pre-signed and bearing the open policy number of the exporter. For an air shipment, an air waybill serves as an insurance certificate.

• For a sea shipment, an insurance certificate is issued as evidence of the existence of the marine insurance policy.

• The marine insurance policy is a contract between the insured and the insurer which defines the terms of the agreement between the insured and the insurer.

The packing list

The packing list indicates the number of items in the contents of each pack, along with individual weights and dimensions. This list enables you to check that the correct number of units has been received. Customs authorities can also easily identify a specific pack if they wish to inspect.

See a sample of a packing list below: