The Canton Fair Trade Tips

The first period of the Canton Fair is started. If not you are base in China, this is one of the few Chances to meet with suppliers face to face. Here are a few tips for before you leave and while you are there.

Preparation:

•   Know the place of the suppliers you want to visit. Get their stand number before you go Booth numbers are accessible on the Canton Fair website.

•   Schedule meeting times with the suppliers you want to meet.

• v  Bring plenty of business cards. Some buyers even print business cards especially for the fair with a special contact email address so they can filter out spam.

At the Fair:

•   Find out if the potential supplier you are talking to is a trading company or a manufacturer.

• Find out where the factory is located and go visit it (do not pass up an opportunity to visit a factory) if possible.

•   Get accurate quotes on products. Cover all the aspects of pricing (packaging, and payment terms, etc).

• Get detailed info about possible suppliers- what markets they export to, do they have an export license, who are their customers, what are their production capacities, how much of the developed process do they outsource, etc.

• Note about the communication with the supplier. How well do they communicate? Would you feel comfortable working with them?

• Be organized. Have a system to keep track of all the suppliers you meet and the information they give you.

Be on the lookout for new companies in your industry, new products, etc.

Ø  Gather info on

Ø  Material pricing

Ø  Market changes

Ø  Price increases,

Ø  Power shortages

General trends of what’s going on etc.