Asian Imports Blog

Build Zoom - A meeting place for contractors and homeowners

2011-03-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

BuildZoom.com is the web's largest directory of home improvement contractors. With over 1.5 million licensed contractors in its database, the site is the easiest, most open sourcing of contractor profiles, project photographs, consumer reviews, license data and more. If you're looking to have some work done on your house, check the site out. And tell them Ryan sent you :)

Customs Broker

2010-10-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Customs HQ simplifies the process of importing goods and clearing them through U.S. Customs. They give importers the tools to organize all the documents and information required by U.S. Customs and make it simple to submit that data to a licensed customs broker. The web site saves importers time, money and stress on every shipment they import.

New U.S. Customs Database for Import-Export Industry

2008-05-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

ImportGenius.com is the world's most powerful competitive intelligence tool for the import-export industry. The company offers access to a complete database of U.S. customs records going back to 2006. This means you can search for your competitors' names and find out exactly what they import and when, along with contact information for each of their suppliers. Or you can search for an overseas factory name and Import Genius returns a complete list of U.S. customers.

The company is offering free trials all month long!

Why "Made in China" is good news for the U.S. - Andrew Leonard

2005-08-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

From The Salon.com via China Digital News

The boom in the Chinese microchip industry has Americans worrying about lost jobs and national security. We should be praising it as a model of how globalization is supposed to work.

Aug. 3, 2005 | In 2004, more than 40 tech companies staged public offerings of their stock on Wall Street. Ten were domestic Chinese firms. A microchip company led the way; in one of the largest initial public offerings of the year, China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. raised $1.8 billion.

If chip industry experts across the globe weren't already obsessed with China, SMIC's IPO riveted the attention of the remaining holdouts. Five years ago, China hardly had a chip industry to speak of. Each year since then, led by SMIC, production has exploded. Today, China makes about 8 percent of the world's chips; by 2010, that number may be up to 20 percent.

From nowhere to world domination has been the story of China and globalization for the past decade. Textiles, toys, televisions and cellphones -- one global industry after another has succumbed to Chinese competition. Why should chips be any different?
Because the chip industry can be an example where globalization works right.

The revaluation of the yuan

2005-07-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

From the Economist

China has revalued its currency, the yuan, and linked it to a basket of currencies. By itself, this will do little to slow the economy, but it may ease trade tensions.

Dollar Declines in Asian Trading

2005-07-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

The dollar continued to fall Thursday in Asian trading after earlier remarks from the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman failed to spark fresh optimism about the U.S. economy.

Import Growth Outpaces Export Rise

2005-07-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

South Korean import growth continued to be higher than that of exports in June due to increased oil imports, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) said Friday.

China's Automakers Set Sights on Exports, Amid Humble Beginnings

2005-07-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

Geely Group is an up and coming automaker out of China. They are planning on expanding exports to America and Europe. Geely's two mainland Chinese auto companies — Zhejiang Geely Automobile Co. and Shanghai Maple Guorun Automobile — sold 96,683 sedans in 2004, up 27 percent from 2003.

China's Foreign Trade Still Ballooning

2005-07-14T14:22:00.001-07:00

China's foreign trade grew 23.2 percent in the first half of this year to $645 billion, the government said Wednesday. The United States and Japan have China trade volumes of $96.3 billion and $86.5 billion, respectively.

Exports Grow by 32.7% in First Half

2005-07-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

China's foreign trade continued its robust growth in the first half of this year, but is expected to encounter obstacles in the coming months. Exports from China grew to some US$342.3 billion in the first half of this year, a 32.7 per cent rise over the previous year; imports to China reached US$302.7 billion in this period, a year-on-year rise of 14 per cent.

Big retailers switch import focus from China to India

2005-07-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

United States retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores, Gap and Chico's FAS, are increasing purchases of cheap clothing and jewellery from India as they brace for rising costs when China, their biggest overseas supplier, revalues its currency.

China's June Exports Surge by 30.6 Percent

2005-07-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

China's exports surged by a higher-than-expected 30.6 percent in June from a year earlier, the government said Monday.

Innovative Affiliate Marketing Program

2005-07-11T03:56:00.000-07:00

The Back Rub Hub, a company I started last year to move high quality massage chairs into the U.S., just launched what I think is a very innovative affiliate marketing program. As readers of my Weblog you are automatically eligible to receive $75.00 by referring paying customers to our site. If you also operate a Web site, contact me so I can give you a unique ID. Post a link to our site and if you referr a paying visitor, we'll send you a check!

Asian Gas Supply Said Key in CNOOC Study

2005-07-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

The United States government panel that is examining a bid by China's CNOOC Ltd. to buy Unocal Corporation has a lot of different aspects to examine. "Taiwan, Japan and (South) Korea all import a significant amount of natural gas that's produced in Indonesia by Unocal," said the lawyer, speaking on condition of anonymity. All the various ways of deciding whether or not to take the bid will determind the outcome.

Asian Influences Run Deep in Hollywood

2005-07-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today director Walter Salles unveils his take on Hideo Nakata’s “Dark Water.” It’s the latest Japanese horror film to be remade for American audiences. But the Asian influence in Hollywood extends beyond the horror genre. More asian actors and actresses are appearing in American movies.

Full Speed Ahead for Indonesia's Auto Industry

2005-07-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Indonesia's automotive is on the rise. The sales of the Indonesian cars are second to China's massive sales growth. ASEAN states have agreed to remove import duties altogether by 2010 for the five founding members of the grouping (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore) and by 2015, for new members Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar as well. Overall the Indonesian car industry is rising to power in sales and imports.

The New Asian Import: Your Oven

2005-07-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Foreign appliance manufacturers are making their most aggressive push into the U.S. to date, snaring increasingly large chunks of valuable retail space and branching out into new categories, from ranges to washers and driers. It will be interesting to see how big the asian market grows over the next couple years.

Restrictions on Asian Imports Criticized

2005-07-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

China's economy is dramatically increasing. The world must adapt to Asia's rising superpowers China and India and avoid imposing tariffs. The percentage of imports has risen almost 100 percent in the last year for t-shirts alone.

Imports hit profits at Waterford

2005-06-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

Fine crystal and china maker Waterford Wedgwood has reported an increase in its pre-tax loss and said it had faced "serious challenges" during the year. In the near future there is a weaker demand projceted.

Italy: imports from China increased 250%

2005-06-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Tholen – During last year Italy experienced a true invasion of imports from China. Imports from the Asian country increased by 250%. According to the Italian confederation of growers, CIA, the market is flooded with tomato pulp, apples, pears, garlic and onions, all from China. It is feared also Chinese wine will start flooding the Italian market, as it could rise to significant proportions. This will be interesting to see where the market heads next.

Manufacturers in Fresh Drive to Curb Chinese Imports

2005-06-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

North America's two remaining mass-market bicycle manufacturers on Monday began setting out their case for protection from sharply rising imports from China and Vietnam. Imposing a tariff on basic bicycle parts will effect the volume of imports to the United States.

Mercedes-Benz to start production in Beijing by the end of 2005

2005-06-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will start production of Mercedes-Benz cars with its joint venture partner Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp, by the end of 2005. It will be interesting to see if any other European car companies move their production lines to China to help minimize costs.

Chinese Currency Policy

2005-06-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

We've heard from lots of people who are trying to get the Chinese to stop pegging their currency to the U.S. dollar. Here is an expert in favor of leaving the currency as it is. Clearly the point of view importers would like to hear more often.

A little bit of culture

2005-06-08T01:07:00.000-07:00

I've never been go-karting in America. Sad but true. But after going go-karting in China, I dont think I really want to go in America. See in America I dont think they generally allow go-kart companies to operate a full bar right next to the track. And they have pesky helmets and stupid rules about not crashing. Not here. It's a no-holds barred, all you can drink free-for-all. They encourage you to get good and loaded on $5 dollar pitchers of beer, then they put you in the cart with no instructions, fire it up before you have time to properly buckle your seat belt and send you screaming around a track at 35 mph with seven of your drunk friends chasing right behind you. The first time I crashed nto another guy I felt really bad, laid off the gas and expected one of the track attendants to give me a lecture. But nothing happened...nobody said anything. Turns out you can crash all you like. It's bumper cars how they were meant to be: high speed and "illegal" blood alcohol levels. The best part, which we discovered on the way out, is that the track is open till like 4 am. So you can actually go to the track AFTER the bars close...this is going to be trouble.

On Hiatus

2005-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Due to the difficulties connecting to the Blogspot servers, the Asian Imports Blog will be on hiatus until my return from China. I'm working from Shanghai for the next 8-12 months. For personal antecdotes as well as news related to the import business, please visit my new site at www.spicygringo.com. If the link doesn't work, try back in a couple of days. The site is a work in progress.

How profitable is China?"

2005-02-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

From Business Standard: "How profitable is China?" was the title of a very interesting article written by Jonathan Anderson of UBS. It attempts to answer the above question using basic macro economic data, and simple intuitive logic.

There exists a great deal of anecdotal evidence that China is a very difficult place to make money, especially for foreign multinationals.

Most people have the feeling that many large Western multinationals have sunk billions in the country seeking to capitalise on the booming local economy and billion plus local population and came to grief. "

Chinese Internet users likely to reach 134m by late 2005

2005-02-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

From Financial Express: BEIJING, Feb 3 (AFP): The number of Internet users in China will hit 134 million by the end of 2005, consolidating its position as the second largest market in the world after the United States, a research firm said Thursday.
The figure would mark a growth rate of about 30 per cent compared with 103 million Chinese users at the end of last year, independent forecaster Analysys International said.
The number of 103 million users in late 2004 was higher than the 94 million figure released last month by state-controlled China Internet Network Information Center.
Analysys said the increase would push the development of online games, a fast growing industry in China.

China's top banker denies RMB undervalued

2005-02-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

From Xinhua:

China is very much on the track toward an exchange rate reform in response to the demand of the world's richest nations for a more flexible exchange regime, China's central bank chief told Xinhua on Saturday. "

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, however, cautioned that the reform will be carried out in a measured way to guarantee stability of the renminbi, China's currency.

China sticks to its long-term goal of convertibility of the renminbi under capital account, he said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Wholesale Imports Growing In Online Popularity

2005-02-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

From ReveNews > Worldwide Brands Inc:

Wholesale Imports Growing In Online Popularity

Wholesale imports – especially from China – are growing in the awareness of online sellers. With their incredibly low (by US standards) wages, Asian imports are an mouth watering bargain for Internet sellers.

Plus, importing is 'fraught with peril'. China, for instance, doesn't have the kinds of protective laws that western resellers are used to, meaning that once you've paid for your merchandise, you're stuck. If it's not what you ordered or wanted ... tough.

Fortunately, demand for imported goods is so strong – and Asian countries are so delighted to have our business – that there are more and more opportunities to safely acquire wholesale Asian imports. Worldwide Brands partner Robin Cowie is soon embarking for China and their company will begin importing large quantities of goodies for resale for their customers. Clearly, this is a business that is coming of age and is only going to grow.

http://www.auction-genius-course.com/auction/wholesale-imports.shtml

Greenspan Says Trade Gap May Narrow

2005-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Associated Press via Adsnews.blogspot.com:

Alan Greenspan said market pressures and belt-tightening could ease the trade deficit.

By ALAN COWELL

LONDON, Feb. 4 - Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, said on Friday that America's record trade deficit might be poised to stabilize and even fall because of market pressures and belt-tightening by the Bush administration."

China May Be No. 3 Auto Producer

2005-02-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

From the Associated Press:

BEIJING (AP) -- China's auto production is expected to grow by 20 percent this year to 6 million vehicles, possibly passing Germany as the world's No. 3 producer, an industry association said Saturday.

China is the world's fastest-growing auto market as rising incomes make it possible for millions to buy their first cars. Foreign auto makers are investing billions of dollars in expanding production in China to meet booming demand.

China produced 5.1 million vehicles last year, and the figure is expected to grow by 20 percent this year, said Zhang Xiaoyu, vice president of the China Federation of Machinery Industry, quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Germany produced 5.5 million vehicles in 2004, the No. 3 producer behind the United States and Japan.

Auto sales grew by 15 percent last year, though that was below the growth rate of the previous year as customers waited for lower prices as China allows in more imports.

Prices are believed to have hit a low point, so sales should rise again this year, Zhang said.

"The market potentials have been delayed, which does not mean the lack of market demand," he was quoted as saying.

US ultimatum over yuan receives cool reaction

2005-02-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

From the Standard via China Digital News:

The mainland said a threatened US bill giving it six months to revalue the yuan would be the wrong way to handle the sensitive issue.

``We believe this is not a way to resolve differences,'' foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan said Thursday.

``Every country's economic and financial policies are implemented and established based on the country's specific situation.''

A least a dozen US senators are said to have agreed to co-sponsor the bill which would give China ``a window of 180 days'' to revalue the yuan or face a 27.5 percent tariff on all mainland manufactured goods entering the United States.

China prizes G7 prestige despite currency pressure

2005-02-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

From Stuff.co.nz:

BEIJING: China heads to the Group of Seven meeting of financial ministers in London this week knowing it will come under pressure from rich nations to liberalise its currency. But it probably won't mind.

For Beijing, analysts say the prestige of sitting at the table with the world's wealthiest nations will be worth the pressure - however diplomatically worded - it is sure to feel over the yuan's fixed exchange rate.

"It probably wants the recognition that it is a player in global markets and recognition of its importance in global trade and financial markets," said Ben Simpfendorfer, a JP Morgan economist in Hong Kong.

Chinese Finance Minister Jin Renqing and central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan are expected to reiterate that Beijing will move only gradually to liberalise the yuan, also known as the renminbi, which is now pegged at about 8.28 to the US dollar.

China tweaks tariffs to quell inflation, save jobs

2005-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

From the Daily Times

SHANGHAI: A series of tariff changes imposed by China to quell its booming commodities trade may well be Beijing’s way of controlling inflation and saving jobs on the farm without touching the exchange rate.

The changes would make domestic power and metals cheaper and support agricultural product prices, achieving an effect similar to a yuan appreciation but without the potential damage to China’s trade competitiveness or fragile financial system.

China looks to the Caribbean

2005-02-03T08:29:00.001-08:00

From granma.cu - China looks to the Caribbean

THE China-Caribbean cooperation forum taking place in Kingston, Jamaica from February 2 through 5 ratifies China’s commitment to establish an important world trade alternative in the region.

The meeting is to conclude with the signing of a multilateral agreement to promote development in the following sectors: science and technology, agriculture, fishing, tourism, infrastructural development, human resource training and civil aviation cooperation, all of which will open up new perspectives in the region.

(Not the best source, I know, but an interesting article nonetheless...)

granma.cu - China looks to the Caribbean

2005-02-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Chinese incomes to triple in 15 years

2005-01-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

From The Age (Australia): China's per capita income will triple over the next 15 years, a senior Chinese official said, expressing confidence that aiming for annual growth rates of 8 per cent in the years ahead will not cause the economy to overheat.

Addressing hundreds of corporate executives and political leaders Saturday at the World Economic Forum annual meeting, Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju assured China's stunning economic growth will not trigger any designs on other countries in the region.

"China will by no means pose a threat to others. The earth is a common home to all of us," he said.

Tighter policies expected

2005-01-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

By PARISTA YUTHAMANOP from the Bangkok Post :

China is likely to tighten monetary policy by continuing to raise interest rates rather than adjust its current dollar peg to avoid a financial crisis, according to Andy Xie, chief economist for Asia at investment bank Morgan Stanley.

By raising interest rates, Chinese authorities would be able to reduce speculation in the property sector, currently rampant in the eastern part of the country."

China, Venezuela Sign 17 Bilateral Agreements

2005-01-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

From VOA News: Venezuelan and Chinese officials have signed agreements on oil, agriculture and technology during meetings in Caracas Saturday.

Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed 17 bilateral agreements and also discussed cooperation in mining, oil and gas projects, as well as technological partnership.

First flights between China and Taiwan begin after 55 years

2005-01-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

From Yahoo! News: TAIPEI (AFP) - The first direct flights between bitter rivals China and Taiwan since the end of a civil war 55 years ago started carrying Lunar New Year holidaymakers amid hopes for improving cross-strait relations.

Six Chinese planes landed in Taipei and one in southern Kaohsiung while Taiwan's China Airlines and EVA Airways also each sent a flight to Beijing on the first day of the temporary opening of the air links.

Yahoo! News - China has created brand-new form of capitalism: Bill Gates

2005-01-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

From AFP via Yahoo! News: US software giant Bill Gates has high praise for China, which he says has created a brand-new form of capitalism that benefits consumers more than anything has in the past. It is a brand-new form of capitalism, and as a consumer its the best thing that ever happened," Gates told an informal meeting late Friday at the World Economic Forum in this ski resort.

People's Daily Online -- No rush on yuan reform: China

2005-01-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

From People's Daily Online: China said on Saturday it will not rush to reform its exchange rate.

Senior officials attending the World Economic Forum said currency reform steps would come eventually but the world would have to wait for China to take them at its own, gradual pace.

For over a year now, top industrial nations have been urging China to let its yuan currency strengthen to help balance global growth and resolve a massive U.S. current account deficit.

"The world economic imbalance is attributable to many reasons, but not the exchange rate," Li Ruogu, China's deputy central bank governor, told the World Economic Forum. "China has not the capacity to address that so-called imbalance. We are not willing to do it, and we are not able to do it."

Yuan Step at a Time

2005-01-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2005 -- From The Economist
The case for a big revaluation of the Chinese currency is weaker than commonly claimed

MANY policymakers and economists argue that the Chinese yuan, pegged for a decade at 8.28 to the dollar, is grossly undervalued, and that a revaluation is essential to reduce America's huge current-account deficit. The issue is likely to be high on the agenda at the next G7 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers on February 4th and 5th, to which China has been invited. Figures last week, showing a further widening of America's trade deficit and a big increase in China's surplus, have surely increased the pressure on China.

However, in a new paper, “To Be a Rock and Not to Roll”, Stephen King, the chief economist of HSBC bank, exposes several myths behind the conventional arguments for a revaluation of the yuan. The first is that China's large and growing trade surplus with America proves that the yuan is undervalued. China's surplus with America is offset by a deficit with other Asian countries (see left-hand chart), from which it imports capital equipment and components. As a result, China's overall trade surplus was a modest $32 billion last year, smaller than in the late 1990s and peanuts compared with America's trade deficit of over $600 billion. Nor does the extraordinarily rapid growth in Chinese exports prove that its currency is too cheap: imports have also been rising rapidly.

But what about the huge increase in China's foreign-exchange reserves, which jumped by almost $100 billion in the fourth quarter of last year? To prevent the yuan rising against the dollar, the People's Bank of China is being forced to buy vast amounts of American Treasury securities. Surely, that proves that the yuan is being held below its market rate? Not necessarily. Much of the increase in reserves reflects inflows of short-term capital, from investors taking advantage of higher interest rates in China or speculating on a revaluation. In the long term, if China scrapped its controls on capital outflows, the yuan might well fall as Chinese households diversified into foreign assets.

It is true that because of its peg to the dollar, the yuan's real trade-weighted exchange rate (adjusted for inflation differences with other countries) has fallen by 13% since 2001. But on a longer view the Chinese currency looks less cheap. Between 1994 and 2001, it gained 30%, dragged up by a rising dollar (see right-hand chart). Those who accuse the Chinese of pursuing a cheap-yuan policy conveniently forget that during the East Asian crisis China let pass the chance to devalue its currency in line with most of its neighbours.

Perhaps the biggest myth of all, says Mr King, is that the yuan's value is the only stumbling block to reducing America's current-account deficit. China accounts for less than 10% of America's total trade so a 10% revaluation of the yuan—as much as might be reasonably expected—would reduce the dollar's trade-weighted value by only 1%. If it were matched by a 10% rise in all other Asian currencies, then the dollar's trade-weighted index would fall by 3.7%. But even that is small compared with the dollar's decline of 16% since early 2002, let alone with what would be needed to cut America's current-account deficit to a sustainable level. Assuming no other policy changes, HSBC estimates that the dollar needs to fall by a further 30% to reduce the deficit to 2-3% of GDP.

Visit the Economist.com for the original article... (Subscribers Only)

Plan to bring Chinese cars to U.S.

2005-01-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

From the guy who brought us the Yugo, here comes the Chery...

Complete article...

Shanghai cabbies warn about unlicensed taxi scams...

2004-12-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

Local cabbies in Shanghai say more signs should be set up at the Pudong International Airport to warn travelers about the large number of "black cabs," or unlicensed taxis, trolling the airport for customers, some of whom end up paying outrageous fees. I had a problem with this in Costa Rica, so it's definitely something I'll pay attention to. Complete article...

China's foreign trade surges 750 times in 55 years

2004-12-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese foreign trade has increased 750 times since the People's Republic of China was founded 55 years ago, serving as a major engine for the growth of world trade, a Chinese trade official said here Friday.

Complete article...

Yuan-derful

2004-12-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

The chief Asian economist at UBS authored an extremely insightful article to gauge the effects of Chinese currency policy on the global economy. His conclusion?

"It's surprisingly difficult to argue that the Chinese renminbi exchange rate -- or the exchange regime -- has had any substantial impact on the way the rest of the world works. Whether we look at jobs, trading patterns or global currency markets, China still shows up as a relatively small economy, and certainly not one that is 'driving the show,' now or in the near future. And whether the peg stays or goes is a sublimely unimportant issue in the large scheme of things."

Complete article...:

Limits on Chinese Imports Harm Low-Income Americans

2004-12-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

Limits on Chinese Imports Harm Low-Income Americans
by Sheldon Richman, December 22, 2004
from The Future of Freedom Foundation

President Bush has a nice little Christmas present for every family struggling to make ends meet: he announced the other day that he will make clothing more expensive in the coming year by imposing limits on cheap imports from China. This little favor to American textile and apparel interests is a slap in the face to everyone of modest (and not-so-modest) means. It is also a blow to clothing retailers who tried futilely to block the president’s move.

Complete article...

China Grows in Superpower Status

2004-12-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

The Tapei Times published a new article to claim thatChina is growing in superpower status.

Treasury´s Snow says US wants flexibility in China currency policy

2004-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AFX) - Treasury Secretary John Snow said that the US wants flexibility in China's exchange rate mechanism and that the best way to achieve that is to prod Beijing. Snow told reporters, however, that it is difficult for China to float the yuan directly. Complete article...

A landmark move for China Inc.

2004-12-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Lenovo purchases IBM's PC Business. In a move that may have more to do with tapping the huge domestic market than reaching the U.S. or other regions, Chinese PC maker Lenovo purchased IBM this week. The $1.75 billion dollar deal is being hailed as China's biggest foray onto the global brand scene...

More crap from the Chinese Currency Coalition

2004-12-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

The importers worst nightmare, the Chinese Currency Coalition published a new statement recently. The group charges that Chinese currency policy has led to the loss of more than 9,000 manufacturing jobs. However, to blame China for the loss of these jobs is to grossly over simplify the economic data while ignoring jobs created by Chinese imports. Thousands of Americans are earning a living by selling Chinese goods on eBay. The country's largest employer, Wal Mart, also earns a huge percentage of its profits from Chinese-produced goods. As with any dynamic economy there will be winners and losers. It is wrong to ignore the benefits provided by inexpenisve Chinese imports in an economic analysis of that country's currency policy.

The Two Faces of China

2004-12-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation projects that in 2034, bank assets in China will surpass those in the United States. The country has become the world's largest consumer of steel, concrete, cell phones, and other important products. Meanwhile manufacturers around the world are being forced to make massive changes to compete with the "China Price." The New York Times article, The Two Faces of China, presents a nice overview of the current China's current status in the world economy.

China eases yuan controls for travelers

2004-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

China is tripling the amount of yuan travelers can take out of the country, a move economists say is likely to benefit Hong Kong but will not do much to stem international pressure for a revaluation of the currency. More from CNN.com

"The China Price"

2004-12-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

From Business Week:

The China Price,

They are the three scariest words in U.S. industry. Cut your price at least 30% or lose your customers. Nearly every manufacturer is vulnerable -- from furniture to networking gear. The result: A massive shift in economic power is under way.

2004-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Foreign experts have begun to call for China to float its currency en masse. Given my line of work, I obviously cannot claim to be impartial in the debate over the Yuan's pegging to the dollar. As long as the Yuan remains relatively weak, the Chinese products I move into the U.S. remain cheap. American manufacturers, however, are desperate for a change as it makes their exports to the huge Chinese market extremely expensive for Chinese consumers. Pundits, including those at the Economist magazine, claim the Yuan may be undervalued by as much as 40 percent. Currency traders therefore see this as an opportunity to make a 40 percent return on the dollar by buying up the Yuan and waiting for the Chinese government to float their currency on the open market. As talk of a currency revaluation picks up, more and more people are converting dollars into Yuan. Not surprisingly, many of these people are the "experts" we see commenting on the need for China to float its currency. As more people move their money into Yuan, it will become harder for the Chinese to sustain the peg.

I experienced a similar situtation in 2001 when I was traveling in Argentina. The Argentine Peso was pegged to the dollar also, one to one. If you went to a currency exchange, you'd get one peso for each dollar. Yet if you traded on the streets, you'd get 1.4 pesos to the dollar. Such black market irregularites are a clear sign of an impending monetary crisis. Sure enough, while I was there the government essentially collapsed, devaluing the peso as it went. If we start to see similar signs, with the Yuan being traded for more than a dollar, that would be the clearest sign of an impending revaluation. At that point, its full tilt ahead, put all the dollars you can into the Yuan. And while I like to be as open and helpful as I can through this blog, I am not going to report this type of thing. I'll just put all my money in and let it ride....

China's brand names prepare to go global

2004-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Chronicle recently published the article, "China's brand names prepare to go global." Worth a read for importers who have traditionally relied on generic Chinese goods to undercut the competition. Inevitably with an economy growing as fast as the Chinese, dominant brand names will emerge. We saw this with the chaebol (Hyundai, LG, Samsung, Daewoo, etc) in Korea and certainly with the emergence of the post-war Japanese economy. The question remains at this point which of the Chinese brands will move to the forefront. Those that focus on quality is the simple answer. Most companies still don't....

Talking Free Trade

2004-11-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

Peru and Chinamay open free trade talks. Meanwhile, a half dozen South American countries have designated China a "market economy," giving it new trading rights under the World Trade Organization. For somebody like myself, any deal between China and Latin America opens huge opportunities. I got my start selling Chinese motorbikes in the southwest United States, eventually branching into northern Mexico. Free trade between China and Latin America gets my pulse going...

Yet another war for the United States..

2004-11-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley, predicts a U.S.-China trade war will develop in response to huge American budget deficits and an undervalued Chinese yuan.

Chinese Sauna Therapy

2004-11-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

As we frequently note, China is producing all kinds of high quality goods, allowing small American retailers to earn important new profits. Faculty Imports business partners recently founded an online store to offer some pretty cool saunas from China. Check out their Web site at http://www.wasauna.com/ to see their simple, yet effective e-commerce site. If you're interested in learnign about how you can earn new profits in this industry, call Dave at Wasauna and tell him that Ryan sent you...

Advice from Alibaba Founder

2004-11-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

Alibaba Founder Jack Ma talks about his firms battle against eBay in China and other interesting issues. Alibaba can be a great resource for sourcing Chiense products, so when Jack speaks, we listen...

Credit to the Chinese Internet Blog for brining this interview to our attention.

Very Impressive China Internet Directory

2004-11-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

If you're interested in reading about China and other parts of Asia, this Annotated Directory of Internet Resources is the motherload. Dr. Robert Eng of the University of Redlands updates and maintains the directory, which has received acclaim from the Librarian's Index to the Internet and the Federation of International Trade Associates. We're adding it to our Links section on the lower right --->>>

Cool Blog on China

2004-11-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

China Digital News is a blog operated within the journalism department at Cal Berkeley. It's a great source for information about the Internet's rise in China. Most smaller American iimporters without acess to the services of an import broker (such as Facutly Imports) find sources through the Internet, so following trends on Internet usage in China can be very interesting. Check it out some time...

Shakeup in the Textile Industry

2004-11-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

The start of '05 brings the expiration of global texitle tariffs. Analsysts forsee massive changes in the global textiles sectors, as quotas are dropped allowing the free market to better determine allocation of productive resources. China figures to attract manufacturing currently done in Thailand, Bangladesh, the Phillipines, and Taiwan, whose smaller and younger textile industries may not be able to compete. Faculty Imports will monitor this development closely in the months to come, both for our clients and readers of the company's "Asian Imports Blog." Read more about the coming textile industry shake up.

WTO complaints against China

2004-11-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

The WTO says members filed fewer final anti-dumping measures this year than last. Nonetheless, China commanded the most attention from jealous rivals, attracting 16 new charges that it sells its products abroad below the cost of production.

Interesting Read

2004-10-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading "Understanding China," a very interesting book about China's political and economic systems authored by John Bryant Starr, a former UC Berkeley and Yale professor. This is one of the first books I've read about China that is not optimistic about the future prospects. The author conisistently argues that the myriad problems faced by the Chinese are too large and complicated to be handled by the inept and corrupt central government. While I disagree with many of his findings, I found it refreshing to read an alternative to the down-right giddy reporting on China's econoimc outlook that appears in most newspapers and magazines. Link to Amazon page on Understanding China...

China raises interest rates

2004-10-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

China finally took more overt action to apply the breaks to its overheated economy this week. Yesterday they announced an interest rate hike, which, though moderate, should have positive effects on the global economy. The country had not increased rates since 1995, despite being outspoken about a desire to slow down the seemingly unsustainable pace of growth. Inflation fears induced the change, which should make it less attractive (albeit, by a very small .25%) to invest in China relative to other areas of the globe. In the long-term, Americans importing goods from China may see higher prices, as manufacturers find it more difficult and expensive to secure the credit they need to maintain and increase production levels. However, if the rate serves to control inflation and bring the economy to a "soft landing" at a more sustainable growth rate, this development should be a net-positive.

IMF calls for China to move ahead on currency revaluation.

2004-10-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ther Internatinal Monetary Fund is the latest international organization to chime in on China's currency policies, urging China to move forward without delay in revaluing the Yuan. Fortunately China doesn't have to listen, since they don't owe the fund any money... Link

Shanghai Auto Parts & Equipment Exhibition

2004-10-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Shanghai Auto Parts and Equipment Show opens next week. You know we wish we could attend. If you go, please let us know what you though, either in the comments section of this blog, or by e-mailing us at Faculty Imports.

A question nobody thought we'd be asking

2004-10-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Business Week and the Economist each published articles this week asking, "Is China Running Out Of Workers?" Just a few short years ago analysts were talking about China's "endless supply" of low-cost unskilled labor reserves. With 50 percent of the population still residing in the countryside (many without steady employment), we've long believed that the demand could never outpace this labor supply. Well, it turns out that despite higher pay, the poor working conditions at many of the country's manufacturers just aren't enough to lure people off the land. The result will certainly be higher prices for Chinese goods at some point down the road...

Despite prices, a rush into China

2004-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

A throng of foreign buyers trampled security barriers and pushed aside guards in their haste to enter the Canton Trade Fair at its opening Friday, another sign of how companies all over the world are still rushing to do business in China. This rush into China has led to worries of inflation in the PRC, a perpetual worry for any economy but even more so in a country where prices were long fixed by the government. Now that market forces are determining prices for most products, Chinese firms are having to adapt to rising commodity prices for their inputs while dealing with the constant downward pressure on the price of outputs applied by Wal Mart and others. More...

Good Summary of China's Currency Situation

2004-10-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in reading a nice summary of where China sits with its decision on currency revaluation, you may find thisProspects for China's Currency Revaluation from the Center for American Progress useful. The Center is a very liberal organization and hardly a big booster of free trade, yet here supports China's reservations on revaluation. It is extremely important for China to strenthen the miserable state of its banking system, and the Chinese worry any currency revaluation could have the opposite effect.

China may be growing too fast

2004-10-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

China is probably the only country in the world that dislikes signs of excess economic growth. The country's economy is overheated, with the private sector growing at astonishing rates, leaving languishing state-owned and collective enterprises behind. As many as 2/3 of public companies in China are losing money--and more are slipping into the red each year. Without state subsidies, these firms would have already collapsed, leading to widespread unemployment and possible social unrest. The country's banks are laden with bad debt; as loans on highly speculative industries begin to default, it could lead to a massive downturn for the world's most populous nation. The country's "socialist" leaders are working overtime to cool down the economy to avoid catastrophy. Whether they succeed or not is a matter of tremendous import for the global economy.

Currency not coming off its peg soon, says China

2004-10-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today China dismissed rumors that it is poised to allow its tightly controlled currency to strengthen, saying an immediate one-off revaluation of the yuan was "impossible" and "unwise."More...

Know Your Tariffs

2004-10-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

All products imported into the United States are declared to the United States Customs Service by a number known as the harmonized tariff number. This number will allow you to know the exact tariffs you should expect to pay on your imports. You'll likely be amazed at how specific they can get when categorizing products. The number for your product is best learned from a customsbroker, but you can also look it up yourself at this website:

http://www.usitc.gov/taffairs.htm

Contact Faculty Imports for more help understanding tariffs for your importing venture.

Chinese Cheap Labor Threatens Mexican Economy

2004-10-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Republic reports that growth of Chinese exports are threatening the Mexican economy. While Chinese exports to the United States grew at 29 percent last year, Mexico's increased by a paltry 1.9 percent. And its not just competition for the lucrative American market that is affecting Mexican manufacturers; the Chinese are gaining market share within domestic market sectors as well. China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 means that Mexico has until 2006 to comply with international law by eliminating protectionist tariffs on a range of goods. Dynamic importing firms should be able to take advantage of this rare opportunity. Unfortunately for Mexico's economy, its beleagured manufacturing sector may suffer yet another blow.

Chinese motorcycles selling on price

2004-10-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Chinese motorcycle sales in India recently suffered a huge loss when Japanese brands reduced their prices. In fact, Chinese sales decreased 40 percent when the Japanese cut prices just 7 percent. This doesn't bode well for Chinese motorbike distributors here in the U.S. either. It demonstrates that the demand for their products is fueled almost entirely by low prices. Should these prices rise--either with a revaluation of the Yuan or with an economic downturn in China--motorbike dealerships in the U.S. may suffer.

If you want to make some money selling Chinese bikes right now, while their price remains artificially low, e-mail us at Faculty Imports. We can help you find some really nice bikes at amazing prices.

China currency policy discussed, but no change announced

2004-10-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Recognizing the rapid growth of the Chinese economy--and the dependence of the entire world on the cheap goods produced there--the world's seven richest nations finally invited China to lunch. The G7 invited China's finance minister and central bank minister to discuss global macroeconomic outlooks, and of course to apply more pressure on the Asian giant to float its currency. The Yuan has been pegged at 8.28 to the dollar since 1995, yet during this time the Chinese economy has grown more than 10 percent each year. While the Chinese accept the idea of a market-based exchange rate in principal, their current policy has so many benefits for the export-based economy that party officials are reluctant to part with it. Nonetheless, as the country's leaders work towards a soft landing, a revaluation of the currency will probably be necessary. In the short term, millions importers of Chinese products will continue to hope the status quo can last.

SWEET!!

2004-10-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Expectations of China floating its currency on foreign exchange markets, with large implications for the global economy, have dimmed after industrialised nations declined to increase pressure on Beijing. Those of us in the import business will continue to reap the rewards.

More from the China Currency Coalition

2004-10-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Chinese Currency Coaltion, an isolationist industry association, is gaining some traction, this time from the Business Report of New Zealand. While China has promised to move toward free-market valuation of its currency, U.S. treasury secretary John Snow insists that the country's leaders have been saying this for the last five years. And Faculty Imports clients have been loving it...

Thats no good.

2004-10-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

A board director of Morgan Stanley and chief financial analyst of Asia Pacific warned that China may be headed for an economic downturn, fueled by another round of heated speculation in the Chinese economy. While a "soft-landing" would be preferred, one must wonder what the effects of a serious downturn would be on U.S.-based importers of Chinese goods. The most important result of a large recession on China would be that many of its banks are likely to fail without state intervention (which is pretty much gauranteed, since they are all state-owned). Those that survive would be forced to dramatically reduce lending. Increased interest rates and the difficulty in securing credit would make it very difficult for our Chinese suppliers to rapidly increase their supply to meet demand. Thus the marginal cost -- the cost of producing additional units-- would increase dramatically. No longer would the factories be able to easily add more machines, labor, and other production imports. The resulting increases in prices, along with any change in the currency, could have severely detrimental effects on import businesses around the world.

Nonetheless, many importers are small, nimble firms, capable of adapting to the times. I am convinced that those who have maintained solid relationships in China and other parts of the world will continue to prosper. Any Chinese recession, regardless of how severe, will eventually be overcome. Even the great depression was overcome. Once a country moves toward unequivocally toward capitalism as China has, there is no turning back the forces of progress.

Homegrown Chinese Car Makers

2004-09-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Detroit News published a great article about Chinese car companies a while back. This identifies three of the biggest domestic firms: Geely Group, Great Wall and BYD Auto. Each of these firms has begun exporting cars to Africa and the Middle East. Geely has also begun selling cars in Mexico. Such penetration within NAFTA should have the U.S. players a bit worried. Especially with the absolute lack of intellectual property protection in China. Good news for smaller importers though, if we can get in on the action.

China Motors Blog Founded

2004-09-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

I recently created the China Motors blog to track more closely any developments from the Chinese motor industry. I'll be tracking brands, manufacturers, importers, distributors as well as economic policies that may affect the industry. Please visit the site and post comments freely.

Great Resource

2004-09-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Securities.com is one of the net's best resources for finding industry and country information from all over the world. The China section compiles a tremendous amount of news and background info from both English and Chinese language sources.

(Aside: I was happy to see that Google AdSense actually placed an ad for a report from this firm on the Asian Imports Blog today. Just a testament to the ability of Google's technology to place ads that are truly relevant.)

Anti-Trade Protectionist Coalition Begs U.S. Trade Negotiator to Undermine Importer Profits

2004-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

The so-called China Currency Coalition, a collection of unions, domestic manufacturers, and other anti-trade stakeholders, issued a statement about a letter the group recently sent to United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick. It appears the protectionists are angry that the administration would not cave to their ridiculous demands that the U.S. pursue a policy of economic isolationism. This powerful lobbying group is one of the biggest thorns in the side of importers who earn a handsome living based on the undervalued Chinese yuan. We'll be watching them closely to see where else they rear their ugly heads.

China to relax policy on exports by foreign Cos

2004-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo has announced that China will further relax its export restrictions on foreign companies in the country, China Radio International reported Friday.

Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo announced this Thursday in central China's Wuhan city.

He says that to promote exports and thereby develop Chinese manufacturing, China will permit foreign investors to set up their own export purchasing centers in some regions on the mainland.

This means foreign investors can develop wholly-owned export businesses and enjoy the same tax refund and other preferential policies as Chinese enterprises. Enditem

Fortune Magazine China Orgy

2004-09-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Fortune Magazine's October 2004 issue contains a huge series of articles on China. It's about 200 pages thick, with every article about a different aspect of Chinese society. There is one on the Chinese auto industry (see below), several about tech (here and here), one on water and plenty of others. Over the next few days I'll share what I find to be signficant developments or stories of interest for importers of Chinese goods. In the mean time, head on over to Fortune's Inside the New China and read for yourself. Fortune scores points, not just for publishing this report, but for making it available free of charge on the net.

Chinese Auto Race

2004-09-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

The race to get in on the ground floor of the Chinese automarket is in full swing, with domestic players and multi-nationals vying for an edge. While there figures to be few imports of Chinese cars to North America in the near future, western observers are paying close attention to developments in the Chinese auto industry.

Today there are only 8 cars for every 1000 Chinese old enough to drive, compared to 940 in the U.S. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., or SAIC, appears to be the best positioned domestic producer. The firm has joint ventures with each of the largest foreign manufacturers in China, Volkswagen and General Motors.

Other important firms include Great Wall, Chery Automobile Co and Geely Motor. Chery has been accused of stealing design secrets--hardly surprising given the abysmal support for intellectual property rights in the Chinese justice system. The Geely F1 was among dozens of new models unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show back in July 2004. The car looks like a Formula One/Indy car. Obviously this thing will is not even close to being street legal in the U.S. (nor will any of Geely's cars pass emissions standards), but the design demonstrates the firm's desire to generate buzz .

USA Today published an amusing article a while back about an Arizona businessman (scam artist really) who aims to be Geely's main representative in the U.S. automarket. I've dealt with the firm extensively and know that they produce some of the lowest quality motorscooters you'll find. Type "scooter" into eBay and witness all those $500-700 models--most are Geelys. Not one will go 1,000 miles before ending up in the mechanics garage--a place it is likely to reside for some time. Until Geely and other Chinese firms (guilt by association?) improve quality drastically, they will not be able to take over Korea's role as producers of low-end American vehilces that nobody really wants.

Plasma for the masses...

2004-09-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

More TVs are the last thing our society actually needs, but probably the consumer product people feel most strongly about (besides the addictive Internet, if you're willing to count it). China's exports of high-end color TV's grew hugely in the first half of 2004. The total value of the sets was 55.38 million US dollars, almost 300 times as much as last year!!! Looks like it might be a little to late to jump onto that train.

China Sells More Cars Than It Makes

2004-09-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

This report has to make you wonder about official government statistics. China sold 101 percent of the cars it made last month. Regardless, the Chinese auto industry is a hot sector that we'll be following very closely as it grows. If you are interested in importing Chinese motorcycles, off-road vehicles, go-karts or even tractors, check out KPX Motors. This reliable Arizona distributor has been helping dealerships and individuals around the U.S. to earn huge margins on Chinese products for several years.

Soft Landing Predicted for Overheated Chinese Economy

2004-09-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is good news for importers of Chinese goods. The Asian Development bank is predicting a soft landing for the overheated Chinese economy. As we've noted previously, no country can continue to grow at China's torrid pace, year-in and year-out. Economists are already baffled at the country's ability to post record numbers almost every year since the 1979 economic opening that started it all. The leaders of the PRC understand that the pace must be gradually slowed to a more sustainable level. This "soft landing" will allow businesses adapt over time, rather than causing massive failures across sectors. Despite a sincere desire to believe its findings, I must question the independence of the Asian Development Bank in producing this optmistic report. Such rosy statements reassure its own investors and keep its financing flowing. Looks like a pretty clear conflict of interest to me...

One Trillion Dollars

2004-09-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

China's foreign trade reaches $1 trillion China's imports and exports will reach 1,000 billion US dollars in 2004, said Bo Xilai, China's Minister of Commerce here Sunday.

Rich nations impose will on China

2004-09-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

U.S. claims "progress" on chinese currency. The world's rich nations (a.ka. the G7) claim to have made progress in convincing China to change its policy of fixing the yuan at 8.3 per dollar. Such a change would immediately cut into profits for American retail businesses that depend on cheap Chinese imports for their survival. The very idea of asking China to raise the cost of its currency--and hence its goods and services--is completely counter-intuitive. Why undermine this tremendous source of growth for the global economy?

On Trade Deficits

2004-09-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

The New York Times published an article today on the United States' record trade deficit of 166.2 billion last quarter. What the article (and most people, I believe) overlook is that a trade "deficit" is a misleading way of describing the fact that we import more than we export. By applying this negative label we fail to perceive that our ability to import so many goods results from the strength of our domestic economy, not its weakness. The fact is that our country is so prosperous that we can afford to buy an extraordinary (and seemingly ever-increasing) quantity of goods and services from abroad. The trade "deficit" is, more than anything, a measurment of our wealth.

What's more, the NY Times figure actually includes "capital exports," meaning that American investments abroad are now being regarded as harmful to our economy. This foreign direct investment is a huge factor behind the strength of U.S. businesses as well as one of the keys to the economic growth of underdeveloped nations. We are as prosperous as we are today because our corporations have always sought cheaper ways to do things in low-cost nations.

Analsyts (including myself of course) consistently tout the strength of the Chinese economy. What we often fail to note is that China imports more than it exports and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future (oxymoron alert).

(Bugmenot.com is not working for NY Times right now. As I've noted previously though, I think the Times is one of the few papers that can legitimately ask us for our information...they've earned the right).

Consulates are extremely helpful to importers

2004-09-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

International Consulates are an excellent source for foreign trade information such as trade show schedules, trade news, cultural events, travel help and contact information. You can also visit most consulates online. For example, check out the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco or the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York.

If you visit the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, don't be alarmed by the presence of demonstrators protesting the persecution of Falun Gong.

China trade grows by 38 percent over 2003

2004-09-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

China's import and export volume hit 722.13 billion US dollars in the first eight months of this year, up 38.2 per cent year on year. Trade surplus in August alone was 4.49 billion dollars, the largest since this year.

Who grows trade by 38 percent in a year? It's quite obvious this is not sustainable growth, but hey, I'm gonna ride the wave until it lays me on the sand...with a bundle of money for me and all my clients.

The U.S Imports 280 Million Pounds of Coffee...

2004-09-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

And thats every month of the year!! Here's a chart showing the monthly coffee imports of the world's largest markets, according to the International Cofee Organization. That's an enormous market. And with the direct marketing capabilities provided by today's desktop publishing software and e-commerce applications (build yourself a Web site, sell on eBay, post to Craigslist...it starts online!), customers have never been so easy to reach. If I were starting a coffee brand right now, I'd start by sending out mailings to every (independent) coffee shop in the U.S. (or as many as you can afford). [If you are interested in purchasing a list of coffee shops (or any other business for that matter), contact Faculty Imports today. I can get you lists of any business category for a reasonable fee.]

What's more, the backlash against big corportate coffee should make it easier for smaller players to see nice returns. Partially as a result of this backlash, the Fair Trade Coffee Movement has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. It's a pretty cool marketing concept, though I can't testify as to how far the good intentions actually go to helping poor people in underdeveloped nations. Standards are required to ensure that the fair trade is truly that. But if it means you earn a higher return for your stuff, while gaining access to a more "compassionate" segment of the market and simultaneously doing some good, then I'm all for it. If you're looking for a supplier of the fair stuff, start by contacting Global Exchange. They import and sell fair trade coffee themselves, so you won't get the price you need to turn a real profit, but if you can work with them long enough to find yourself a reliable supplier who will sell to you direct, then you're golden.

As far as Asian coffee is concerned, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Phillipines are all big producers, but I'm certainly not going to advocate Asian imports over all others. Latin America and Africa produce some of the best coffee in the world, so shop around for the right supplier and try to build your niche. Here's a directory of coffee exporters around the world.

Now the labor unions are in on it.

2004-09-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Bashing Chinese currency policy is growing in popularity, especially with the election drawing near. Candidates are eager to prove that they will crack down on "outsourcing" and overseas competition. Now the labor unions are putting their two cents in, calling on the White House to take action. Luckily nobody's really listening at the White House (surprise?), and the National Association of Manufacturers called the move a "counterproductive step."

Bug Me Not

2004-09-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder, if you have trouble accessing any news article we link to here, just visit Bug Me Not and type the URL of the news source. They should give you a password. As a general rule I won't link to anything I can't access through there: I hate registering for these no-name sites... I mean seriously, if you're the New York Times, okay, you can ask a user for some information, but the Kansas City Star and the National Post of Canada just have no business demanding my information when their (often superior) competitors are just a click away. Someday these sites will get it. In the mean time, turn to BugMeNot.com.

Let a Thousand Reactors Bloom

2004-09-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Think China's inability to meet growing energy demands will keep it from becoming the world's dominant economy. Perhaps air pollution will prevent the country from reaching its potential. Well, China seems to have found a solution in a new form of nuclear power that is meltdown proof and can be mass-produced. Oh, and it will produce hydrogen. The West better be watching closely, or it will be watching from way behind...